Definition
A free trial gives you a paid plan at no cost for a fixed period, after which you pay or stop. A free plan has no end date and costs nothing, but limits how much you can measure or which features you get.
How it works
The two are limited in different ways. A trial is limited by time: you get the features of the paid plan for a set number of days. A free plan is limited by size: it stays free for as long as you remain under a cap, such as a number of conversions a month, and often leaves some features out.
| Free trial | Free plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Limit | Days | Usage or features |
| What you test | The plan you would pay for | A reduced version |
| What ends it | The calendar | Growth past the cap |
When it matters
The difference decides how you plan. With a trial, the clock starts at sign-up, so book developer time first and follow a list such as what to check during a free trial. With a free plan there is no deadline, but you should find out what you will pay on the day you pass the cap, because that day tends to arrive when a campaign is going well.
For either one, read the plan page for three things: whether a card is needed to start, what happens on the last free day, and what the first paid month costs.
How it relates to attribution
Attribution needs an SDK in a released app before it shows anything, so free time is easy to waste. A trial of 30 days leaves about three weeks of real data if the build ships in the first week. Airbridge Core uses the trial model: 30 days free, then $40+/mo.[1] How a paid plan bills afterwards is covered in monthly billing versus an annual contract.
More terms
Glossary
SDKAn attribution SDK is a code library you add to your app so it can report installs, opens and events to a measurement tool. How it works and who adds it.
Glossary
Test deviceA test device is a phone registered with your attribution tool so repeat installs count as new. Why you need one and how it differs from a normal phone.
Glossary
Self-serveSelf-serve means you can sign up for, set up and pay for a tool from its website without talking to a salesperson. What that looks like for attribution.
Small teams
Best attribution tool for a team with no one to sit through demosWhich attribution tools a small team can sign up for alone, what the trial needs, and what you pay after it.
Sources
- Airbridge: https://www.airbridge.io/en/pricing Checked 2026-11-10.
Cite this page
Airbridge. “Free trial versus free plan.” bestattributiontool.com. Reviewed 2026-11-10. https://bestattributiontool.com/glossary/free-trial