I think your point about updates, reviews and the comparison to Things is right on. My guess is that DO basically *hopes* that they have locked in their existing user base at a price that guarantees that they will never need to attract another full price subscriber.
You are right.
At $25 per year, this is still very good value for money for those who use it and they hope that the current user base remains loyal because of it.
At $49, this software will not attract many new buyers. Evernote is $49, if I am not wrong, and I stopped using it.
Subscription software works for that software whose cost otherwise runs into hundreds of dollars. Adobe subscription model works very well (I am talking especially for the Photography package) since it is very cheap and wallet-friendly compared to full price. This however holds true for other apps as well.
Same goes with Microsoft whose Office 365 subscription (I subscribe to Business Premium) works for me because:
- I get 1TB OneDrive storage
- I get 50GB inbox
- Hosted email
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Powerpoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft OneNote (even though it is otherwise free)
- Access to 5 devices via ONE subscription so I have my MBP, iPad, iPhone all using Office apps and in sync.
Out of all these, for about $12 a month, I am getting:
- At least 4 (if we take out the free OneNote) pieces of top notch software
- These software titles are individual "apps" in themselves because:
- They all allow me 5 different kinds of uses
- document writing
- spreadsheets
- presentations
- email client
- note-taking
Apart from this, the goodness of hosted email and the storage and such.
$12 a month, x12 months = $144.
$144 divided between 5 apps + 1 storage + 1 email service so $144 / 7 = $20 per app per year.
Suppose you exclude OneNote (although there is no reason to) we are still at $144/6 = $24 per app per year.
TWIST
There is a way for me to get the same Business Premium for $8 per month if I prepay for the year. This is good, because DayOne or any other subscription goes for per year.
So, $8 x12 = $96 /year for 6 apps = $16 per year, or for 7 apps = $14 per year.
This is such a fantastic pricing for such a complex piece of software that is very well integrated and maintained now.
DAY ONE
Day One is a single purpose app for $50 per year for a new user? Bwaahahahahaha...
It is only really good and acceptable value for money at $25 per year, and even then, compared to Microsoft and its Partner pricing, it is roughly $10-$15 costlier for an annual subscription.