Apps going subscription service :@

[ronaldthump]

I'm trying to use this video editor app on the iPhone and it wants $10/ week x 52 = $520 a year? Urhghh. Currently on the trial but I'm cancelling once I'm done (set a reminder to cancel) and I'll never use it again. If it's $30-40? I'll buy it.

I'm seeing a lot of app makers offer their apps as a service when a year back, it'd be a one time fee. Even VSCO cam wants a sub. Lol

I wish iMovie would edit vert videos and keep it vertical - does it?

*their free trial doesn't even work. Cancelled the sub

 

[Polk]

$10/week? Even Adobe prices their stuff cheaper.

 

[Deleted member 4212]

There are like 50 coloring book apps that have a $80/year subscription. Who is paying that?

 

[Jerm]

I hate this direction. I'm being priced out of things I enjoy so quickly it's humiliating.

 

[BLEEN]

When I see that happen I instantly cross that app off my list and search for an alternative. That is bullshart. The more people that ignore apps that do that, the better, the less we'll see of those kinds of price models.

 

[turbobrick]

Agree. I'm still disappointed in Adobe for going subscription only for their good software. I'm not going to pay a monthly subscription for something I'm not sure how often I'll use.

 

[hateradio]

There are like 50 coloring book apps that have a $80/year subscription. Who is paying that?

Click to shrink...

Old people, young people, rich people, poor people.

 

[BLEEN]

Agree. I'm still disappointed in Adobe for going subscription only for their good software. I'm not going to pay a monthly subscription for something I'm not sure how often I'll use.

Click to shrink...

At one point with Adobe's Creative Cloud stuff, I was so tired of having to reinstall on upgraded/factory-restored machines all the time or having to reregister products, I just installed Windows 10 (Windows-to-Go I think it was called) on a USB stick with Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, etc and never looked back.

Well that USB drive died on me so I'm now in Adobe's palm again but it was a nice work around while it lasted. It was way simpler when things weren't on the damn cloud all the time. I loathe that service model.

 

[jizzywinks]

Yeah it was bad enough with desktop apps like Adobe CC but now so many mobile apps are going that way too. On desktop I've been using Affinity Photo and Designer which are great and incredibly reasonable one-off purchases.

 

[Amirai]

I loathe that subscription crap. It also punishes hobbist users who don't devote as much time to using the apps, so they basically get charged more per minute of use. And if you want to take a break from using it for a while then you're just wasting money.

They should just use the standard model of charging for new versions every year or so. Let people own the programs like how the business model has worked for ages.

 

[.exe]

Huh, what's with the hate for Adobe CC? It got way cheaper/less cost-prohibitive for private users/students/etc. 120 dollars/euros a year is way more convenient than 700+ upfront and then after three years they release a new creative suite that you need to shell out for again. Like, you break even on the cost of their traditional model after 6 years of use. That's longer than you'd probably be using a creative suite iteration, while getting all major updates along the way too.

In any case, I generally don't really care for _app_ subscriptions. Haven't found anything that I value so much that I'd regularly pay for its use. I was considering paying for Overcast (ten euros), but since you can just pay half that once for the ad-free Pocket Casts, I opted for the latter instead.

 

[Fliesen]

Out of curiosity, what app are you talking about?

inShot handles vertical videos very well - as in - you can keep it vertical, you can do the blurry background thing and make it squared. Great for making content that works on both Facebook / Instagram.

That one has a €10 / year, €35 / lifetime option, which i think is very fair.

 

[Deleted member 32101]

Yeah, not doing that. I always use paypal or in-app purchases since you can immediately cancel (of course automatic) renewal.

 

[Deleted member 11093]

Will subscribe forever just because it's Apple.

