Mac and iOS Writing App 'Ulysses' Transitions to Subscription Model

[jyperjp]

I purchased Day One, and a few days later they switched to subscription. I purchased Ulysses a few days ago, and today, they switched to subscription.

*sadness*

I think I'm cursed.

Wow, that's tough. My sincere condolences to you. So, what are you planning to buy next?

 

[Solvberg]

Tell me about Scrivener since I am now very interested in it. How does it compare to Ulysses?

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

 

[Puonti]

So much vinegar in this thread. I guess my situation is simply different.

I'm a pretty recent Ulysses customer - I bought both the Mac and iOS apps a few months ago and have found them very useful for my daily writing needs. Right away the apps fell into the category of "will buy future versions too to support the developer" (where they will stay while they continue to fit my needs), so looking at my budget I had already allocated another 75 euros towards that for next year. Likely the sum would have been less due to some kind of "loyal customer sale", but still that was a reasonable assumption to make. Overestimate your expenses, underestimate your income.

Now it looks like I'm going to pay 30 euros instead. I do not object. And if, as Max Seelemann wrote in his thoughtful article on Medium, this will help make their income more stable then that's great. I know my contribution alone won't have a stabilizing effect since I'll still be paying just once a year, but I guess the thinking there is that not everyone will pick the annual option, and not everyone will subscribe at the same time.

The only problem I face right now is that Ulysses screwed up their new app's subscription settings somehow. I was told I had 15 months of free usage and I was offered the 50% off subscription, but picking the subscription charged me immediately without activating the 15 month trial first. I've already contacted both Apple and Ulysses about it, and currently the ball is in Ulysses court. I imagine their support is pretty crowded right now.

As long as they get this sorted out I'll be happy. If not, I'll still be okay - Ulysses does happen to fill a niche that I can, if needed, fill with something else. It just happens to be a very well done pair of apps and it fits my needs, so I do not mind paying for it as long as Ulysses keeps their promises.

 

[Solvberg]

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

 

[Bustycat]

Well, I just bought Scrivener about a month ago to work on my writing. I really researched both Scrivener and Ulysses. Scrivener mostly uses this folders and sheets container formula that really speaks to me. You can really break down any aspect of the project you are working on. It's not very pretty, but it does have an iOS app that's nice as well. Ulysses has iCloud support I believe, and Scrivener does not - which sucks - though it does use dropbox. Mainly, I think Scrivener is established and less likely to ever go the route that Ulysses did with a ******** subscription because the developers are a few people that do it on the side. Read here for more on the developers.

Yet Scrivener 3 is going to be released later this year and it is a paid upgrade.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/?p=1032

 

[NervousFish2]

The only problem I face right now is that Ulysses screwed up their new app's subscription settings somehow. I was told I had 15 months of free usage and I was offered the 50% off subscription, but picking the subscription charged me immediately without activating the 15 month trial first. I've already contacted both Apple and Ulysses about it, and currently the ball is in Ulysses court. I imagine their support is pretty crowded right now.

The exact same thing has happened to me. I am very upset about it. I had not budgeted for this hit at all, and its another week until my next paycheck.

UPDATE (Aug 13, 2017): Ulysses got back to me within 24 hours, with information on how to get a refund from Apple. Apple have since issued that refund. I now have my 18-month trial. In their email, Ulysses did imply that the error was mine, and that I shouldn’t have subscribed. I disagree with this. It was clear from the setup instructions that if you were looking for the free trial period as someone who recently purchased, it had to be handled a certain way. I feel I was pretty careful in this. Still, this is seriously one of my fav apps of all time. And I think the 18-month period is more than generous.

 

[Spacetime Anomaly]

I have images of James Joyce, struggling to write Ulysses, slumped over his manuscript because his subscription expired.

The only thing a writer might need to rent is a quiet room.

 

[macintoshmac]

Omni group has managed to remain subscription free for 25 years.

Literature and Latte (Scrivener) has managed to remain subscription free for 20 years.

Brings a smile to my face and a nod of respect in my heart.

 

[NecroKill]

When you go on a path of subscriptions dig two graves.

