{
  "version": 1,
  "currency": "EUR",
  "last_reviewed": "2026-06",
  "alternatives": [
    {
      "id": "github-pro",
      "name": "GitHub Pro",
      "category": "indirect",
      "price_monthly_eur": "4.00",
      "billing": "monthly",
      "features": ["private repos", "protected branches", "CI minutes"],
      "signal_level": "S2",
      "observed": "2026-06",
      "source": "public pricing page",
      "note": "Substitute for repository hosting; lacks community and pricing-intelligence positioning."
    },
    {
      "id": "circle-community",
      "name": "Circle (community platform)",
      "category": "indirect",
      "price_monthly_eur": "49.00",
      "billing": "monthly",
      "features": ["courses", "events", "member spaces", "payments"],
      "signal_level": "S2",
      "observed": "2026-06",
      "source": "public pricing page",
      "note": "Higher floor for hosted community; Coulomb is narrower and operator-led."
    },
    {
      "id": "patreon-creator",
      "name": "Patreon (creator membership)",
      "category": "substitute",
      "price_monthly_eur": "8.00",
      "billing": "monthly",
      "features": ["member posts", "Discord integration", "paywall"],
      "signal_level": "S1",
      "observed": "2026-06",
      "source": "public pricing page",
      "note": "Comparable entry price point; different delivery model (content vs repo access)."
    },
    {
      "id": "build-in-house",
      "name": "Build in-house community",
      "category": "workaround",
      "price_monthly_eur": "0.00",
      "billing": "operator time",
      "features": ["self-hosted forum", "manual onboarding", "no shared pricing lab"],
      "signal_level": "S3",
      "observed": "2026-06",
      "source": "operator estimate",
      "note": "Hidden cost in time; common alternative for technical founders."
    }
  ],
  "notes": "Market signals are manually curated until competitive intelligence imports exist."
}