 

[GeoGonzo]

Huh, what's with the hate for Adobe CC? It got way cheaper/less cost-prohibitive for private users/students/etc. 120 dollars/euros a year is way more convenient than 700+ upfront and then after three years they release a new creative suite that you need to shell out for again. Like, you break even on the cost of their traditional model after 6 years of use. That's longer than you'd probably be using a creative suite iteration, while getting all major updates along the way too.

In any case, I generally don't really care for _app_ subscriptions. Haven't found anything that I value so much that I'd regularly pay for its use. I was considering paying for Overcast (ten euros), but since you can just pay half that once for the ad-free Pocket Casts, I opted for the latter instead.

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Even if it is more expensive I'd much rather pay for a full license since it seems to me like it should encourage developers to work harder on new features to sell on future versions instead of breeding complacency.

 

[Paz]

I some times worry we're two steps away from a world of being owned by corporations as credit/mortgage/health/education/etc debts become larger & more acceptable while all tools both physical and digital move towards subscription/service models. People fall in to 'just comfortable enough' equilibrium.

Or in short, yes I also hate not being able to just buy things anymore.

 

[nsilvias]

Seeing all these services go subscription only makes me happy that i have a lifetime license of malwarebytes premium.

Spoiler

That i didn't even pay for but because teenage me pirated it i was fortunate enough to get in on their free key program for people who had a illegal key

.

 

[Dinskugga]

Only sub i pay for is Infuse. And thats cheap. Like 15 dollar/year

 

[Blackthorn]

I recommend Lumavision Pro. It's bought with a one time fee, cross buy with iPhone and iPad and full featured.

 

[Hypron]

The only software I'm subscribed to is Adobe CC since I get it for $10/year through my university. That's the maximum I'm willing to pay to be honest. I don't mind buying a software if I find it useful (MATLAB, or the iOS version of Anki for example), but I would need to require the software on a daily basis to even consider paying a subscription fee.

 

[Igniz12]

I some times worry we're two steps away from a world of being owned by corporations as credit/mortgage/health/education/etc debts become larger & more acceptable while all tools both physical and digital move towards subscription/service models. People fall in to 'just comfortable enough' equilibrium.

Or in short, yes I also hate not being able to just buy things anymore.

Click to shrink...

Isn't it because they want to be able to add features and bug fixes so the subs help pay for year round support rather than selling it at a one off price and then hoping more sales come into offset the cost of continued development. Still, $10 a week is crazy talk.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Vsco still lets you buy individual filters

This model is more sustainable for smaller teams, and in general. It sucks but it's the reality of things when we had a race to the bottom on app.

Think about it this way. You release a product and place the value at $20 for a one time purchase and you have sales in the 5-10k range. You're immediately capped out at revenue. You'll continue to build a base but at a much slower level then that initial surge. Instead you can put your product at say $2-3 a month and see continued revenue over the lifespan of you working on it. Those who really like it and want to pay will do so. So you may only end up with say 3-6k users but that is sustained revenue over one time fee.

 

[Jessie]

Ulysses and 1Password

I'm not keeping track of a million subscriptions, sorry. There are alternatives out there that don't charge monthly fees.

 

[Zulith]

Been seeing this trend on the rise. Clip Studio Paint, which when you buy it on mac/pc lets you use it forever on two devices, is subscription on iPad... and pretty expensive too. Not worth it.

8.99/month on iPad vs. one-time purchase of 49.99 on PC/Mac (sometimes 20 or 25 bucks on sale)

They are out of their minds. I won't support it.

People who do are helping to push us closer to a world where we subscribe to just about everything, and pay way more in the long run.

 

[Dougald]

1Password and YNAB. Both switching pointlessly to hosting data I don't want in the cloud in the cloud, and charging me monthly for it

I was happy enough to buy both when it was pay once, and would have happily bought updated versions, but I'm not paying their subscription fees.

 

[TheLittlestHobo]

It's a good business model all round imo. Gives an incentive to app devs to continue developing their app once the customer base is saturated and they can't acquire any new users.

