Quick answer. Pendo combines product analytics, in-app guides, session replay and surveys, sold by monthly active users (MAUs) on a yearly contract. It fits product teams with the people to run all of that. A smaller team usually needs one or two of those parts, at a price it can see up front. The cheapest move may be Pendo's own free plan. Product Fruits is a low-cost guide builder. Mixpanel is the pick if analytics was what you used most. Cor (getcor.ai), an AI onboarding agent for B2B software, is for a different gap: new customers who need someone to take them through setup.
What Pendo sells (read 4 Nov 2026)
The Pendo pricing page lists:
- Free: up to 500 MAUs, with analytics and in-app guides. Go over and you can't create new guides, NPS surveys or segments until you upgrade.
- Base: analytics plus guides. Core: adds session replay. Ultimate: adds sentiment surveys, journey orchestration and data sync. All three say "Request pricing".
- Novus: a free beta with no MAU limit while it is in beta.
Pendo says price depends on MAUs and the features you pick, that the cost per MAU falls as you grow, and that some features are paid add-ons. The number of apps you track doesn't change the price.
Vendr's Pendo page shows a median of $48,500 a year across 589 purchases, from about $18,600 to $151,700. That is past deal data.
Why small teams leave
Pendo has many happy users. Small teams tend to raise the same three points (via search summaries of G2 and Capterra):
- Cost rises with usage. G2's summary groups dozens of reviews under "expensive as usage grows". A Capterra reviewer said price and documentation get in the way for startups.
- More product than they can run. Reviewers describe a steep learning curve, and say the analytics depth can be too much without someone in product ops.
- Missing pieces. "Missing features" and "limitations" are among the top cons on G2's comparison pages.
Three options for a smaller team
Pendo Free: stay, but shrink
If you have under 500 MAUs, or you can limit tracking to one app with few users, the free plan keeps analytics and basic guides at $0. You keep your existing setup.
- Price: $0 up to 500 MAUs.
- Limit: once you pass 500 MAUs you can't make new guides or segments. Plan for that day before you rely on it.
Product Fruits: guides and checklists with a visible price
Product Fruits builds product tours, onboarding checklists and hints, and it lists its prices.
- Price (4 Nov 2026): the Product Fruits pricing page shows Starter at $111 a month billed yearly for 1,500 MAUs, Pro at $187 and Business at $374, all billed yearly. The page says yearly billing is 25% off and does not print monthly prices. There is a free trial with no card.
- Limit: analytics are light next to Pendo's. If you depend on Pendo's reports, pair it with an analytics tool.
Mixpanel: if you mostly used Pendo for analytics
Some teams bought Pendo for guides but ended up living in its reports. Mixpanel is analytics first, with a free tier and a public price table.
- Price (4 Nov 2026): the Mixpanel pricing page gives a free plan up to 1M events a month. On Growth the first 1M events are free, then, billed yearly, 2M events cost $185 a month, 5M cost $438 and 10M cost $840. A startup program offers the first year free to young companies that qualify.
- Limit: it doesn't build in-app guides. You would need a separate guide tool.
Cor: for customers who need more than a tooltip
Pendo's guides point at buttons. That works for users who already know what they want to set up. A new B2B customer often doesn't. They need someone to work out what they are trying to do, make a plan, and go through it with them.
Obi, Cor's AI agent, works directly with every new customer. It gets in touch, builds an onboarding plan that an admin on your team approves, and then joins a live call. On the call it sees the customer's screen, guides them step by step, and can set things up for them where you allow it. It speaks 60+ languages and learns from your help docs and examples of good onboarding calls. When it should stop, it hands over to your team.
- Price: from $750 a month on Launch; Growth $1,750 a month; Scale custom. Platform fee plus credits, unlimited seats. (getcor.ai)
- Not a fit if: you want product analytics, session replay, NPS or in-app tours. Cor offers none of those. It also doesn't suit a product where users sign up alone and never talk to anyone.
Choosing
- Under 500 MAUs: try Pendo Free first. It costs nothing to check.
- You need guides at a known price: Product Fruits.
- You need numbers more than guides: Mixpanel.
- Accounts stall in setup even with guides live: look at Cor next to whichever tool you keep.
FAQ
What is the best Pendo alternative for a smaller team?
If you fit under 500 MAUs, Pendo's own free plan. Above that, Product Fruits for guides or Mixpanel for analytics. Both show their prices.
Is there a free alternative to Pendo?
Pendo Free covers up to 500 MAUs. Mixpanel's free plan covers up to 1M events a month but has no in-app guides.
How much does Pendo cost?
Paid plans are quote-only. Vendr's buyer data puts the median at $48,500 a year (estimate).
How we checked: we read each pricing page and Vendr directly on 4 Nov 2026; review points came from search summaries because G2 and Capterra block plain fetches.