There are plenty of people who are REALLY committed to not spending money on software.
Then there are people who want to live their best life.
Then there are people who want to live their best life.
If there is something I need that provides value then my wallet instantly comes out.
I more than happily pay for my JetBrains IDE - it's a tool I use full time.
Same for ChatGPT - I'd throw my money at them. I'd pay 5 times as much.
I was paying for an anti spam system but I'm not convinced it was doing a great job.
A real world thing that’s similar is cordless power tools. All the god-damn incompatible battery styles.
If something I need is a one time payment of $200 and is worth it, I'll grab it. If it's a $15/month subscription I'm put off, even if I may only use it 6 months and it comes out cheaper. I'm forgetful as is and I despise the thought of continually paying for something I've forgotten about. But I know I'm the odd one out there.
Odd to say after making a statement about two extremes.
But for me, it's more about stability. Jetrbains is great for me too but I don't feel so dependent on it with a project that it shitting the bed would endanger my own aspects. I can still use Visual Studio or Sublime Text or even go back to good ol' vim if needed. That flexibility of choice ironically enough makes me fine with paying for what's best for me.
But for me, take a game engine. That's a very core part of my project and lately we've see how the two biggest competitors can screw things over so easily. They may be the best choice, but are they MY best choice?
As things are now I'd rather choose a tool I'll struggle with more but have more control over. Because if a game engine suddenly wants to demand retroactive payment, that's a huge issue for me. And I don't mind spending some time helping out other engines rise up so others can make an easier jump.