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I’m not sure if I’ll be happy about a future where everything is a PWA. My main concern is monetization. With a PWA the traditional monetization method of sel

I’m not sure if I’ll be happy about a future where everything is a PWA. My main concern is monetization. With a PWA the traditional monetization method of selling apps doesn’t work. So, your options will be a subscription or ads. But, a subscription is too much hustle for small utilities and casual games. And I love apps like Procreate that are paid, without subscription and ad-free.

deergomoo 3y ago
> So, your options will be a subscription or ads. We're basically there already unfortunately, even for store-distributed software. Apps like Procreate and Pixelmator are a rarity these days. It definitely doesn't help that the App Store makes charging for new major versions awkward, and that upgrade discounts are basically impossible, but I suspect the main reason is that most developers just make more money from subs than purchases. As a consumer though, it sucks. Subscriptions are fine if your product has an ongoing cost to you as the developer, for example server or API fees. And I really don't mind JetBrains-style subs, where you can cancel any time and you retain access to the last version you paid for, for as long as it still works on your machine. But, while I appreciate the need for ongoing revenue to continue paying salaries, I am not interested in renting software in perpetuity—that's not a fair deal. Especially when it robs me of the ability to stick with an older version if I prefer it.
uxp8u61q 3y ago
> With a PWA the traditional monetization method of selling apps doesn’t work. So, your options will be a subscription or ads. How so? Offer to install the pwa and unlock functionality only after the user has paid. How is that different from a paid "app"?
- Uvix 3y ago
  On the app stores, you can redownload purchases at any time. With a PWA you’re dependent on the vendor still supporting the app.
  - uxp8u61q 3y ago
    With an app store, you're dependent on the app store still supporting the app. They can withdraw the app from the store whenever they feel like it, and then what?
- diegof79 3y ago
  How do you implement that unlock feature without backend support? I can imagine some encrypted payload the user unlocks or a backend service that keeps track of valid license keys. Everything is doable, and I recognize that my comment of “doesn’t work” was exaggerated. But I don’t think small apps will do all that work when it is easier to monetize with ads. A more likely scenario for ad-free utilities will be having umbrella subscriptions a la Netflix (like Apple Arcade). I’m a web dev, too, and I read many enthusiastic articles about PWAs as the future. (Mostly from Google evangelism, for a good business reason). But, the “old school” guy in me that grown-up loading games in diskettes feels that something is lost and more invasive in that future. (I’m not comparing it with the current App Store experience but with the experience of macOS/Windows/Linux, where you can still manually install app binaries).

deergomoo 3y ago

> So, your options will be a subscription or ads. We're basically there already unfortunately, even for store-distributed software. Apps like Procreate and Pixelmator are a rarity these days. It definitely doesn't help that the App Store makes charging for new major versions awkward, and that upgrade discounts are basically impossible, but I suspect the main reason is that most developers just make more money from subs than purchases. As a consumer though, it sucks. Subscriptions are fine if your product has an ongoing cost to you as the developer, for example server or API fees. And I really don't mind JetBrains-style subs, where you can cancel any time and you retain access to the last version you paid for, for as long as it still works on your machine. But, while I appreciate the need for ongoing revenue to continue paying salaries, I am not interested in renting software in perpetuity—that's not a fair deal. Especially when it robs me of the ability to stick with an older version if I prefer it.

uxp8u61q 3y ago

> With a PWA the traditional monetization method of selling apps doesn’t work. So, your options will be a subscription or ads. How so? Offer to install the pwa and unlock functionality only after the user has paid. How is that different from a paid "app"?

Uvix 3y ago
On the app stores, you can redownload purchases at any time. With a PWA you’re dependent on the vendor still supporting the app.
- uxp8u61q 3y ago
  With an app store, you're dependent on the app store still supporting the app. They can withdraw the app from the store whenever they feel like it, and then what?
diegof79 3y ago
How do you implement that unlock feature without backend support? I can imagine some encrypted payload the user unlocks or a backend service that keeps track of valid license keys. Everything is doable, and I recognize that my comment of “doesn’t work” was exaggerated. But I don’t think small apps will do all that work when it is easier to monetize with ads. A more likely scenario for ad-free utilities will be having umbrella subscriptions a la Netflix (like Apple Arcade). I’m a web dev, too, and I read many enthusiastic articles about PWAs as the future. (Mostly from Google evangelism, for a good business reason). But, the “old school” guy in me that grown-up loading games in diskettes feels that something is lost and more invasive in that future. (I’m not comparing it with the current App Store experience but with the experience of macOS/Windows/Linux, where you can still manually install app binaries).