 

[0958400]

I use some of these apps once a month and some I use once a week. I would prefer to pay $250 a year for all of them than $5 per month for each of these. An annual $5-$50 for major improvements to the app is worth it to me on these applications I rely on for some of my tasks.

Yes. Yes and Yes! Thank you!

I totally agree. This entire system is to create a hamster wheel:
1. Update the iOS - for free (and nagging until you accidentally hit it)
2. Make the developers update their software
3. cripple the iOS device in speed.
4. buy new hardware.
5. Make the developers update their software.
6. start at 1.

I absolutely understand that developers want money. I am more than willing to pay a fair price for apps that I am using.
I am not willing to pay a monhtly price for apps that I rarely use, then I will not get the app. Such is the fact with Ulysses: I will not get that app. I choose Apple's Pages - for now or notes, if I must.

I agree that I am willing to pay for Word and Photoshop - in my case even Lightroom as I use them all every day. But for rare apps - no.

There used to be a model, that was as followed: new software: If you want it, buy the update.
When developers ask for subscription models and justify it with the fact that they are not earning money - than I am wondering why it used to work and doesn't work now.

What angers me the most is the fact that this is my data they are playing with. If I don't pay then I can't access / use my data, and that belongs to me and not them. That is the point where I am getting angry. If I had bought the app without a subscription model, I could use it as long as my hardware doesn't break.

I am starting to get out of the loop. I am done with this. If it means I have to ditch my iPad or iPhone, so be it.

And for all those people who disagree and tell us to "suck it up". That is simply no argument, but proof of a lack of intelligence. As there are no counter arguments expect for "a developer's gotta eat" - well they could eat before subscription models were seen as a way of having a constant income stream.

 

[CristianM]

ffs, I paid £18 for this app on iOS and now they'll just take it away? I could just be careful not to update it.

 

[Puonti]

ffs, I paid £18 for this app on iOS and now they'll just take it away? I could just be careful not to update it.

They created a new app entirely - the old app stays on your device until you remove it. I currently have both on my iOS devices.

You can also backup your device via iTunes and copy the app's IPA file somewhere safe, then re-install it via iTunes on any new device as long as the new device or its operating system version does not break compatibility.

 

[CristianM]

They created a new app entirely - the old app stays on your device until you remove it. I currently have both on my iOS devices.

You can also backup your device via iTunes and copy the app's IPA file somewhere safe, then re-install it via iTunes on any new device as long as the new device or its operating system version does not break compatibility.

Yes, you're right, I checked now. If I back up to he IPA in say dropbox, will I be able to install it to new devices via iTunes?

 

[NecroKill]

I have bought a few app bundles over the years and most are collecting dust. The idea that I would have to pay basically for all of them yearly or monthly to use them few times a week is outrages.
[doublepost=1502446838][/doublepost]

Yes, you're right, I checked now. If I back up to he IPA in say dropbox, will I be able to install it to new devices via iTunes?

Yes.

 

[MacHiavelli]

Now it looks like I'm going to pay 30 euros instead. I do not object. And if, as Max Seelemann wrote in his thoughtful article on Medium, this will help make their income more stable then that's great. I know my contribution alone won't have a stabilizing effect since I'll still be paying just once a year, but I guess the thinking there is that not everyone will pick the annual option, and not everyone will subscribe at the same time.

The question is whether enough people subscribe to keep the company afloat. If you buy an app outright and the company goes bust, you still have a working app. If you rent an app and the company goes bust, you have nothing once its servers are switched off. The risk with SaaS is far too high, for me. And given that the vast majority of comments across different forums and social-media sites indicate that most Ulysses users won't subscribe, the future for the company and the software looks bleak, especially as it only has an installer base in the tens of thousands (according to its website) at the moment, and that number is likely to shrink.

Yet Scrivener 3 is going to be released later this year and it is a paid upgrade.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/?p=1032

Scrivener 3 for Mac has been slated by the developer as coming "next year" since 2014.

