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Comment by SyneRyder | Hacker News Reader

While I don't use a Mac as my primary anymore, I'm surprised I like the look of this! It actually looks quite Mac-like as well.

Subscription is a big nope here, though. Especially for Mac software, I'd expect something where you pay for one major version, that is guaranteed to works on specific macOS versions, and gets minor bugfix updates too. But maybe the next macOS version requires a newer major version update to run, in which case you pay an upgrade fee to buy the next major version - or maybe the next major version has new features you might want to upgrade to as well.

My old Macs are stuck on 10.13, and I see Ubar mentioned elsewhere in this thread and that it's still compatible with 10.13. I might consider the $30 one off price to buy Ubar and keep it forever, but I wouldn't do a $10 subscription.

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Agreed. The idea of having to pay for non-cloud based software in perpetuity forever, and having it stop working the very second I discontinue paying is a hard no for me.

OP, go with the JetBrains model. You can still offer a monthly subscription, but also provide an annual option where you pay up front for a year. After that year, it reverts to a fallback license for the specific version that was current during that period. It’s a good approach.

Please don't overindex on this comment OP, $10 a year is completely reasonable and the status quo they describe has killed so much software for so little benefit

It's a subscription with extra steps and worse retention.

Why not offer both?

I personally dislike subscriptions to the point where I’d gladly pay more to own, and as this thread shows, I’m not alone.

So why not offer both?

Why offer both?

Some people will take the subscription with extra steps and worse retention and I'm saying the product will be worse off for it. Why not just offer the thing with the simpler messaging*, better retention, and better outlook for actually being supported down the road even if it's not a massive success?

* 1 year = 365 days, not when a new major version is subjectively justified

Honestly anyone who'd over index on people claiming they'd pay except $10 a year is just too much for a major utility or subscriptions are just too exotic for them is doomed unless they learn about conversion rates: I don't get the vibe OP is unaware though based on their comments here.

Why not? Apple decides when a breaking change gets introduced, people on an older Intel Mac might get 5+ years of usage out of a Lifetime license for boringBar if they don't upgrade to macOS 27. It's the people that demand constant updates who should subsidize new versions being developed.

> Honestly anyone who'd over index [...] is doomed unless they learn about conversion rates

Converting those sales is OP's problem. People that don't buy SaaS products are principled and their stance won't change.

I didn't downvote, but just to be clear - I'm not saying $10 for lifetime updates. Lifetime updates are a terrible idea and, yes, that does kill off software.

$10 is too low for a one-off purchase as well, I'm not saying to lowball the price. $29 for a small utility could be reasonable, and that gives you some room to offer discount pricing / sales if you want. As for major version upgrades, I'd be imagining a typical 50% off, $15 to buy an upgrade to v2 if the customer wants it. Of course, not every customer will want that.

You could offer both a subscription and a one-off purchase. It might put off some customers that you're even offering a subscription, but at least then you're offering everyone what they might want. And if you offer both, you'll have real data on what customers actually prefer, if you don't have that data already.

And as others have said - it's their business, they can choose their sales model! Offered only as a friendly suggestion and potential customer feedback.

There could be 4x buyers at $10. I’d be one of the now, the dock is a constant annoyance.

The app looks great, downloading the trial now.

To the app’s author I’d say get as many licensees as you can fast before you’re Sherlocked or somebody vibecodes a clone out of “why not”.

I use many free and paid apps, little QoL types, like BetterDisplay, Coctail, etc and for me the included support is of little value. These apps are not mission critical.

There is also Setapp [0], might give you instant access to user base that favors such apps.

[0] - https://setapp.com/

> You could offer both a subscription and a one-off purchase.

Regardless of the presentation, $10 a year presumably represents what they want per user, per year, for this to be worth it for them. Don't rush to repackage that very conservative target into a 2nd format for people who won't pay $10 a year for a thing they'll use daily on a Mac in the first place.

> Offered only as a friendly suggestion and potential customer feedback.

And "please don't overindex on that comment OP" is offering an unreasonable response?

> And "please don't overindex on that comment OP" is offering an unreasonable response?

Not at all! Apologies if tone isn't coming through as I wanted. Good to have a contrarian view presented. Maybe a subscription really is what their particular market wants.

This reminds me of when I got my Vaxx subscription after the 5th booster.

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