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It’s a really nice gmail client, I’ve been using it since very early beta, but the subscription price is, quite frankly, grossly excessive and paying an expensive subscription for an email client is not something I’m prepared to do.

The fact that beta testers (who have made the product what it is) only get an extra $5 off for the first year is a bit of an insult too.
He's former apple employee so the pricing isn't a surprise :p
 
Spark is a service on top of Gmail not a mail client? Or am I wrong
Spark is a mail client, it runs on more than just Mac OS, and it works with more than just Gmail. I'd say those are pretty big pluses for Spark, but obviously the integration with Gmail isn't as perfect as this might be.
 
More proof that the subscriptions are out of control and it kills my desire to try any of these otherwise really great apps.

Final Cut Pro for iPad will be the last subscription I ever pay. I convinced myself that I paid a one time charge of $300 but I just divided it into 6 payments. I am sure by 2030, it won't even matter.
 
I wonder how many people commenting here have actually used the app. If you're a heavy Gmail user, there's no other native app that comes close. The only thing it's really missing is scheduled send, but that's because Google haven't opened up the API. As a Beta tester I was able to subscribe for 12 months $25, which is a fair price for something I used every day (and that also received very regular updates and new features throughout the beta). I'll have to reevaluate in a year though if the renewal price is still $50.
 
Subscriptions for apps like this (or weather apps) is just not a very good fit, and unfortunately I think developers are going to find this out the hard way.

I'm all for paying for software and I get that subscriptions work well for developers, but most consumers already have way too many subscriptions and they aren't looking to add any more.

Sure feels like we need a new business model...
We had a good business model until Apple killed it, by not handling Paid Upgrades.

For me there are only 2 business models that work: Paid Upgrades and Ads. Let the user chose which works better. As an iOS developer I am not happy with subscriptions, but that is currently the only way I can give my users any privacy. But even with this I have to provide 2 Apps because there is no way to completely disable Ads on the Apple platform.
 
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I wonder how many people commenting here have actually used the app. If you're a heavy Gmail user, there's no other native app that comes close. The only thing it's really missing is scheduled send, but that's because Google haven't opened up the API. As a Beta tester I was able to subscribe for 12 months $25, which is a fair price for something I used every day (and that also received very regular updates and new features throughout the beta). I'll have to reevaluate in a year though if the renewal price is still $50.
This is where I'm at too. Have used it since the beta first launched; took the offer of the first year for $25. $50/yr though? Ehh, we'll see.
 
I only use Mail for my Gmail account (I never use my iCloud account for anything), but $50 a year to check my free email account? I'll stick with Mail and the Google web interface like most other folks are going to..
 
5 developers at $200,000 per year adds up fast.

Email is antiquated and shouldn’t even exist anymore though.
 

🤦‍♀️

You guys just don’t get it…… do you……

Running a server to run an app like this is expensive, in addition to getting access to gmail server. One time payment won’t be enough. Subscription make sense for this app.

Also, Apple really is discouraging developers from uploading new version of app as separate and charge users. They are actively encouraging developers to continue updating existing app and switch to subscription model.

Note that rumor is Final Cut Pro for Mac might soon switch to this model also.
It's communicating directly with the Google API not Mimestream servers.

1685021957517.png

Spark is a mail client, it runs on more than just Mac OS, and it works with more than just Gmail. I'd say those are pretty big pluses for Spark, but obviously the integration with Gmail isn't as perfect as this might be.
No, it's a Spark client not a traditional Mail client.
 
Also, Apple really is discouraging developers from uploading new version of app as separate and charge users. They are actively encouraging developers to continue updating existing app and switch to subscription model.
lol, and why do you think Apple is encouraging this sort of anti-consumer behaviour? For fun? Or do you think they are angling for their cut of someone else's work on a monthly/annual basis?
 
There is certainly a demand for well crafted platform-specific software like this. While it may not cater to everyone, the pricing seems justifiable.

Ultimately, the sustainability of it will be determined by the market, much like the fate of a nice restaurant. Even if it’s not for me, I welcome another option on macOS.
 
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It seems everyone here works for free 🤷🏻 I’ve signed up for it, a no-brainier, a year of nice fast smooth email browsing for $30 seems cheap to me.

PS despite my user name I have no connection to mimestream 😂
 
Subscription app for a free service.

Imagine what bad examples are being set for the future.

Subscription to breath clean air.

Subscription for free speech.

Subscription walking on the pavement.

Subscription to touch grass.
Like it or not, in a roundabout way, they're called taxes.

And no, taxes are not inherently bad.
 
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$50/year for an email client that can't do IMAP or Exchange. Bold move.

I can think of no software category that has more free options than email clients. In the 90s, the running joke was that all software creeps in scope until it can do email.
 
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This seems a bit useless if you're a docs/sheets/drive user. I used to use Kiwi for gmail which was awesome but also went subscription based so now I use the browser for my 5 workspace accounts...
 
I can't understate how much Mimestream has simplified my workflow over the past couple years of the beta. It just keeps getting better and better and I'm happy to finally have an opportunity to financially support their work. $50/yr is a drop in the bucket when compared to the value I've gotten and continue to get out of it. YMMV, of course.
 
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