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Customer.io

Customer.io Startup Program

Up to 12 months of Customer.io free, including up to 30,000 customer profiles, for startups under $10M raised.

VerifiedLast verified Nov 3, 2026Official source

Worth

Free for up to 12 months, including up to 30,000 customer profiles

Duration is 'up to' 12 months based on application eligibility. Profile cap 30,000. No dollar value published.

Quick facts

Value
Free for up to 12 months, including up to 30,000 customer profiles
Type
Free plan
Duration
1 year
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Bootstrapped
Regions
Global
Max funding raised
$10,000,000
Max company age
Not stated
Last verified
Nov 3, 2026 · Verified

Ways to get it

  1. Apply directly

    Apply directly

    Up to 12 months free, 30,000 profiles

    • New to Customer.io
    • Up to $10M in total funding
    Open program page

Eligibility

Requirements

  • Startup new to Customer.io
  • Up to $10 million in total funding

Not eligible

  • Existing Customer.io customers
  • Companies above $10M raised (may still apply for a tailored plan, not the free program)

How to apply

  1. 1

    Open customer.io/solutions/startups and click through to the Startup Program application form.

  2. 2

    Submit company, funding and use-case details; Customer.io reviews eligibility and sets the program length (up to 12 months).

  3. 3

    Once enrolled, build your workspace and messaging; plan the move to a paid plan before the free period ends.

Gotchas

  • The free period is 'up to' 12 months and is set by Customer.io based on your application; it is not guaranteed to be a full year.
  • The 30,000 profile cap is the program limit; profiles are counted on a high-watermark basis under standard billing.
  • Post-program pricing is not published; Customer.io promises notice and a startup-specific offer before the free term ends, but expect a transition to paid plans with overage charges.
  • An older Customer.io comparison page cites a $2M cap; the current program page states $10M.

About the Customer.io program

The Customer.io Startup Program gives eligible early-stage companies access to Customer.io's customer engagement platform (Journeys, Data Pipelines, Messaging and the AI Agent) at $0 for up to 12 months, including up to 30,000 customer profiles. The program is for startups that are new to Customer.io and have raised up to $10 million in total funding; companies above that threshold are invited to apply anyway and Customer.io will suggest the best plan.

Applications go through a dedicated form linked from the startups page. The duration granted is 'up to' 12 months and depends on application eligibility. Customer.io says it gives plenty of notice before the free term ends and offers 'an exclusive offer built for startups' at that point; you can cancel anytime. Otherwise pricing follows Customer.io's standard plans, where profiles are counted on a high-watermark basis (a profile that exists at any point in a billing period counts for that month) and overages are charged, so founders should plan the transition before the free period ends.

Note that Customer.io's separate 100,000 introductory AI credits are granted to every paying account at launch and are not part of the startup program.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Startup Program include?

Access to Customer.io's customer engagement platform at $0 for up to 12 months, including up to 30,000 customer profiles.

What is the funding cap?

The program accepts startups with up to $10 million in total funding. Companies above that can still apply and Customer.io will suggest a plan.

Do existing customers qualify?

No. The program is for startups that are new to Customer.io.

Compare

Verification. Checked by our automated checker on Nov 3, 2026 against https://customer.io/solutions/startups. Status: verified.

Official page fetched directly over HTTPS on 2026-11-03 (HTTP 200) and all recorded figures are quoted from it. customer.io/solutions/startups states 'Get up to 12 months of Customer.io free', '$0 for up to 12-months based on application eligibility', 'up to 30,000 customer profiles at no cost', 'Your business has raised less than $10 million in total funding' and 'new to Customer.io'; the application page states 'Now accepting startups with up to $10 million in funding'.