When I wrote The Subscription Playbook, I made a promise on the book's resources page: a free tool where you answer a few easy questions and get a personalized recommendation about which subscription model suits your business.
This is that tool, rebuilt for 2026.
Here's why it exists. Any business can sell a subscription. GoPro sells cameras, and its subscription kept earning while camera sales fell. A hairdresser, a vet and a plumber can all do it too. Picking the right shape is the tricky part, and most owners pick the model they've seen most often (usually Netflix) instead of the one that matches what their customers already buy.
How do you use the Subscription Model Selector?
- Pick an example close to your business if you want a head start, or answer from scratch.
- Answer the eight questions about what you sell, how often customers need it, what they value and what each extra use costs you.
- Read your top three. Each comes with the reasons it fits, three ways to apply it, real examples and the trap to avoid.
- Check the bar chart to see how all eight models scored, not just the winners.
Your answers save in your browser, so you can come back and tweak them.
How the scoring works
Every answer gives points to the models it suits and, sometimes, takes points away from models it doesn't. "Real staff time every time," for example, adds to Bundled Services and subtracts from Unlimited Content, because unlimited plans break when each use costs you money.
Fit % = Points the model earned from your answers ÷ Most points that model could earn × 100
So a 75% fit means three-quarters of the signals that favor that model showed up in your answers. It isn't a probability of success. It's a measure of how well the model's shape matches your business.
A worked example: the physio clinic
Take the preloaded physio clinic. It delivers services with its own people, patients come about monthly, they value peace of mind and priority help, every session costs real staff time, and regulars already buy several services (consults, classes, exercise programs).
The result: Bundled Services at 75%, Insurance at 65% and Member Benefits at 41%. Unlimited Content scores just 15%, because staff time makes "unlimited sessions" dangerous.
That's the answer I'd give the clinic over coffee. Bundle two sessions, a group class and the exercise app into one monthly fee, then borrow from the insurance model with priority booking when something flares up. It's the same logic Greencross Vets uses for its A$660-a-year Healthy Pets Plus plan: predictable work the clinic delivers itself, plus a discount on everything else.
How do you read your result?
- One model well ahead (20+ points clear): build around it and don't overthink it.
- Two models close together: that's normal. Most strong subscription businesses run one model as the backbone and borrow elements from a second. Amazon Prime mixes Member Benefits, Unlimited Content and Consumables.
- Nothing above 40%: your answers don't point to an obvious recurring need. Look for what customers buy, use or worry about at least every quarter.
- A warning box appears: take it seriously. It means your answers include something (heavy users, unpredictable costs, a one-off need) that has sunk subscriptions before. Panera capped its "unlimited" drinks at 30 a month in 2026 for exactly this reason.
No quiz knows your business better than you do. Use the recommendation as a strong first draft, then run the three-question test from the 8 subscription business models guide: what do customers need every quarter, can you deliver it for a fixed fee and still profit on your heaviest users, and what would they lose if they cancelled?
What to do next
Once you know your model, the order of work is simple: model, then pricing, then numbers.
- Read the full guide to your top model, such as Bundled Services or Member Benefits.
- Choose how to charge with the pricing model picker and the guide to the five subscription pricing models.
- Check the offer makes money after costs, GST and fees with the subscription price calculator.
- Browse 101 subscription business ideas for more examples in your sector.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the Subscription Model Selector?
It's a structured first draft, not a verdict. The scoring is built on the decision framework in Chapter 2 of The Subscription Playbook, which matches models to what customers buy, how often, and what each use costs you. It can't see your margins, your competitors or your customers' moods. Use your top two results as a shortlist, then test the offer on real customers before you build it.
Can a business use more than one subscription model?
Yes, and most good ones do, but in a specific way. Pick one model as the backbone of your offer and borrow elements from a second. GoPro combines member benefits with an insurance-style camera replacement. What rarely works is launching three or four separate subscription offers at once, because customers get confused and so does your team.
What if my business only sells one-off products?
Look for the recurring need around the product rather than the product itself. A camera maker can sell storage and editing, a furniture maker can sell care plans, and a mechanic can sell a service plan. If you genuinely can't find anything customers need at least every few months, a subscription may be the wrong model, and that's a fine answer too.
Is this the same tool mentioned in the book?
Yes. The printed edition of The Subscription Playbook pointed readers to a free subscription model selector on the book's resources page. This is the updated version, with 2026 examples, warnings drawn from what has worked and failed since the book came out, and links to the full guide for each of the eight models.
Do I need to pick a pricing model as well?
Yes. The subscription model is what customers get; the pricing model is how they pay for it. A bundled services plan could be a flat monthly fee, tiers or a base fee plus extras. Choose your subscription model first, then use the pricing model picker and the subscription price calculator to set the structure and the actual price.
Built on The Subscription Playbook
This tool turns frameworks from Robert Coorey's book into something you can use in minutes. Robert is the author of The Subscription Playbook and a Director at BPAG Accountants. More about Robert.