Apple Introduces App Store Monthly Subscriptions With 12-Month Commitment

[CalMin]

Thank you but no, thank you.

While this is an interesting option to improve the affordability of subscriptions, most will inevitably end up rising their prices.

The best options Apple could implement, to benefit the end user, are two:

1) Hybrid Subscriptions (already present in some of the apps, although unofficially implemented on the dev side): you keep perpetually the benefits that are being added while your subscription is active, even if you unsubscribe afterwards.

2) monthly payment of a lifetime subscription, until the license is completely paid.

Regular subscriptions are software renting where the end user has NOTHING once the subscription has ended. I will always be against this perverse model, as long as it’s not a streaming service that offers new content continually.

Fully agree with this but recent growth is all with services (see chart below).

In an era where an M1 MacBook Pro can last a user 7-10 years, and I iPhone easily 5-7 years, the key to growing the bottom-line is with services not hardware

And subscriptions are key to service revenue because Apple takes a cut of every transaction.

Subscriptions are not going away.



From: https://sixcolors.com/post/2025/11/apples-fiscal-2025-in-charts/

 

[vegetassj4]

I wan't a subscription that I can pay every shake. That will keep the payments almost zero.

 

[syklee26]

People hate subscription, but if it is a one-off purchase, why would the sellers be motivated to spend more time to keep the software most up to date and add features? This is why I have come around on subscription model.

 

[diblasio]

So you wish they didn't add this new paying option because without it the rates are less likely to go up?

Fire’s already burning might as well pour gas on it.

 

[noraa]

I feel like people are completely missing the point of this new subscription option.

Right now, a lot of apps that already have subscriptions offer a monthly or yearly subscription- with the yearly costing overall less per year than monthly.

For example, an app may offer a $10/month sub (so a total of $120/year) or a $100/year sub. While the $100/year sub is obviously cheaper than there $10/month, you need to pay the $100 in one fell swoop. With this option, developers can offer the same $100/year sub, but with payments spread over 12 months. So instead of paying $100 at one, you end up paying $8.33/month for 12 months.

In other words, this isn’t a new form of subscription, just a new way of being able to pay for a subscription to spread out the cost over a number of months instead of having to pay it all at once.

While I’m not a fan of subscriptions, I really don’t see any issue with Apple giving developers this new payment option.

 

[noraa]

This way they can raise the cost a few times per year, which they couldnt do if you paid for the whole year.

How? Based on this article you’re essentially signing a contract of a year subscription with the cost of that year spread out across 12 months. With that contract, the developer can’t suddenly raise the cost on you mid-way through the tear.

 

[Infuspeur]

As much as I dislike subscriptions these are a good option for affordability reasons in an era where budgets are getting tighter across the board.

As an end user, you can get the benefits of an “annual” sub’s discount but with the budgetibility of a month to month payment which might be easier to some people than a large upfront payment.

There are times when my financial judgment is bad. This will veer me to the wrong side easier. If you have trouble affording a yearly expense, you should not buy it in any form, period. This makes it seem easier for people, without their long term consequence.

I don’t like this at all. Buy now, pay later: in the Netherlands there are laws coming to curb this in, because it causes lots of unnecessary trouble, without any benefit. Recipe for problems. Also it complicates prices, without adding actual more choice.

 

[noraa]

There are times when my finacial judgement is bad. This will veer me to the wrong side easier. If you have trouble affording a yearly expense, you should not buy buy it, period. This makes it easier for people when they shouldn’t.

Don’t like. Buy now, pay later. Recipe for problems. Also it complicates prices, without adding actual more choice.

By that logic if you rent, or have a mortgage you should pay it all at the beginning of the year. I mean if you can’t afford to pay $24000 all at once you shouldn’t be renting a place!

 

[Infuspeur]

By that logic if you rent, or have a mortgage you should pay it all at the beginning of the year. I mean if you can’t afford to pay $24000 all at once you shouldn’t be renting a place!

The type of product matters here. Apps are seldomly so necessary that the buyer either can’t save up or just do a smaller time. Living in a house is necessary and involves larger sums of money. What problem does this new model solve? None for the user. App prices are low. No need to make it look lower. It makes something look cheaper.

I don’t like added arbitrary decisions that are complicating things. I always feel I made the wrong decision, whether I chose a or b. And that’s not what I want when I purchase something. Especially Apple vs Android. Okay maybe it’s seems more expensive and less flexible, but in the long term quality buys are always worth it. You can only spend your money once, let it be good, honest, purchases.

