The Future of PLG: Trends to Watch in 2025 & Beyond

Author

Filippo Ferri
March 23, 2025

Welcome to Momentum Inspired!

Product-Led Growth (PLG) has evolved rapidly—from lean SaaS startups to enterprise giants adopting self-serve. But in 2025, PLG is entering a new era.

  1. AI is transforming onboarding and personalization.

  2. B2B companies are embracing hybrid PLG + sales models.

  3. Community, usage-based pricing and data-driven monetization are no longer optional.

In this special edition, we’ll explore 6 trends shaping the future of PLG, so you can stay ahead of the curve.

6 Product-Led Growth Trends to Watch in 2025 & Beyond

  1. AI-Native PLG Products Will Set the Standard

    AI will move from an add-on to the core driver of PLG success.

    📌 What’s changing:

    • Onboarding will become context-aware and conversational.

    • Behavioral predictions, not triggers, will drive smart upsell moments.

    • Retention strategies will be AI-personalized for each user segment.

    ✅ Your Move:

    Adopt AI-powered tools (like Pendo, Mutiny, or ChatGPT APIs) for onboarding, messaging, and support.

  2. The Rise of Hybrid PLG + Sales Models

    Pure PLG isn’t always enough—especially for B2B. The new model:

    Self-serve → PQL → Sales Assist → Expansion.

    📌 Why it matters:

    • PQLs give sales teams warm, product-qualified leads.

    • Product usage becomes the new CRM.

    ✅ Your Move:

    Build a tight integration between product analytics and your CRM. Align marketing, product, and sales around user behavior.

  3. Usage-Based Pricing Will Become the Norm

    Companies are shifting away from static pricing to pricing that scales with value.

    📌 What’s working:

    • APIs: Pay per call (e.g., OpenAI, Twilio).

    • Collaborative tools: Pay per seat or team (e.g., Figma, Slack).

    ✅ Your Move:

    Evaluate where your product delivers variable value—then align pricing to usage, volume, or outcomes.

  4. Community Will Become Your Competitive Moat

    A strong product isn’t enough—users want connection, learning, and shared success.

    📌 What we’re seeing:

    • Brands investing in community-led onboarding, support, and events.

    • Users create and share templates, tools, and integrations.

    ✅ Your Move:

    Start small—create a user Slack group, host AMAs, or launch a community leaderboard.

  5. Product-Led Monetization Will Get More Granular

    Instead of one-size-fits-all paywalls, monetization will become user-behavior-driven and dynamic.

    📌 What’s changing:

    • Paywalls appear when users show intent (not just time-based).

    • Personalized offers based on usage history, cohort, and engagement.

    ✅ Your Move:

    Segment users based on product behavior and create custom upgrade journeys.

  6. The “PLG Stack” Will Be Unified & Smarter

    Gone are the days of disconnected tools. The future of PLG is a smart, integrated growth stack.

    📌 What it includes:

    • Behavior analytics (e.g., Amplitude, Heap)

    • Messaging automation (e.g., Customer.io, Userflow)

    • Revenue platforms (e.g., Stripe, Paddle)

    • AI co-pilots for experimentation and insights

    ✅ Your Move:

    Map your current tool stack and ask:

Final Takeaway

PLG in 2025 is about being:

  1. Smarter (AI + experimentation)

  2. More human (community + personalized journeys)

  3. More dynamic (usage-based pricing + hybrid growth models)

You don’t have to adopt everything at once—but start where your users signal the most opportunity.

Let’s Talk!

Which of these PLG trends are you exploring? Reply to this email—I’d love to feature your insights in a future issue.

Until next time,
Filippo

P.S. Know someone navigating PLG strategy in 2025? Share this issue with them! 🚀

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