Articles on: Getting started

Members vs. buyers

Two very different kinds of people use Katalyz. Understanding the difference makes permissions, sharing, and billing a lot clearer.


Members


A member is someone at your company with an account in your Katalyz workspace. Members:


  • Have a login (via magic link — no password)
  • Appear in Settings → Members
  • Count against your seat quota (billing)
  • Have an org role that dictates what they can do: Admin, Pro, or Basic
  • See a dashboard, can create rooms, manage integrations, etc.


Typical members: you, your teammates, your manager, your admin.


Buyers


A buyer (we also call them guest buyers or visitors) is someone outside your company who receives a link to a room. Buyers:


  • Don't have an account — they never sign up, never create a password
  • Don't count against your seat quota — invite as many as you want
  • Don't have a dashboard — they only ever see the specific room you shared with them
  • Access rooms through a magic link sent to their email (or via magic code verification)


Typical buyers: your prospect's champion, their procurement contact, their CFO, their legal counsel.


Why the distinction matters


  • Billing — you pay per member (seat). Buyers are free and unlimited.
  • Permissions — members have org roles; buyers only have room roles (Viewer or Editor inside a specific room).
  • Security — buyers are identified per-link, so their activity is tracked accurately without any signup friction.


Edge cases


What if someone is technically a buyer at one company and a member at another?
They'd have two different accounts — one magic-link-only (for the room they were invited to), one full member (for their own workspace). Katalyz treats these as separate.


Can a member be invited to a room as a Viewer?
Yes. Org roles and room roles are independent. A member with org role "Pro" can be invited as a Viewer to a specific room, and they'll only be able to comment — not edit. See Room roles vs. org roles.


Updated on: 18/06/2026

Was this article helpful?

Share your feedback

Cancel

Thank you!