Ask HN: Lifetime pricing for SAAS App?

5 points·webstartupper··8 comments

I want to test a different pricing strategy for my SAAS web app - DomCop. Currently, I have a monthly pricing scheme (like normal SAAS apps do) and want to try a lifetime pricing i.e. Pay $X and have access to the app for life.

Do you have any examples for apps that have done something like this? I tried googling it and searching here - but I might be using the wrong keywords for it.

Thanks

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I've thought about pricing like this in the past but it's important to consider what happens when you decide to stop working on/supporting/customer service.

If memory serves, there was a bit of backlash against 37Signals when they shuttered Breeze (https://basecamp.com/breeze) especially because of the lifetime pricing.

Basecamp from 37signals have a "Basecamp: Personal" account, where you pay once for a single project

https://basecamp.com/personal

A lot of games are doing that, why not a SAAS app?

Thats what I thought as well, but I have not come across any SAAS apps that do this.

Could you tell me which online games do this - a one time fee for lifelong gaming? Thanks

Star Trek Online had a lifetime subscription when it launched in 2010: http://sto.perfectworld.com/lifetime

teamviewer.com has this though the lifetime price is also linked to the local machine version.

feedly

For those interested, Feedly gave 5000 lifetime license to certain backers for $99. However, once these were taken up, the rest of the customers still have to pay a monthly/yearly amount.

Feedly has probably used the lifetime license as a promotional method (and apparently very well too) and not as a sustainable business model.

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