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I really appreciate that the app is just an up front price! I probably don't really need it but at that price and straightforwardness it's not really a big loss

I really appreciate that the app is just an up front price! I probably don't really need it but at that price and straightforwardness it's not really a big loss if I don't use it much so I grabbed it. I looked at the other apps and realized they had made Halide as well which I tried out for a bit, for some reason thought it was subscription only & decided I didn't want it that much while clearing out subscriptions, and just (re)noticed they say you can buy it outright too. Initially I probably saw a high price tag and wanted to see how long I'd really like it for but going back into the app I can't seem to find the straightforward purchase option (perhaps because my initial year subscription hasn't expired?) which means I can't find how much it is without searching the net. Perhaps I'm just uneducated and there is a place to still see it in the app with an active subscription or see the IAP price on the app store but even if there were it'd all just be a pain compared to "It's $9.99, wanna buy?" in your face at the app store and anywhere you read about it. The only other (very minor) thing that gave me a startle was the onboarding process asks if you want to go "starter" or some other more advanced category. I thought I missed that it would try to upsell you until I reread and saw it meant I could select either layout type out of the box. Not sure that's really the apps fault as much as my paranoia after having just checked through all the above and being left thinking I missed something.

selectodude 2y ago
Halide has a lifetime IAP for $60 in there.
- stefandesu 2y ago
  Which was an about 10x increase from the original price. Sure, it was definitely underpriced back then, but it was still a... let's say bold move.
  - gregoriol 2y ago
    I think I've read that the current price for Kino is "launch price" and will be higher in a few days
  - altairprime 2y ago
    $70 is incredibly cheap for photography software. It's cheaper than Capture NX was twenty years ago, without accounting for inflation. I'm sad that they undervalued it at first, but at least they corrected course later on.
yreg 2y ago
Unfortunately the freemium + subscription model usually works so much better money-wise that it's difficult to justify publishing a simple paid app with upfront cost.
- FpUser 2y ago
  I use way too many applications. IF I was subscribing it would be nightmare for me. So I only buy from companies that offer perpetual licenses and upgrade whenever I feel the need.
- ClassyJacket 2y ago
  I'm totally fine with subscription apps, but the price has to be reasonable. I'm not a video editor so I can't speak to that but here's one example: Most calorie counting apps want ~16AUD a month from me. That's what Disney+ costs and they spend billions of dollars making content. It's 3$ more than Spotify charges and they have almost every song ever made. It doesn't have to be free, or even a one-off cost, but it has to be reasonable. I'd pay 4$ for calorie counting features. 16? No.
  - sundvor 2y ago
    Yeah, thanks for reminding me - cancelling MyFitnessPal trial - it's 130 AUD for a year, way more on a monthly basis. There are some apps in this genre that are absolutely insane - $300 or so for an AI image analyser, which you have no way to try unless you sign up for a trial where you are committed to that amount unless you remember to cancel.
    - yreg 2y ago
      I have an app and I'm trying to figure out the pricing. I’m offering a one-time in app purchase of life-time subscription. Currently it costs 6x the monthly subscription cost. I'm worried that makes it too expensive for a simple app, at the same time lowering it would make the monthly subscription less sensible. I'm curious if anyone has indie experience and thoughts regarding this.
  - 2y ago
augustohp 2y ago
They did the same thing with Hallide. Give enough time (1-2y) and they will charge a subscription from you and lock you away from the app you've purchased.
- rlt 2y ago
  That's a rather cynical take. Halide has been around for 7 years and they haven't gone to subscriptions.
  - NikxDa 2y ago
    Halide is 2.99 a month, or 12.49 a year, and has been a subscription model since 2020. Sure, you have a one-time purchase option, but it is $70. I believe people who bought before the subscription got one year free, but things like widgets aren't supported. So unfortunately, that is likely the same fate for Kino. This post introduces the subscriptions: https://medium.com/halide/introducing-halide-mkii-30f9f2bceac3 https://medium.com/halide/introducing-halide-mkii-30f9f2bcea...
    - zamadatix 2y ago
      I'm fine if I can get a reasonable number of years out of it. I'm not expecting infinite updates forever for $9.99. 1-2y for this would be disappointing but not even a bad deal. On Halide it seems the problem is more "pricing in general" - a 1 year subscription costs more than the one time purchase in this app so naturally expecting get and keep the app plus years of updates is a bit eyewatering for a camera app (but not necessarily because of the pricing model/that it switches major versions in long cycles).
      - gcr 2y ago
        There's "I expect to get three years of value for $9.99", and then there's the "Halide isn't a subscription product, what are you talking about" people in this thread. The unpredictability of the pricing model itself is an important point.
      - 2y ago

