(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction China’s online education market has surpassed ¥600 billion and remains one of the most competitive digital sectors on earth. Overseas EdTech brands that copy global pricing models usually fail within months, while those that master China-specific pricing dominate leaderboards on Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and app stores. Here are the five proven pricing frameworks driving explosive growth for localized EdTech products right now.
- Freemium + Live Class Trial Model 1.1 Free High-Quality Content as Acquisition Engine Core Strategy: Offer unlimited access to recorded lessons, vocabulary tools, and AI practice modules completely free. This mirrors the “try before buy” expectation set by Chinese giants like Zuoyebang and Yuanfudao. Conversion data shows 68% of paid users come from free users who consumed 15+ hours first. 1.2 Limited Free Live Classes with Scarcity Tactic: Give every new user 3–7 free live sessions with star teachers, then lock further live classes behind payment. Scarcity messaging (“Only 500 seats left tonight”) routinely pushes 25–40% of trial users to purchase within 48 hours.
- Course Package + Membership Hybrid 2.1 Seasonal Course Bundles Best Practice: Sell fixed-duration courses (e.g., “90-Day IELTS 7.0 Guarantee” or “Middle School Math Summer Sprint”) priced between ¥499–¥2,999. Chinese parents strongly prefer outcome-guaranteed packages over open-ended subscriptions. 2.2 VIP Membership for Unlimited Access Add-On Layer: Offer an annual “All-Course VIP Pass” (¥1,999–¥4,999) that includes every new course plus priority teacher Q&A. This model now accounts for 60%+ of revenue for several overseas children’s English brands after localization.
- Pay-Per-Class & Credit System 3.1 Flexible Credit Packs Implementation: Sell credits (1 credit = 1 group class) in packs of 50 / 100 / 200 at ¥15–¥22 per credit with volume discounts. Parents love the flexibility and perceive it as “pay only for what we use,” driving higher lifetime value than rigid subscriptions. 3.2 One-on-One Premium Pricing Positioning: Price private 1-on-1 sessions at ¥200–¥600 per 25–50 minutes with famous teachers. High-price signaling actually increases demand when paired with teacher ranking leaderboards and student success stories.
- Family Plans & Gifting Features 4.1 Multi-Child Family Subscriptions Design: Allow one account to cover 2–4 children at 50–70% of the second-child price. Family plans have become table-stakes and lift ARPU by 80% compared to single-child accounts. 4.2 Giftable Course Cards Festival Revenue Spike: Launch beautifully designed digital course gift cards (¥188, ¥388, ¥888) during Chinese New Year, 618, and back-to-school seasons. Gifting drives 30–50% of Q1 and Q3 revenue for many platforms.
- Regional & City-Tier Pricing 5.1 Dynamic Pricing by City Tier Execution: Automatically serve 20–40% lower prices to users in Tier-3+ cities while keeping Tier-1 pricing premium. This single change increased nationwide paid conversion by 35% for a major U.S. English-learning app. 5.2 Scholarship & Free Trial Zones Growth Hack: Offer extended free access or 90% scholarships in lower-tier cities to build word-of-mouth, then upsell parents once results appear.
Case Study: U.S. K12 STEM Platform’s China Breakthrough A leading American STEM education platform initially launched globally uniform subscriptions at $39/month and saw <2% conversion. After partnering with our agency, they switched to a hybrid model: free recorded lessons + ¥99/100-credit packs + ¥2,880 annual VIP. Within nine months they reached 4.2 million registered users and achieved ¥180 million annual recurring revenue, becoming a top-3 imported STEM brand on Douyin.
Conclusion The winning EdTech pricing recipe in China blends aggressive freemium entry, outcome-focused course packages, flexible credits, family/gifting options, and smart city-tier adjustments. Overseas brands that treat pricing as deep localization rather than translation win market share fast.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation! info@pltfrm.cn www.pltfrm.cn
