Number of Seats/Users: Joinby offers discounts based on the number of users or seats. A higher volume typically leads to a better discount structure, especially for enterprise-level usage.

Commitment to a Long-Term Contract: Discounts are often provided to companies that commit to using the service for a longer period (e.g., 1-year or 3-year contracts). A longer commitment shows Joinby that the company is serious and willing to invest in the platform long-term.

No Active Discounts: Companies that are not already receiving other active discounts may have a better chance of qualifying for additional discounts from Joinby. Joinby reserves discounts for new customers or those not currently under promotional pricing.

Volume or Usage Commitment: Joinby offers discounts if you agree to a minimum amount of usage or transaction volume. This could be based on data storage, transactions, or other metrics tied to how much you will use the platform.

Enterprise-Level Negotiation: Companies that qualify as “enterprise” due to their size or complexity (e.g., having large teams, multiple departments, or geographical presence) may be eligible for additional discounts from Joinby. Such companies are often in a position to negotiate for better pricing.

Early Renewal or Prepayment: Joinby often offers discounts if you renew early or prepay for the entire contract period. This is a common approach to securing a lower price.

Here at Spendbase our internal data shows that Joinby is seen as a strong niche solution for building safe, branded communities, especially in education and student onboarding.

From what Spendbase clients tell us, the main strengths cluster around:

• Community building before “day one”
• Great for connecting incoming students before the academic year starts

• Helps people find others by:

  • Study program
  • Interests
  • Academic year
  • Age and other filters

• Safe, privacy-friendly connections

• Closed community setup fits strict privacy rules (no sharing of phone numbers or personal emails)
• 1:1 chat without needing to become social media friends

• GDPR-compliant environment comforts risk-averse institutions

• Flexibility and accessibility

• Fully branded and customizable look & feel
• Desktop and mobile access
• Multilingual interface, with automatic translation options (e.g., Dutch → English)
• Buddy matching module that pairs new and experienced students

On the downside, Spendbase clients highlight a few recurring friction points:

• Onboarding and admin effort
• Manually adding users is time-consuming when personal email addresses are used
• When institutional emails are available, this improves, but not all orgs can enforce that

• It is “yet another app” students must download and remember

• Engagement over time

• Usage is very strong before and shortly after onboarding
• Many students shift to WhatsApp or other common apps after they’ve formed initial connections

• Joinby currently excels at “making the first connection” more than at long-term engagement

• Limited analytics for decision-makers

• Clients would like:
  • Clearer data on active users
  • Insight into which features get the most traction
  • Easy dashboards to justify budget and measure ROI

From a Spendbase discount and optimization angle, Joinby tends to deliver the most value when:

• You have recurring large intakes (e.g., every academic year)
• Privacy and GDPR compliance are non‑negotiable
• You explicitly care about pre‑arrival or early‑stage community building

If those fit your situation, it’s a platform worth negotiating for, while keeping an eye on engagement tools and upcoming analytics features to maximize long‑term value.