2026 Software Pricing Audit Finds Stealth Billing Changes Driving Up Monthly Bills

A newly published 2026 software pricing audit finds that stealth pricing and packaging changes are a significant driver of rising monthly software bills for businesses, even when headline list prices remain unchanged.

The audit cites Webflow's pricing restructuring that took effect May 13, 2026, Microsoft 365 tier price increases effective July 1, 2026, and a stealth billing change at email marketing platform Klaviyo that reportedly raised costs for most stores by 30% to 150% without a clearly communicated price increase.

The report, which the authors say is based on primary sourcing rather than aggregated review data, highlights a pattern across the SaaS industry in 2026: vendors adjusting usage thresholds, tier inclusions, or overage fees in ways that increase effective spend for existing customers, sometimes with limited advance notice. For finance and procurement teams, the findings reinforce the importance of actively monitoring vendor pricing pages and billing statements rather than assuming multi-year cost predictability from an initial contract.