> Counter argument will probably be along the lines of "but we store your data even when you don't use it".

Yes the cost of building the product, infrastructure, running the company changes with the economy but even then the product pricing doesn't change frequently. If it does the customer will leave for the competitor anyways monthly billing or not.

So apart from locking-in within the platform, To show the MRR, ARR for that VC money is there really any merit for monthly subscription? Not everything needs to be a Netflix, Without complex licensing, two-sided market I'm not sure why every SaaS product has to compare itself to Netflix.

I've started offering lifetime subscriptions by default to my SaaS products, mainly because it seems hypocritical to not liking to pay monthly but expecting the same from my customers. One of the advantages of being an indie is that I can do this, I understand that a startup at the mercy of investors cannot.

Do you have the option of just paying for one gym session? Most of the gyms near me have yearly/monthly subscriptions as well as allowing you to pay for a single gym session