Brand protection software is priced in five main ways: annual contracts set by scope, plans tiered by brands or marketplaces, managed service retainers, fees per takedown, and pay-as-you-go pricing per action. Most enterprise providers quote after a sales call. Your bill depends on the brands, channels and countries covered and on who files the reports.
Brand protection software is sold under five main pricing models: an annual subscription or contract set by the scope of the program, plans tiered by the number of brands or marketplaces, retainers for a managed service, fees per takedown or per case, and pay-as-you-go pricing per action. Most enterprise providers do not publish prices and quote after a sales call, so the model matters as much as the figure.
This guide explains how each model works, the factors that change the bill, how to estimate your own need and, as one concrete example, how Valigard's published prices add up. It is based on public information as of September 2026. Where a provider does not publish its prices, we describe the model without numbers.
The main pricing models
| Pricing model | How you are billed | Predictability | Who it usually suits | What to ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription or contract | A fixed fee for a term, set by the program's scope | High within the term | Brands with steady, high volumes | What is in scope, the term, renewal and cancellation terms |
| Per-brand or per-marketplace plan | Tiers by trademarks, brands, channels or markets | High, rises with scope | Growing brands adding markets | What happens when you add a brand or a marketplace |
| Managed service retainer | A monthly fee for an agency or law firm's time | Medium | Brands without in-house time | Hours or cases included, what evidence you receive |
| Per-takedown or per-case fee | A fee for each enforcement action | Low: follows volume | Occasional, well-defined cases | What counts as a case, fees for refiling |
| Pay-as-you-go | Each search or action paid from a prepaid balance | You control it | Small catalogs, variable needs | Price of each action, minimum top-up, what is included |
Annual subscriptions and contracts
Enterprise platforms usually sell a program for a set term. Red Points is a clear example of this model: its pricing page describes flat-fee plans based on program scope, with unlimited detections and takedowns within that scope, and says detection and takedown volume are not pricing variables. It lists Starter, Professional and Enterprise plans for counterfeits, but shows a Request Pricing button rather than prices.
The benefit is a predictable cost that does not rise when infringements increase. The trade-off is commitment: you pay for the scope whether or not you use it.
Plans by brand, trademark or marketplace
Many providers tier their plans by what you protect. Red Points' Starter plan, for example, covers up to 10 trademarks, with website and social media protection as add-ons, while its higher plans cover unlimited trademarks and more channels. When you compare offers of this kind, check how the price moves when you add a brand, a country or a channel.
Managed service retainers
Agencies and IP law firms often charge a monthly retainer, hourly rates or both. You pay for people rather than software, so the cost reflects the time they spend searching, reviewing and filing. Retainers make sense when you want someone accountable and can afford a steady monthly fee.
Per-takedown and per-case fees
Some services charge for each takedown, notice or case. This keeps the cost at zero when nothing happens, but it becomes hard to predict when copies multiply or sellers relist after a removal. Ask whether refiling a relisted item counts as a new case.
Pay-as-you-go
Pay-as-you-go tools bill each action as you run it, from a balance you top up. There is no contract, and the cost follows what you do rather than a scope agreed in advance. The trade-off is that you usually do the review and filing yourself.
Free programs from the marketplaces
The marketplaces' own tools are free to use. Amazon describes Brand Registry as a free program, and Project Zero's self-service counterfeit removal tool is free for brands that meet its eligibility criteria. Amazon's Transparency serialization service is optional and charged separately for its codes. eBay says VeRO profiles are free.
These programs are where reports are decided, so most brands use them whatever else they buy. They do not search other marketplaces for you, which is the gap paid tools fill.
What changes the bill
- Brands and trademarks. More brands or marks usually means a higher tier or a larger scope.
- Products. Each product needs its own monitoring, especially with photo-based search.
- Marketplaces and countries. Red Points, for example, lists channels, markets and the number of brands among its pricing factors.
- Channels beyond marketplaces. Websites, domains, social media, ads and apps are often priced as separate modules or add-ons.
- Who does the work. A managed service costs more than a self-serve tool, because you pay for the provider's team.
