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Apps that shouldn't be Subscriptions (discuss.tchncs.de)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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What is the most useless app that you have seen being given as a subscription?

For me, I tried a 'minimalist' launcher app for Android that had a 7 day trial or something and they had a yearly subscription based model for it. I was aghast. I would literally expect the app to blow my mind and do everything one can assume to go that way. In a world, where Nova Launcher (Yes, I know it has been acquired by Branch folks but it still is a sturdy one) or Niagara exist plus many alternatives including minimalist ones on F Droid, the dev must be releasing revolutionary stuff to factor in a subscription service.

Second, is a controversial choice, since it's free tier is quite good and people like it so much. But, Pocketcasts. I checked it's yearly price the other day, and boy, in my country, I can subscribe to Google Play Pass, YouTube Premium and Spotify and still have money left before I hit the ceiling what Pocketcasts is asking for paid upgrade.

Also, what are your views on one time purchase vs subscriptions? Personally, I find it much easier to purchase, if it's good enough even if it was piratable, something if it is a one time purchase rather than repetitive.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 months ago (11 children)

The problem with one time purchases is that you might be investing time in an app that later will go out of business. Keeping an app up to date requires real constant work, before you even think of adding features and fixing bugs. People got used to paying 2 bucks for an app and keep it forever. That's completely unsustainable.

But yeah, sure, some companies push it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (4 children)

It's not like the entire foundation of software and computing and essentially all of Silicon Valley was built upon a non-subscription model. It's completely unsustainable.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It was built on yearly releases of software instead, also known as yearly subscriptions.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Those are two blatantly different things. There's nothing wrong with selling new versions of software.

There's everything wrong with removing the ability to use software you paid for unless you continue to actively pay for it.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 11 months ago

Except using software without updates nowadays is a very bad idea because of the Internet and security being a real concern.

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