The Uncertainty Factor: How Many Daily Active Users Will I Really Have?
If you’ve ever tried to predict exactly how many staff will be training online in any given month, you’ll know it’s rarely an exact science. Seasonal changes, onboarding surges, compliance deadlines and new initiatives can all push numbers up or down unexpectedly.
With traditional stored (named) user pricing, that uncertainty can mean overspending on unused licences or being locked into a tier that doesn’t match real usage. That’s why Tribal Habits uses Active User pricing — a flexible model designed for organisations where learner numbers vary.
Instead of charging for every person in your database, we only count the users who actually log in during a calendar month.
What is a Monthly Active User?
On Tribal Habits, a Monthly Active User (MAU) is any individual within your organisation’s learning portal who logs in at least once during a specific calendar month. This includes:
- Learners: People completing courses, resources and assessments.
- Administrators: Team members adding users, assigning training and tracking progress.
- Content Creators: Staff building or updating courses, quizzes or videos.
If they log in this month, they count as active this month. If they don’t, they don’t.
Unlimited Storage and Creators
Keep your operations simple — and your budget predictable.
- Unlimited users stored: Keep full records without paying for dormant accounts.
- Unlimited courses and assets: Store as much training content as you need.
- Unlimited admins and creators: Have as many as your workflow requires — no extra licence fees.
Our focus is solely on the number of active users per calendar month.
Tiered Pricing: More Users, Lower Cost
Our pricing scales with you. The more you commit to, the lower your per-user rate. Our business plans start at 50 users, but we also have a Lite plan with no minimums.
Flexibility in Scaling
Usage climbed this quarter? Move up a tier anytime. We’ll pro-rate the difference with zero penalties so you’re never stuck.
(For predictability, downgrades occur at renewal — we’ll help you set the right tier for the next term.)
Smart Planning: Start Small, Scale Wisely
Not sure of your numbers? Start with a tier that matches your mid-case and leave room for natural spikes.
- Excess active users are simply billed at month-end at the same per-user rate as your plan.
- This often delivers better value than over-committing to a larger tier you won’t fully use every month.
A quick 5-minute forecast:
- Count who’s due for training this month (not the whole year).
- Add expected casuals/contractors and any roll-outs.
- Include admins/creators likely to log in.
- Sanity check: many organisations see ~30–80% of stored users active in any given month, depending on cadence and projects.
- Pick the tier closest to your mid-case; let overage cover the occasional spike.
Use Our Calculators to Estimate Costs
To help you get a handle on potential costs, we can plug some expected usage scenarios into our pricing calculators that allow you to compare overall costs on different plans. This gives you a ballpark figure for your yearly pricing.
Significant Cost Savings
We usually find about 30-80% of total stored users login in any month (depending on how regular the training plans are). As a result, our Active User pricing plans work out significantly cheaper compared to traditional stored-user pricing models, (even accounting for a few spikes of higher usage!)
Control and Scheduling
Concerned about unexpected spikes? You’re in control.
- Use completion dates and enrolment windows to align activity inside a single billing month.
- Schedule or automate deactivations to prevent the same cohort spilling across two months.
Billing and Payment
Our business plans you pay upfront for your annual contract and your plan covers the first x number of active users each month. Any excess usage gets billed at month-end (if any).
Don’t Let Unpredictable Users Hold You Back: Embrace Flexible Learning
The fluctuating number of active users shouldn’t be a barrier to implementing a powerful LMS solution. At Tribal Habits, we understand this challenge, which is why we’ve designed a pricing model and tools that empower you to make an informed decision.
Here’s how Tribal Habits puts you in control:
- Flexible Pricing Model: Our adaptable plan eliminates the worry of fluctuating user numbers. You won’t be penalised for exceeding or falling short of a rigid user quota.
- Scalability to Grow with You: Tribal Habits scales seamlessly with your organisation’s needs. Whether your user base grows or shrinks, you’ll only pay for the active users engaging with the platform.
- Cost Savings: Our approach helps you avoid overspending on unused licenses and ensures you receive the most value for your investment.
Why usage actually fluctuates (and that’s normal)
- Casual and variable workforces. In August 2024, the ABS reported 2.6 million employees without paid leave entitlements (22% of employees) and 20% who consider their job casual—prime drivers of month-to-month training variability. Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Turnover is real. Across 2024, AHRI’s Work Outlook reported ~14–16% annual employee turnover, which naturally shifts who needs training and when. Australian HR Institute+1
Key takeaway: budgeting on headcount is tidy on paper but messy in practice. Budgeting on actual activity maps to the real world.
FAQ (quick answers)
What exactly counts as an “active user”?
Anyone (learner, admin, creator) who logs in at least once in a calendar month.
Do SSO or mobile logins count?
Yes — any login counts for that month.
Do test/sandbox users count?
If they log in, they count. We can help you structure test access so it doesn’t affect your monthly totals.
What if someone logs in on the 31st and again on the 1st?
They’ll be active in both months. Use scheduled deactivation to avoid spillover when closing cohorts.
Can we change tiers mid-term?
Yes to upgrades (pro-rated, no penalties). Downgrades occur at renewal.