 

[dannyyankou]

I’m a little confused by the backlash. All they’re doing is making it easier for people to pay for yearly IAPs. Yearly IAPs are a year long commitment whether you split the payment over 12 months, or pay it all at once. I don’t see the big deal, as long as they’re not adding interest or fees 🤷‍♂️

 

[Naraxus]

I’m a little confused by the backlash. All they’re doing is making it easier for people to pay for yearly IAPs. Yearly IAPs are a year long commitment whether you split the payment over 12 months, or pay it all at once. I don’t see the big deal, as long as they’re not adding interest or fees 🤷‍♂️

You must be new here. People on MR need a reason to bitch and declare their disgust with Apple yet happily continue to buy Apple products.

 

[JohnC1959]

I’m a little confused by the backlash. All they’re doing is making it easier for people to pay for yearly IAPs. Yearly IAPs are a year long commitment whether you split the payment over 12 months, or pay it all at once. I don’t see the big deal, as long as they’re not adding interest or fees 🤷‍♂️

Well, whatever it is I just say how dare they!

 

[Jetscreamer]

What a novel idea from Apple.

 

[wrxrox]

I do what I can to avoid subscription apps. Not always possible but many apps have been skipped since subscriptions were introduced. Flat pricing is preferred

 

[svish]

Though I am generally not for subscriptions and prefer only one time purchase options, it is good to have choices.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Thanks, Tim Apple! Really a great innovation. We appreciate you!

 

[Agent007]

...so that Apple can show it's shareholders more guaranteed monthly revenue. And while that's what I expect from a multi-trillion dollar mega corp, it's hard not to think back to a time when user experience seemed to be an equal priority.

 

[Madonepro]

App developers/companies would be wise to present there product in 4 ways.

1. A monthly period, paid monthly
2. A yearly product, paid monthly
3. A yearly product, paid yearly
4. A one off payment (of say the amount of 3/5 years)

Many app developers will think twice about the instalments, as it gains them higher revenue at the moment, and most are not too focused on ‘long term’ patronage.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

This is deplorable! Apple really needs to have an internal discussion about consent here.

 

[turbineseaplane]

People hate subscription, but if it is a one-off purchase, why would the sellers be motivated to spend more time to keep the software most up to date and add features? This is why I have come around on subscription model.

A year long contract, paid monthly, allows for exactly what you're concerned about.

 

[d686546s]

I feel like people are completely missing the point of this new subscription option.

Right now, a lot of apps that already have subscriptions offer a monthly or yearly subscription- with the yearly costing overall less per year than monthly.

For example, an app may offer a $10/month sub (so a total of $120/year) or a $100/year sub. While the $100/year sub is obviously cheaper than there $10/month, you need to pay the $100 in one fell swoop. With this option, developers can offer the same $100/year sub, but with payments spread over 12 months. So instead of paying $100 at one, you end up paying $8.33/month for 12 months.

In other words, this isn’t a new form of subscription, just a new way of being able to pay for a subscription to spread out the cost over a number of months instead of having to pay it all at once.

While I’m not a fan of subscriptions, I really don’t see any issue with Apple giving developers this new payment option.

I would just stop calling it a subscription to avoid confusion.

It's an instalment plan, plain and simple.

 

[d686546s]

[double post]

 

[carrrrrlos]

Apple squeezing the last bits of juice from the App store.

 

[sdz]

time for an open source store just like f-droid on android... I hate us-american scam-offerings.

 

[ginkobiloba]

Tired of renting subscriptions. Tired, tired of this plague. 90% of the time they’re not justified unless you’re Netflix or the app runs completely online .

Why can’t the Appstore just let devs charge an upgrade to apps, just like you could do with Mac/Pc software for decades ? Buy an app for X price, then when a new 2.0 version comes a year later ( or whenever) , you pay a smaller upgrade price to upgrade to the new version. If you don’t, well you just keep the old version. What’s so wrong with this ?

Or another option that looks like a subscription but more fair : you buy the app for an initial price, then you get all new incremental updates for a year. After that you can buy another subscription for a year during which you get all incremental updates released within it. If you don’t renew the subscription, you’ll keep all updates you got so far, and your app still works, you just don’t get any new updates . A number of apps in the Appstore use this model, and it’s much more fair.