Stop Paying for Features You Don't Use

I looked at a client’s Salesforce bill last week. They pay $150 per user per month for Enterprise edition. Twenty users. That’s $36,000 per year.

When I asked what Enterprise features they used, the answer was revealing: “Umm, the dashboards? And we tried those workflow things once.”

They’re paying for Enterprise because someone told them they’d “grow into it” three years ago. They never did. The entire team could operate on Salesforce Essentials at $25 per user. That’s a $30,000 annual difference.

This isn’t unusual. It’s typical.

How Overbuying Happens

Software vendors are smart. Their pricing tiers are designed to make you feel like the next level up is a bargain.

“For just $20 more per user, you get advanced analytics, custom automation, and priority support!”

It sounds reasonable. You’re planning to grow. Those features might be useful someday. The salesperson shows you demos of impressive capabilities. You don’t want to be caught short.

So you buy the bigger plan.

Then you use none of those features. Ever.

The Feature Audit

Here’s how to figure out what you actually need.

Step 1: List What You’re Paying For

Look at your current subscription tier. What features does it include that lower tiers don’t? Make a list.

For example, if you’re on a “Professional” tier, the features that differentiate it from “Standard” might be:

  • Advanced reporting
  • Custom workflows
  • API access
  • Priority support
  • Increased storage
  • User roles and permissions

Step 2: Check What You Actually Use

For each premium feature, ask honestly:

  • Has anyone used this in the last 6 months?
  • Do we have someone who knows how to use it?
  • What would break if we didn’t have it?

Be brutally honest. “We might use it someday” doesn’t count. Neither does “we used it once for that one project.”

Step 3: Calculate the Tier Delta

What’s the price difference between your current tier and one level down?

If you’re paying $50/user/month and the lower tier is $30/user/month, that’s $20/user/month you’re spending on those premium features. For 20 users, that’s $400/month or $4,800/year.

Are those features worth $4,800 per year? Often the answer is no.

Common Overbuying Patterns

CRM

Most SMBs on Salesforce Enterprise, HubSpot Professional, or similar premium CRM tiers don’t use the advanced features. Contact management, deal tracking, and basic reporting exist at lower tiers.

What to check: Advanced automation, AI-powered predictions, custom objects, enterprise integrations. If you’re not using these, you’re probably over-tiered.

Project Management

Teams pay for Business or Enterprise tiers of Monday, Asana, or ClickUp. They use task lists and basic boards.

What to check: Portfolio management, workload views, time tracking, advanced reporting, approvals. Lower tiers usually have boards and tasks.

Email Marketing

Companies pay for premium tiers of Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or similar tools. They send a newsletter monthly.

What to check: Automation sequences, advanced segmentation, A/B testing, predictive analytics. If you just need to send emails, basic tiers work.

Accounting Software

Paying for Xero Premium or QuickBooks Advanced when Standard handles most SMB needs.

What to check: Multi-currency, project tracking, inventory, advanced reporting. Most small businesses don’t need these.

The “Just in Case” Tax

Every feature you’re not using is a tax you’re paying “just in case.”

Some of this is reasonable. A small buffer for future needs makes sense. But a 3x buffer? That’s just waste.

The right approach: buy for today’s needs with room for 6-12 months of growth. Review annually. Upgrade when you actually need features, not when you might need them someday.

How to Downgrade Gracefully

Deciding to downgrade is one thing. Actually doing it requires care.

Before You Downgrade

  1. Document what you’re currently using in the premium tier
  2. Confirm those features exist (or have alternatives) in the lower tier
  3. Check if any integrations depend on premium features
  4. Review any data that might not transfer (some tools have tier-specific storage)

The Conversation with Your Vendor

Call or email before your renewal. Say something like:

“We’ve audited our usage and found we’re not using [premium features]. We’d like to move to [lower tier] at renewal. What do we need to know?”

Some vendors will try to convince you to stay. Be firm but polite. If they offer discounts to stay at your current tier, evaluate whether discounted premium beats lower tier pricing.

After Downgrading

Monitor for the first month. Make sure nothing broke. Make sure nobody’s complaining about missing features. If problems appear, you can usually upgrade again.

When Premium Actually Makes Sense

Not all premium tiers are waste. Some are genuinely worth it.

You’ve outgrown the limits. If you’re hitting storage caps or user limits on lower tiers, upgrading is sensible.

You use the features. If your team actually uses advanced reporting, complex automations, or enterprise integrations, pay for them.

Support quality matters. If premium support has saved you during outages or complex problems, that’s valuable.

Compliance requires it. Some industries need audit trails, specific security features, or compliance certifications only in enterprise tiers.

The key is honest evaluation, not assumption.

An Annual Practice

Add this to your annual planning: review subscription tiers.

For each major SaaS subscription, ask:

  • What tier are we on?
  • What premium features does this include?
  • What do we actually use?
  • What would we lose by downgrading?
  • Is that loss worth the cost?

One hour of analysis can save thousands in annual subscriptions.

The Mindset Shift

Stop thinking of higher tiers as “better.” They’re not inherently better. They’re just different.

The right tier is the one that does what you need without wasting money on what you don’t. For most SMBs, that’s the mid-tier or below.

Enterprise features are for enterprises. You’re not an enterprise. Stop paying like one.