Jira Marketplace App Pricing Tiers?

[PeteToscano]

I hope this is a quick and easy question. I work for a small organization that (for reasons) uses Jira Software Data Center. The smallest Jira Software DC license available is for 500 users. We are closer to 100 users, but since 500 is the smallest available, we go with it and swallow the cost. Occasionally, I have a user request a Marketplace app. When they find out that we need to license at the 500-user tier even though we only have 100 users, they usually (gasp and then) ask why. I explain to them that the app’s licensed user count must match Jira’s and that 500 users is the smallest available. They then point to the smaller user count tiers on the app's pricing page. I usually reply with, “I don’t know. That’s just not for us, unfortunately.”

I’d like to give users a better answer. I suspect that at one time Jira DC licenses were available at the lower user tier levels, and those were removed at some point before we bought in. But instead of forcing users with licenses at those lower tiers to move to a 500-user license, Atlassian grandfathered them in, which is why "Up to 50 users," "Up to 100 users," and "Up to 250" users are still listed in the app pricing, even though it's no longer a Jira licensing option for new customers. 

Anyone able to confirm my theory or provide the real answer? 

Thank you,
Pete

[Mikael Sandberg · Accepted solution]

Correct, before Jira 7.0 you could go with a lower number of DC users, but as of 7.0 Atlassian set the lowest limit to be 500 users. At the time the price difference  between Server and DC at 500 was minimal so it was a way to get Server customers to switch to DC.

[PeteToscano]

Thanks for the info, Mikael. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

When DC was released, it simply matched the existing server tiers to keep the pricing schemes looking as simple as possible.  As it matured and people took up DC licences, we could see that almost no-one was buying tiers below 250, and 250 was by far the least popular tier as well. 

So Atlassian dropped everything under 500, as it simply wasn't worth it for them to support the smaller users. 

The DC client base that I can see (probably distorted because it's "DC licences for Adaptavist products" rather than "Atlassian DC licences") says that almost all DC users are on 2000+ users as well.

[PeteToscano]

As someone part of a 100-person organization that needs to use DC for reasons, I wish that wasn't the case, but it is what it is. 

[ObaidK]

This is definitely tough for smaller orgs, I'm curious if app developers have adapted pricing to be lower per user at the < 500 tier? Does the App Store let you do that?