·announcement·Fasad Salatov
Per-install or per-call: pricing models for paid MCPs
Two ways to charge for an MCP, two very different revenue shapes. A quick guide to picking the right one.
When you monetize an MCP on Unyly you pick one of two models. They fit different products.
Per install — a one-time price
The buyer pays once (say $1) to unlock the server. Best when:
- The value is in access, not volume — a niche integration, a curated dataset, a well-tuned tool.
- You want predictable, simple economics for the buyer.
Think of it like buying an app: pay once, use forever.
Per call — usage-based
Metered on every tool call through the gateway. Best when:
- Each call has real marginal cost — it hits a paid upstream API, does heavy compute.
- Usage varies a lot between users and you want the price to track it.
Heavy users pay more, light users pay little — the price follows the load.
Either way
The split is 80% author / 20% Unyly, buyers pay from a wallet, and free stays free. Start on the dashboard.