PLG vs SLG
PLG and SLG are the two go-to-market motions every B2B SaaS company has to pick between — or learn to combine.
The key difference: In PLG the product acquires and converts the user. In SLG a salesperson does, with the product as proof.
| Dimension | PLG | SLG |
|---|---|---|
| Primary acquisition | Free trial / freemium product | Outbound + inbound sales |
| First buyer | End user, often bottom-up | Decision-maker, top-down |
| CAC profile | Lower per user, high volume | Higher per deal, lower volume |
| Best at | Self-serve products, viral spread, individual seats | Complex deals, enterprise, custom contracts |
| Risk | Hard to monetise enterprise | Hard to scale without team growth |
When to use PLG
Lean PLG when the product is fast to value, viral or wedge-friendly, and a single user can adopt without IT.
When to use SLG
Lean SLG when deals are large, custom, security-reviewed, or sold to a committee.
FAQs
Can a company do both PLG and SLG?
Yes — most mature SaaS companies layer SLG on top of PLG (Slack, Notion, Figma all did). PLG fills the funnel; SLG expands the biggest accounts.
Which has better unit economics?
PLG, on a per-user basis. SLG wins on ACV and contract length. The "best" depends on what the product can actually support.
Is PLG always cheaper?
No. PLG shifts cost from sales to product, growth and infrastructure. Free users are not free.
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