selectodude 2y ago

Halide has a lifetime IAP for $60 in there.

stefandesu 2y ago
Which was an about 10x increase from the original price. Sure, it was definitely underpriced back then, but it was still a... let's say bold move.
- gregoriol 2y ago
  I think I've read that the current price for Kino is "launch price" and will be higher in a few days
- altairprime 2y ago
  $70 is incredibly cheap for photography software. It's cheaper than Capture NX was twenty years ago, without accounting for inflation. I'm sad that they undervalued it at first, but at least they corrected course later on.

yreg 2y ago

Unfortunately the freemium + subscription model usually works so much better money-wise that it's difficult to justify publishing a simple paid app with upfront cost.

FpUser 2y ago
I use way too many applications. IF I was subscribing it would be nightmare for me. So I only buy from companies that offer perpetual licenses and upgrade whenever I feel the need.
ClassyJacket 2y ago
I'm totally fine with subscription apps, but the price has to be reasonable. I'm not a video editor so I can't speak to that but here's one example: Most calorie counting apps want ~16AUD a month from me. That's what Disney+ costs and they spend billions of dollars making content. It's 3$ more than Spotify charges and they have almost every song ever made. It doesn't have to be free, or even a one-off cost, but it has to be reasonable. I'd pay 4$ for calorie counting features. 16? No.
- sundvor 2y ago
  Yeah, thanks for reminding me - cancelling MyFitnessPal trial - it's 130 AUD for a year, way more on a monthly basis. There are some apps in this genre that are absolutely insane - $300 or so for an AI image analyser, which you have no way to try unless you sign up for a trial where you are committed to that amount unless you remember to cancel.
  - yreg 2y ago
    I have an app and I'm trying to figure out the pricing. I’m offering a one-time in app purchase of life-time subscription. Currently it costs 6x the monthly subscription cost. I'm worried that makes it too expensive for a simple app, at the same time lowering it would make the monthly subscription less sensible. I'm curious if anyone has indie experience and thoughts regarding this.
- 2y ago

augustohp 2y ago

They did the same thing with Hallide. Give enough time (1-2y) and they will charge a subscription from you and lock you away from the app you've purchased.

rlt 2y ago
That's a rather cynical take. Halide has been around for 7 years and they haven't gone to subscriptions.
- NikxDa 2y ago
  Halide is 2.99 a month, or 12.49 a year, and has been a subscription model since 2020. Sure, you have a one-time purchase option, but it is $70. I believe people who bought before the subscription got one year free, but things like widgets aren't supported. So unfortunately, that is likely the same fate for Kino. This post introduces the subscriptions: https://medium.com/halide/introducing-halide-mkii-30f9f2bceac3 https://medium.com/halide/introducing-halide-mkii-30f9f2bcea...
  - zamadatix 2y ago
    I'm fine if I can get a reasonable number of years out of it. I'm not expecting infinite updates forever for $9.99. 1-2y for this would be disappointing but not even a bad deal. On Halide it seems the problem is more "pricing in general" - a 1 year subscription costs more than the one time purchase in this app so naturally expecting get and keep the app plus years of updates is a bit eyewatering for a camera app (but not necessarily because of the pricing model/that it switches major versions in long cycles).
    - gcr 2y ago
      There's "I expect to get three years of value for $9.99", and then there's the "Halide isn't a subscription product, what are you talking about" people in this thread. The unpredictability of the pricing model itself is an important point.
    - 2y ago