Which CTA converts best? Analysis of 110 SaaS pricing pages
32 of 110 products. Runner-up “Get Started” takes 28.2% (31 products); together they account for 57.3% of all CTAs.
“Start Free Trial” and “Get Started” dominate the market, but they serve fundamentally different business models — and understanding which to use depends on your product’s free-access strategy.
1. CTA distribution across 110 products
| PRIMARY CTA ON PRICING PAGE | SHARE | COUNT |
|---|---|---|
| Start Free Trial | 29.1% | 32 |
| Get Started | 28.2% | 31 |
| Request Demo | 15.5% | 17 |
| Other | 10.9% | 12 |
| Try for Free | 8.2% | 9 |
| Sign Up Free | 7.3% | 8 |
2. The “Free” factor
69.1% of all CTAs contain the word “Free” — as “Free Trial”, “Get Started Free”, “Try for Free”, or “Sign Up Free”. This is the single strongest signal in the data.
3. CTA × business model
Each CTA group correlates with a distinct business model pattern.
| CTA GROUP | COUNT | FREEMIUM % | FREE TRIAL % | TYPICAL MODEL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get Started | 31 | 90% | 52% | Product-led, freemium-first |
| Sign Up Free | 8 | 100% | 38% | Pure freemium, self-serve |
| Start Free Trial | 32 | 25% | 100% | Trial-gated, time-limited |
| Try for Free | 9 | 44% | 100% | Hybrid free access |
| Request Demo | 17 | 0% | 82% | Sales-led, enterprise |
| Contact Sales | 1 | 0% | 100% | Enterprise-only |
4. Leading verb analysis
The first word of your CTA matters. Here is how the 110 products split.
| FIRST WORD OF CTA | SHARE | COUNT |
|---|---|---|
| “Start” | 34.5% | 38 |
| “Get” | 31.8% | 35 |
| “Request” | 12.7% | 14 |
| “Try” | 8.2% | 9 |
| “Sign” | 7.3% | 8 |
| Other | 5.5% | 6 |
“Start” and “Get” account for 66.3% of all leading verbs. Both are action-oriented and low-friction. “Request” (12.7%) signals a higher-friction path that requires sales involvement.
5. Category-specific patterns
“Get Started” dominates in project management (6 products), product analytics (2), developer tools (2) and customer data platforms (2) — product-led categories where self-serve signup is expected. “Request Demo” dominates in marketing automation, enterprise security and billing/revenue, where enterprise sales cycles are standard.
6. Pricing tiers × “Free” in CTA
| TIERS | PRODUCTS | CTA CONTAINS “FREE” | PATTERN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tier | 12 | 8% | Contact Sales / Get Quote — no free path |
| 2 tiers | 9 | 56% | Mixed — some free trial, some sales-led |
| 3 tiers | 41 | 71% | Strong free path — trial or freemium |
| 4 tiers | 44 | 82% | Free tier + paid tiers — “Get Started” dominant |
| 5+ tiers | 4 | 50% | Complex products — mixed approaches |
Products with 4 tiers are most likely to include “Free” in their CTA (82%). This aligns with the Free/Starter/Pro/Enterprise structure where the CTA leads users to the free tier.
7 actionable recommendations
- If you have a free plan, use “Get Started”. 90% of freemium products do. It implies immediate access with zero commitment.
- If you have a time-limited trial, use “Start Free Trial”. 100% of products using it offer a trial. It sets the right expectation and creates urgency.
- Always include “Free” in your CTA. 69.1% of products do. It reduces perceived risk and increases click-through.
- Lead with “Start” or “Get”. These two verbs cover 66.3% of the market. Avoid passive verbs like “Learn” or “Explore” — zero products use them as a primary CTA.
- “Request Demo” is for enterprise only. 0% freemium rate in this group. Use it if your ACV is $10K+ and you have a sales team.
- Match CTA to tier count. With 4 tiers there is an 82% chance your CTA should contain “Free”.
- Test “Start Free Trial” vs “Get Started” first. They are the top two at 57.3% combined — the gap between them is likely your biggest conversion opportunity.