Seedling is meant to be genuinely useful, not a trial. A 4-person co-living can run on Seedling forever and never need more. But there are three signals it's time to upgrade.
You're hitting the 5-member ceiling
Seedling caps at 5 members. New people can't join until you upgrade or someone leaves. If you have 6+ adults trying to share the kitchen, this is the moment.
You're making real shared decisions
If your community is voting on budgets, governance changes, or membership questions and you're tracking those decisions in WhatsApp or a Google Doc, you need The Council. Having a real Proposal record with Consent / Stand-Aside / Block votes is the fastest way to stop re-litigating old fights.
Money is moving and you're losing track
If you've found yourself doing receipt math on the back of an envelope or wondering "wait, who paid for the gravel?", you need The Ledger. The Village tier unlocks Contributions tracking, sweat equity, and CSV exports for your accountant.
If none of these are true
Stay on Seedling. There's no rush. The 30-day Village trial is risk-free if you want to test-drive without committing.
A note on cost
Village is €29/mo when billed yearly (€36/mo monthly), flat per Sanctuary. For a 14-adult community, that's about €2 per adult per month — cheaper than a single round of coffee.