Overview
Make it costly or inconvenient for customers to switch. It's about creating dependencies that ensure long-term relationships.
Examples
Adobe
Netflix
AT&T
Salesforce
Standard Oil
Intuitive Surgical
Charter Communications
Apple
Microsoft
Nestlé Nespresso- Apple's ecosystem (iOS, iCloud, App Store)
- Printer ink cartridges
- Video game consoles and games
- Nespresso coffee machines and pods
- Microsoft Office file formats
How to cite
Faster Than Normal. “Switching costs / Ecosystem lock-in Business Model.” fasterthannormal.co/business-models/lock-in. Accessed 2026.
Continue exploring
Company
Adobe
Creative software giant: Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Acrobat.
Company
Netflix
World's largest streaming entertainment service with 280M+ subscribers.
Company
AT&T
Telecom giant tracing back to Alexander Graham Bell's telephone.
Company
Salesforce
World's largest CRM company and pioneer of cloud SaaS (Software as a Service).