 

[Vuze]

Only sub i pay for is Infuse. And thats cheap. Like 15 dollar/year

Click to shrink...

Same. And I use Infuse every day so it's totally worth it. Plus they offer a stand-alone purchase option. Very commendable business practice.

I understand why the sub system is taking over but it just sucks as a consumer. The only benefit are trial subscriptions; trial versions of apps were and are much needed.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

1Password and YNAB. Both switching pointlessly to hosting data I don't want in the cloud in the cloud, and charging me monthly for it

I was happy enough to buy both when it was pay once, and would have happily bought updated versions, but I'm not paying their subscription fees.

Click to shrink...

The problem is people complained anyway when they'd do new versions at $30-40. So might as well just got to subscription model.

 

[bremon]

I've some of my favourite apps go to a subscription model. Jokes on them; I deleted one app, and won't use the new subscription version of the other. Any app that's subscription based is instantly ignored on the list of options.

 

[signal]

I didn't even know this existed until switching from android to ios like a month ago. It's crazy how many apps do this. It's one thing if it's some niche service but charging a lot of money for a subscription for like a calendar app or whatever is insanity.

IMO it's even worse when the app developer is a big corporation and not a small developer.

 

[tino]

I am using a cloud editing service call wevideo. I tried it for a month and made the commitment to buy a year ($96 a year).

Let me explain to you why I think its worth it. Function wise its almost as good as premiere. It's better in some ways (streamline title card editing) and worse in some ways (masking/croping video is limited, where as in Premiere I can do a circle video)

* Here are the upsides, for 100 bux a year, I can save myself the problem of getting a editing capable PC, which is by my estimate minimum $700-1000. And a PC like that depreciate more than $100 a year. I can easily find a cheaper PC a few years down the road

* 4K editing and stabilized all on the cloud. After rending it uploads to youtube automatically. It's so easy I can set it and forget it. I can ride my bike to work, upload my 1 hour worth of 4K riding video to the cloud, do a quick edit and have it ready on youtube by the end of the day.

* I can edit with my phone or work PC! Much easier to budget my time to put together a video. When I get home I have to take care of my newborn baby with wife and there is barely any time to pay bill, let along editing.

This editing platform works so smooth and painlessly I am convinced this is the future. In the future every one would be doing work on a Chromebook style laptop and do most of the editing on the cloud.

 

[Noisepurge]

The only software I'm subscribed to is Adobe CC since I get it for $10/year through my university. That's the maximum I'm willing to pay to be honest.

Click to shrink...

Jesus, you probably drink more expensive Starbucks coffee every day? Adobe sets were worth it for the 1000$ a year license upgrade everytime a new version came out if you use it for work. The sub for the whole service is great too as you get all updates immediately and access to all the tools too.

But sure, you do need to do something with it to make it worth paying for it. But that's the same for all professional tools, computers, hardware accessories, electricity, clean water and air? :D

 

[Antiwhippy]

With that price you might as well get Adobe cloud for premier lmao.

 

[WillRobBanks]

It's a hard balance to strike. So often I have a paid or free app that simply goes unsupported and updated overtime. At the same time, I won't prioritize a budget to pay multiple app monthly fees for QoL improvements.

The biggest example that's impacted me is the Strong app for workout tracking. I downloaded it and paid for pro when I got into fitness 1.5 years ago. They had a crazy sale so I paid like $5.

Now there's a $4 a month subscription fee, but I'm grandfathered in. These subscriptions keep them constantly updating the app, which I love, but I don't think I'd pay the monthly fee if I wasn't grandfathered in...

 

[Hypron]

Jesus, you probably drink more expensive Starbucks coffee every day? Adobe sets were worth it for the 1000$ a year license upgrade everytime a new version came out if you use it for work. The sub for the whole service is great too as you get all updates immediately and access to all the tools too.

