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On the other hand, you can regard one-time fees as subscriptions in disguise, because hardly any useful software can be used forever. File formats change, colla
by WA 4y ago
On the other hand, you can regard one-time fees as subscriptions in disguise, because hardly any useful software can be used forever. File formats change, collaboration changes, operating systems change.
Yeah you could run your bought-once MS-DOS accounting software in a VM forever, but most useful software has a clear expiration date, especially if you try to collaborate on data.
- josephg 4y agoEven knowing that, I much prefer software I buy and own forever. I have too many subscriptions already and I feel icky knowing there’s all these leeches draining money automatically from my bank account every month, with not enough visibility. A few weeks ago I was looking at iPad apps to help me learn piano. They all want a $15/month subscription or something, and I hate it. I know what I’m like - I’ll subscribe then forget and end up spending $100 for an app I use twice. I ended up getting an in person music teacher instead. It’s more expensive, but it feels better spending the money like that. Software I buy then own (or even, pay for once a year for updates like Jetbrains) feels better because each renewal feels like an active, conscious choice.
- birdman3131 4y agoI have a file manager for my phone. (File commander) They have a pro version that I would gladly pay for but the only way to get it is as a monthly subscription. So I just don't buy it.
- cercatrova 4y agoFor apps like those, I just find cracks online and install those apps with all pro features included.
- ThunderSizzle 4y agoWhy would a file manager that runs locally and doesn't require tons of flashy features have a monthly subscription? It's so stupid. I prefer the Jetbrains model of pay subscription or license, but subscriptions become cheaper as you had more time subscribed (IIRC, 30% discount on 3rd year)
- jhanschoo 4y agoConsider subscribing, and then cancelling, if the monthly fee is worth a one-time use
- layer8 4y agoI would guess that in many cases, you could use it longer than the SaaS would exist.
- everforward 4y agoSubscriptions are almost definitely more profitable. E.g. Photoshop is now $240/year. The last price I could find for a version you could actually buy was $500. Assuming someone uses it for 4 years (which might be short, the few people I know who use PS latch onto a version for forever), it would be ~$1,000 for a license. A lot of stuff would be fine for about a decade. That would be ~$2,500 for comparable income. Subscriptions tend to be dramatically more expensive than buying software was. $5/month over a decade is $600. A lot of stuff wants to charge $5/month for something I wouldn't pay $600 to own for a decade.
- jimmygrapes 4y agoI understand this perspective and sometimes I want to agree with it, but it requires some kind of competition/innovation/refinement process to exist. One time purchases means the provider needs to entice you to upgrade one way or the other - compatibility with new formats and paradigms, better X, something. Subscriptions don't have that incentive once they're relatively entrenched as de facto standards. Granted, one time purchases also suffer from hubris at that stage (see unnecessary UX changes to Photoshop, Windows, etc.) but it's more obvious with SaaS due to the sunk cost fallacy.
- yucky 4y agoEvery business is moving to SaaS because they make more money off of the customers that way. So you can't really spin it as being better for the customer. It's better for the investors in those businesses, and worse for the customers.