See: "a 64-bit version is coming next year"
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28342&p=180858&hilit=next+year#p180858

It looks more likely to arrive this year because of the demands of High Sierra. Scrivener 3 for Windows is not ready, although the company is being forced into releasing a Windows beta to offer file compatibility with the Mac version. Scrivener 3 for Mac has been ready since April 2017, but it is being held back by the wait for the Windows version:

https://scrivener.tenderapp.com/hel...-scrivener-for-windows-plans#comment_42417282

Scrivener for Windows and Scrivener for iOS have both experienced very long delays, and the Windows version continues to lag far behind the Mac version (and not just because of the limitations of Windows as an OS). There is one developer (the company founder) working on the Mac version, and two developers working on the Windows version. It is a low-cost operation, as such. The company has assets of nearly £2.5 million. Why not use some of that money to speed up development and support customers?

L&L Accounts 2016: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06240207/filing-history

Parity for Windows was promised for 2014, but it still hasn't arrived:

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=25223&p=164555&hilit=next+year#p164555

Omni group has managed to remain subscription free for 25 years.

Literature and Latte (Scrivener) has managed to remain subscription free for 20 years.

Brings a smile to my face and a nod of respect in my heart.

Scrivener turned 10 in January 2017.

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=37521

And the developer has said that the app won't last forever:

https://scrivener.tenderapp.com/hel...g-counted-in-project-targets#comment_43036619

I’m under no illusions that Scrivener will last forever. It’s been going strong for ten years which is more than I ever imagined, and the last year has been better than any before, with the release of the iOS version. Hopefully Scrivener 3 will keep us going for a while longer, too.

He has also said that if he should pass, Scrivener for Mac could as well.

https://scrivener.tenderapp.com/hel...g-counted-in-project-targets#comment_43034257

Certainly Scrivener is currently highly dependent on me as a lone coder. We have two other people on the Windows version, but Mac users would not be happy if that code base became the basis for the Mac version should the Mac code base be abandoned because of my demise. Part of this is the complexity of the app and the difficulty in finding another coder, but another part is lifestyle choice, I admit. I love the way we're set up at the moment: I work from a home office above the kitchen of our home in Cornwall. I don't particularly want to move into an office overseeing other coders, and my experience of working with coders long distance, keeping track via email, has not been great (cf. the iOS version delay).

Ulysses is simpler but more refined than Scrivener, but the subscription model brings the company's survival into doubt.

Scrivener is a powerful app with an outdated interface (even in v3), but the founder has already said that he doesn't expect Scrivener to last.

I like Scrivener's utility, but the company's history of delays is just far too amateurish.

But what to buy instead?

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

You want to make a piece of software with that model? It better be absolutely indispensible, because I'm not handing you $60/year to tweak and bug fix and try out new features to justify your budget.

And yet, that's what you expect the developer to do when they release single-payment software. You expect to pay them $60 once and then release ongoing updates and bug fixes. This setup is no different. The only change is you now spread the payment out throughout the year. They still provide those bug fixes, small feature additions, and other changes on an ongoing basis.
[doublepost=1502451166][/doublepost]

ffs, I paid £18 for this app on iOS and now they'll just take it away? I could just be careful not to update it.

They aren't going to take it away. The app just won't see any big updates in the future. It's no different than it would have been had they released a paid upgrade to the next version and you didn't pay to upgrade to it. Consider what you have now your final version unless you go the subscription route to get the new features in the future.

 

[Puonti]

The question is whether enough people subscribe to keep the company afloat. If you buy an app outright and the company goes bust, you still have a working app. If you rent an app and the company goes bust, you have nothing once its servers are switched off. The risk with SaaS is far too high, for me. And given that the vast majority of comments across different forums and social-media sites indicate that most Ulysses users won't subscribe, the future for the company and the software looks bleak, especially as it only has an installer base in the tens of thousands (according to its website) at the moment, and that number is likely to shrink.

Good points, I'll add to them.

Forums and social media sites are also used by the most vocal of customers, and people tend to more easily complain than indicate their satisfaction. When something just works (for them), there's no need to say anything necessarily.