But sure, you do need to do something with it to make it worth paying for it. But that's the same for all professional tools, computers, hardware accessories, electricity, clean water and air? :D

Click to shrink...

I'm not a designer or an artist so I don't use the adobe suite enough to justify spending more than that. But in the off occasion I need it it's really useful. On the other hand I don't mind buying MATLAB because I'll get hundreds of hours out of it.

And I try to save my money as much as possible, spending $10 on coffee also seems crazy to me :p

 

[Faddy]

Even if it is more expensive I'd much rather pay for a full license since it seems to me like it should encourage developers to work harder on new features to sell on future versions instead of breeding complacency.

Click to shrink...

Surely this has the opposite effect? Once they get your full payment they have no incentive to keep you happy since they have all the money, where as with a subscription model you don't have a sunk cost and are more able to cancel and move to a competitor.

 

[Futureman]

$10/week? Even Adobe prices their stuff cheaper.

Click to shrink...

Seriously that price must be a mistake. You can get Adobe Premiere, which has been used to edit major motion pictures shown in theaters, for less. What is the target audience for an iPhone app that costs half a G per year?

 

[TrueSloth]

Microsoft office is doing this and its annoying as fuck.

 

[Dougald]

The problem is people complained anyway when they'd do new versions at $30-40. So might as well just got to subscription model.

Click to shrink...

Why put the effort in to create compelling reasons to have people upgrade when you can just charge them in perpetuity for the same product, and use storing customers financial data and passwords on servers they have no control over as the reason

 

[Xun]

I can't say I'm a fan of the subscription model either.

Also OP I recommend getting DaVinci Resolve if you're fine editing on a PC/Mac since it's free.

 

[formasymphonic]

The problem with subscriptions, especially the "its less than a price of a cup of coffee" ones is that that's nothing when it's a single app, but these days almost everything is starting to want an ongoing part of your paycheque.

When 1 app wasn't 5 bucks that is nothing, but one at 5, 2 at 10, another at 7, another 2 at 6, one at 15 etc on top of all you other monthly outgoings stacks up faster than you think. And you don't really stop paying unless you are ok with losing functionality you had.

This would at least be ok if there was an ownership model after a certain amount of time — eg if you sub for say 6months to a year, then you at least get a permanent licence for whatever the current version of the app is but no new versions beyond that etc.

Iirc Sketch and a few other apps have licences like that.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Why put the effort in to create compelling reasons to have people upgrade when you can just charge them in perpetuity for the same product, and use storing customers financial data and passwords on servers they have no control over as the reason

Click to shrink...

They would release brand new, full featured clients with the new releases and people would still complain. It's not like they just released some it with a new icon and asked for $40 (keep in mind it was $40 on desktop, $20 on mobile). Them also moving into the cloud subscription model is allowing them more control and more security; they found the dropbox method to be insecure and it's why the moved to the new vault style ~2 years back. They're also working on 1PasswordX which allows for greater cross-platform use since it's a browser first tool. For the size of the team and level of work AgileBits is doing, simply asking for a one time fee of $40 is just not sustainable over the long term. This is their only business and revenue generator, it's not like they have other ways to fall back on revenue generation for them.

Bottom line is, just pay for the things you find good/great value in and leave it at that. No reason to shit on a model that is allowing companies to remain in business and profitable. I happily pay for multiple yearly subscriptions for various news & app services because the value they provide me is worth the costs.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

The one that pissed me off the most was that AVG anti virus bought the company that did a pc clean up/optimization tool for windows. You could buy the yearly version of the software.

Now AVG has made it entirely subscription based and doesn't even offer the previous single time payment options. Fuck you too.

 

[Dougald]

They would release brand new, full featured clients with the new releases and people would still complain. It's not like they just released some it with a new icon and asked for $40 (keep in mind it was $40 on desktop, $20 on mobile). Them also moving into the cloud subscription model is allowing them more control and more security; they found the dropbox method to be insecure and it's why the moved to the new vault style ~2 years back. They're also working on 1PasswordX which allows for greater cross-platform use since it's a browser first tool. For the size of the team and level of work AgileBits is doing, simply asking for a one time fee of $40 is just not sustainable over the long term. This is their only business and revenue generator, it's not like they have other ways to fall back on revenue generation for them.