- Extra services. Test purchases, investigations, domain recovery and litigation support are often priced separately.
- Your own time. Every model that leaves filing to you has a cost in hours.
How to estimate your need
- Count your products and markets. Note the products that are copied and the marketplaces and countries where your customers buy.
- Measure the volume. Run a search on those marketplaces and count the likely copies. This tells you whether you have a few cases a month or hundreds.
- Decide how often to check. Monthly checks are common for small catalogs; high-risk products may need more.
- Decide who files. If your team files, count the hours. If not, budget for a managed service.
- Add the fixed costs. Include trademark registration, test purchases and any legal advice you expect.
- Compare a full year. Put each model's expected yearly cost side by side, including time.
A concrete example: Valigard's published prices
Valigard is pay-as-you-go brand protection software, and its prices are public on the pricing page. The account is free and the first search is free, with the top 20 results and their price and seller details. After that, you add credit from $5 by card or PayPal, in USD, with no subscription and no packages.
| Action | Price |
|---|---|
| First search | Free |
| Photo search | Shown before it runs (example: $2.18 for 3 photos and the top 30 pages) |
| Follow-up search | Prepaid with the photo search (example: $1.38) |
| Search specific countries | $0.30 per country, up to 10 |
| AI check | $0.05 per listing |
| Saved page | $0.05 per page |
| Seller look-up | $0.50 per seller |
| Reporting guides, report text, PDF evidence pack, CSV export | Included |
The pricing page gives three example months. One product watched in two countries, with 40 listings checked by AI and 3 pages saved, comes to $5.61. Four products searched worldwide, with 150 AI checks, 10 saved pages and 2 seller look-ups, comes to $22.24. An agency running 15 searches for three clients, with 500 AI checks, 40 saved pages and 10 seller look-ups, comes to $82.90.
What these figures do not include
Valigard does not file reports for you, so your team's time for filing is extra. It also does not monitor domains, trademark filings or social media impersonation accounts beyond listings that use your photos. If you need those, or a fully managed service, budget for a provider that includes them.
Reading a quote
When you receive a quote, ask for the scope in writing: which brands, channels and countries are included, whether takedowns are unlimited or counted, what reporting you receive, and what happens at renewal. Compare it with a year under the other models, including your own time. Our guide to brand protection software for small businesses compares the service models, and our criteria for choosing a tool can help you test each offer.
If you sell on Amazon and do not yet have a registered trademark, add that cost to your plan: our guide to trademark costs explains filing fees and why marketplaces ask for a registered mark.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't most brand protection companies publish their prices?
Most enterprise providers price each program by its scope: the number of brands or trademarks, the channels, the markets and the services included. They therefore ask you to request a quote. Red Points, for example, publishes its plan names and what each includes, with a Request Pricing button instead of a price.
Is Amazon Brand Registry free?
Yes. Amazon describes Brand Registry as a free program, and Project Zero's self-service counterfeit removal tool is free for eligible brands. Transparency, Amazon's product serialization service, is optional and charges separately for its codes. You still need a registered or pending trademark to enroll, which has its own filing costs.
What does a flat-fee brand protection plan include?
It depends on the provider and the plan. Red Points, for example, says its flat fee covers unlimited detections and takedowns within the agreed scope, and lists services such as test purchases, investigations and domain recovery as add-ons on some plans. Ask each provider which channels, markets and services the fee includes.
How much does Valigard cost per month?
It depends on what you run. The account and first search are free, and credit starts at $5. Valigard's pricing page shows example months of $5.61 for one product in two countries, $22.24 for four products worldwide and $82.90 for an agency watching 15 products for three clients.
What hidden costs should I plan for?
Plan for your team's time reviewing results and filing reports, test purchases to confirm counterfeits, trademark registration in the countries where you sell, and legal fees if a case goes beyond a marketplace takedown. These costs exist whichever software or service you choose.
Sources
- Red Points: Pricing
- Sell on Amazon: Amazon Brand Registry
- Sell on Amazon: Project Zero
- eBay: Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) Program
Last reviewed 27 Sep 2026. Marketplace procedures change; check the official pages before you file. This guide is general information, not legal advice.