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And it's not all that bad. * For updates, use Sparkle framework. [1] * For licensing, use CocoaFob [2] or write your own. * For payments, use FastSpring like

by lpsz 11y ago

And it's not all that bad. * For updates, use Sparkle framework. [1] * For licensing, use CocoaFob [2] or write your own. * For payments, use FastSpring like most other indie shops. [3] Only other detail is having to write a EULA yourself. [1] http://sparkle-project.org/ http://sparkle-project.org/ [2] https://github.com/glebd/cocoafob https://github.com/glebd/cocoafob [3] http://fastspring.com/ http://fastspring.com/

kitsunesoba 11y ago
It may not be “that bad”, but it’s still enough to be daunting if you’ve been in full-swing development mode and would rather focus on your application’s key features instead of licensing and distribution. That said, I have apps on the Mac App Store and though it’s effortless, there are absolutely points of frustration. Most notably, there’s no way to refund or interact with unhappy users or users with questions. Additionally, OS X's sandboxing implementation is still buggy in some areas (mostly involving file dialogs and persistence of user-selected file URLs) which makes writing and usage of applications that frequently work with files in arbitrary user-selected files and folders in the user’s filesystem far more frustrating and failure-prone than it needs to be. As such, I’m looking into moving into self-managed licensing, with a setup like you’ve mentioned (Sparkle/CocoaFob/etc) but rather than using Fastspring, I’ll probably use a personally maintained branch of Potion Store that supports Stripe instead. I’ve never been a fan of in-betweens like Fastspring as a developer or as a user; as a developer, I dislike the lack of control I have and as a user encounters with Fastspring and the likes feels janky, unpolished, and unprofessional.
- lpsz 11y ago
  I'm with you on the sandboxing issues and lack of means to contact users. FWIW, Fastspring is fairly customizable! The value over Stripe is that you don't have to deal with PCI details or worrying about fraud. Also, taxes/VAT in various jurisdictions. (Disclaimer: current customer) One minor con is that until your store is "vetted" (something like a few months of successful transactions), your checkout form will include mailing address and phone number fields for additional fraud screening. It's great to have more options of course. I figure I will "graduate" to Stripe if my operation gets to the point where I want even more control.
  - ivm 11y ago
    > One minor con is that until your store is "vetted" (something like a few months of successful transactions), your checkout form will include mailing address and phone number fields for additional fraud screening. The seller's phone? Or my customers must enter their phones?
- kybernetyk 11y ago
  For refunds you can redirect your users to https://reportaproblem.apple.com https://reportaproblem.apple.com where they can request a refund pretty painlessly. Apple usually will issue an refund.
deleted 11y ago
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by lpsz 11y ago

kitsunesoba 11y ago

It may not be “that bad”, but it’s still enough to be daunting if you’ve been in full-swing development mode and would rather focus on your application’s key features instead of licensing and distribution. That said, I have apps on the Mac App Store and though it’s effortless, there are absolutely points of frustration. Most notably, there’s no way to refund or interact with unhappy users or users with questions. Additionally, OS X's sandboxing implementation is still buggy in some areas (mostly involving file dialogs and persistence of user-selected file URLs) which makes writing and usage of applications that frequently work with files in arbitrary user-selected files and folders in the user’s filesystem far more frustrating and failure-prone than it needs to be. As such, I’m looking into moving into self-managed licensing, with a setup like you’ve mentioned (Sparkle/CocoaFob/etc) but rather than using Fastspring, I’ll probably use a personally maintained branch of Potion Store that supports Stripe instead. I’ve never been a fan of in-betweens like Fastspring as a developer or as a user; as a developer, I dislike the lack of control I have and as a user encounters with Fastspring and the likes feels janky, unpolished, and unprofessional.

lpsz 11y ago
I'm with you on the sandboxing issues and lack of means to contact users. FWIW, Fastspring is fairly customizable! The value over Stripe is that you don't have to deal with PCI details or worrying about fraud. Also, taxes/VAT in various jurisdictions. (Disclaimer: current customer) One minor con is that until your store is "vetted" (something like a few months of successful transactions), your checkout form will include mailing address and phone number fields for additional fraud screening. It's great to have more options of course. I figure I will "graduate" to Stripe if my operation gets to the point where I want even more control.
- ivm 11y ago
  > One minor con is that until your store is "vetted" (something like a few months of successful transactions), your checkout form will include mailing address and phone number fields for additional fraud screening. The seller's phone? Or my customers must enter their phones?
kybernetyk 11y ago
For refunds you can redirect your users to https://reportaproblem.apple.com https://reportaproblem.apple.com where they can request a refund pretty painlessly. Apple usually will issue an refund.

deleted 11y ago

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