Making Blogging Fair: Why Writizzy Implements Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

At Writizzy, we’re building a global platform. But "global" shouldn't just mean "available everywhere", it should mean accessible to everyone.

Until now, we’ve mostly worked on products centered in Western Europe. But recently, we received a message that made us stop and think:

"Hi there, your product is awesome... However, can you implement a purchasing power parity policy? Your current pricing is too high for me in Indonesia."

This is a real issue for any independent creator. If you’re in Vietnam, Brazil, or Poland, a $10/month subscription doesn't represent the same part of your budget as it does for someone in the US or France.

The Big Mac, the Median Salary, and Fairness

You’ve probably heard of the Big Mac Index. It’s the simplest way to understand Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).

To put it into perspective:

• In the US, the median salary is around $3,800/month. A $10 subscription is 0.3% of that budget.
• In Vietnam, the median salary is around $350/month. That same $10 represents 3% of their budget.

Is it fair? No. If we want to be the home for authentic writing worldwide, we can’t ignore the economic reality of our writers.

Why most SaaS avoid PPP (and why we don't)

Most companies avoid PPP for two reasons: Production costs and VPN "tourists."

1. Production Costs: Our servers cost the same in Euros regardless of where our users are. But as a lean, bootstrapped team, we focus on marginal costs. As long as a user covers the cost they generate (hosting, emails, support), they help the platform grow. Having 5,000 users in Southeast Asia at a fair local price is better for the ecosystem than having zero because we were too rigid.
2. The VPN Problem: Sure, some people might try to use a VPN to pay less. We could spend thousands of dollars on complex verification systems, but we’d rather spend that time building features you actually want.

Our stance? We will trust people. We believe the vast majority of our community values what we’re building and won't spend their energy trying to "cheat" the system for a few dollars.

How it works on Writizzy

We want to keep things simple and human. Instead of an automated, cold algorithm, we’re doing this on-request. If our standard pricing is a barrier for you due to your country’s purchasing power, here is the process:

• Check our documentation: our PPP Docs.
• Send us an email: Reach out at contact@writizzy.com mentioning your country.
• Verification: No passports, no invasive data (we don’t want to store such sensitive information !). Just a link to your public LinkedIn or professional profile is enough.
• Get your code: We’ll send you a personal coupon code to adjust your subscription.

Building a better web, one country at a time

Blogging is the ultimate space for personal expression. We don't want your geography to dictate whether or not you can own your corner of the internet.

Hugo & Thomas