Bottom line is, just pay for the things you find good/great value in and leave it at that. No reason to shit on a model that is allowing companies to remain in business and profitable. I happily pay for multiple yearly subscriptions for various news & app services because the value they provide me is worth the costs.

Click to shrink...

Of course some people complained, same way some people legitimize piracy in their heads. They can use any reason they like to switch to monthly subscription fees, but I don't want my passwords stored anywhere that's not under my control, be that hosted by Dropbox of Agilebits. Same reason I don't want my financial data stored somewhere that's not under the rules set by the financial regulator in my country

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Of course some people complained, same way some people legitimize piracy in their heads. They can use any reason they like to switch to monthly subscription fees, but I don't want my passwords stored anywhere that's not under my control, be that hosted by Dropbox of Agilebits. Same reason I don't want my financial data stored somewhere that's not under the rules set by the financial regulator in my country

Click to shrink...

You know you can still use the local storage option right? But not having a synced storage completely renders password managers useless IMO. What's the point of an individual file you need to make sure is being manually synced across devices for use.

 

[Dougald]

You know you can still use the local storage option right? But not having a synced storage completely renders password managers useless IMO. What's the point of an individual file you need to make sure is being manually synced across devices for use.

Click to shrink...

Why would I pay a monthly fee for that?

 

[iAmPossum]

It's the lamest. It really cuts down on the amount of apps you're willing to pay. Right now I'm subscribed to only one because I use the app pretty much every hour.

 

[pixeldreams]

I am using a cloud editing service call wevideo. I tried it for a month and made the commitment to buy a year ($96 a year).

Let me explain to you why I think its worth it. Function wise its almost as good as premiere. It's better in some ways (streamline title card editing) and worse in some ways (masking/croping video is limited, where as in Premiere I can do a circle video)

* Here are the upsides, for 100 bux a year, I can save myself the problem of getting a editing capable PC, which is by my estimate minimum $700-1000. And a PC like that depreciate more than $100 a year. I can easily find a cheaper PC a few years down the road

* 4K editing and stabilized all on the cloud. After rending it uploads to youtube automatically. It's so easy I can set it and forget it. I can ride my bike to work, upload my 1 hour worth of 4K riding video to the cloud, do a quick edit and have it ready on youtube by the end of the day.

* I can edit with my phone or work PC! Much easier to budget my time to put together a video. When I get home I have to take care of my newborn baby with wife and there is barely any time to pay bill, let along editing.

This editing platform works so smooth and painlessly I am convinced this is the future. In the future every one would be doing work on a Chromebook style laptop and do most of the editing on the cloud.

Click to shrink...

You may have just sold me on this product, I'll have to see how it runs on my laptop, but if it's even remotely decent I'm in.

---

The subscription model only makes me pickier with what gets my money. Even right now, I'm paying roughly $25/mo for Netflix and Hulu (without commercials), which is less than half of my old cable bill, but I still go back and forth on canceling Netflix because I feel like I don't use it enough to justify the cost. Hell, that's what put me off playing MMOs; paying monthly into a service, I feel like this obligation to dedicate a specific amount of time to it, otherwise I feel like I am wasting my money.

 

[RetroDLC]

Op, if you're wanting a good iPhone video editor, look at LumaFusion.

As for subscription software, I don't care as long the product is still offered with lifetime licenses, which is why I'm pissed off about Adobe no longer selling individual keys.

 

[Lost]

I refuse to pay a Subscrition for PhotoShop. I would love to outright buy it, but nope, I'm just going to ~get for free~ it until their is an option to buy the newer versions.