Why $19?
The short version: $19 is what we need to sustainably run ChemStitch and keep building it. The long version, with sources, is below.
AI features measure usage in tokens — the unit AI models use to bill text in and out. A typical property prediction uses ~500 tokens; a retrosynthesis suggestion uses 2,000–5,000 tokens.
How we got to $19
Closest competitor with a comparable structure-editor + AI-assist scope. ChemStitch ships a richer AI surface at a lower price.
General-purpose AI subscription benchmark. ChemStitch is $1 less and adds chemistry-specific tooling (RDKit, OPSIN, retrosynthesis, IUPAC) on top.
Same general-purpose comparison; same conclusion — ChemStitch is cheaper and chemistry-native.
Scientific tool norms — typically 4–9× more
ChemBioDraw, MestreNova, and equivalent professional chemistry tools commonly cost $80–$200/mo per seat. ChemStitch is deliberately one-tenth that.
$2.28 blended margin per user
After AI-provider costs, infrastructure, and a chemist-friendly free-tier reserve, ChemStitch retains roughly $2.28 per active user per month at $19. This is how we sustain development without venture capital.
~80-user breakeven
ChemStitch becomes self-funding around 80 paying users. We do not need a million users to justify the lights staying on — we need a community of working chemists.
12-month grandfathered review commitment
If we change the price after launch, anyone who subscribed at $19 keeps the $19 rate for at least 12 months from their start date — no exceptions.
More questions? hello@chemstitch.ai.