CultureAugust 10, 2026

freemium

FREE-mee-um

Definition

A business model where a service or product is provided free of charge, but money is charged for additional features, services, or virtual goods.

Etymology

A portmanteau created by combining the words 'free' and 'premium,' coined in the early 2000s to describe a digital marketing strategy.

In the news

The word describes the business model Zuckerberg intends to use for his AI tools, which concerns critics who worry about the trade-offs of free, data-driven AI services.

Mark Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto is exactly why people don’t like AI

Read the full article ↗

TechCrunch

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