Ulysses' customer base can also stay roughly the same, as the initial pinch of trying the software out is less than it used to be (free for 14 days, followed by a low sum to try for an extra month - instead of 20+ or 40+ euros straight up depending on the platform). I think their problem is less the price and more the niche the app slots into. I'm not a professional writer - I don't make money or in any way benefit my career from writing, so the only reasons I'm using Ulysses is that it suits my writing needs and it's a joy to use. But text is text and can be created and organized with a lot of different apps, so I can see how others might look for other options since their needs, values and concerns are different. That's also a boon for me, since these things are always in motion and one day that wealth of options might serve me, too. It already did, when I moved from Scrivener to Ulysses.

If Ulysses' developer goes bust, the app will continue to work for entry for at least as long as I've paid for, and for export until it becomes incompatible with the devices / operating systems I use. I can migrate to another app, and considering my use case it won't even take considerable effort. I could pick another app right now, of course, but I want to make that choice when and because what I use at that time no longer serves my needs, not because it might or might not do so in the future. Until then it's in my best interest to support the app that fits my needs now.

 

[Val-kyrie]

Another app I did not use and now will never try on account they are now subscription only. I have many apps but some I only used once or twice and never again. Some I use only very occasionally and would never pay monthly for infrequent use.

Unfortunately, I think the subscription model will only result in fewer apps and make it more difficult for newer software options to gain users because users will be less likely to experiment with apps to which they are not subscribing.

Ulysses, the company behind the popular Ulysses writing apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, today announced that it is transitioning to a subscription model going forward.

Starting today, Ulysses will be priced at $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year, with a subscription plan unlocking Ulysses for use on all devices. Ulysses is also offering a student plan with six months of access for $10.99, and there are now two-week free trials available.

With a subscription model, Ulysses says the company will be able to do steady, small releases more often, focusing more on the needs of the user base rather than aiming for big updates to lure in new customers.To encourage existing customers to switch over to the new subscription model, Ulysses is offering a permanent life-long discount on the yearly plan, dropping the price from $40 per year to $30 per year (50% off a monthly subscription).

Customers who recently purchased Ulysses for Mac can get up to 12 months of free use, while customers who have purchased the app on an iOS device can get up to six months of free use based on grace periods calculated from the date of purchase. Ulysses plans to inform customers about the offers from within the app.

The single-purchase versions of Ulysses have been removed from sale but will remain functional. The apps are updated for High Sierra and iOS 11, but going forward, new features will only be added to the subscription versions of the apps.

Ulysses for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Ulysses for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Mac and iOS Writing App 'Ulysses' Transitions to Subscription Model

 

[imanidiot]

It's ridiculous that I have to pay for an app that I already purchased because the developers, in their greed, have turned to a subscription model.

Now that Scrivener has an iPhone/iPad version, Ulysses doesn't serve much purpose. Moving to a subscription model just tells me that Ulysses is circling the drain.

I am removing this now-useless app from all my devices.

(Maybe they should rename it "Uselyss".)

Fellow purchaser, ex-user. Bye-bye.

 

[gatearray]

Annual updates to Apple operating systems can sometimes break apps, and thus require annual maintenance from independent developers to keep up with the changes.

Even after years of complaints from these developers about the unfeasibility of this, Apple has refused to make 'upgrade pricing' possible in the App Store, and thus developers are reluctantly adopting the subscription model to compensate for Apple's short-sighted rules.

This is Apple's fault. They disrespect their customers, developers, and even their own App Store which has been a ******** since around the time Sir Jony Ive took over software after Scott Forestall was pushed out.

It's insane how many companies move to this model.
For sure they do this because it's worth, no matter how many haters are there.

Don't blame the developers, this is Apple's fault. In many ways developers have been sold-out on their future(s) by the hand that feeds, er, starves them.

 

[azpekt]

Hello iOS Notes, my old friend...

 

[T-Bob]

Subs moving forward, get to use old app! But wait old app now has a nag screen on every launch on Mac? Yay for subs!

 

[rillrill]

Yet Scrivener 3 is going to be released later this year and it is a paid upgrade.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/?p=1032

Yes. Just like the old days. I'd rather pay once for an upgrade every few years than a month to month subscription. Paying once for an upgrade is totally reasonable. I can still use Scrivener 2 until I want or have to upgrade.

 

[GeneralChang]

Why should he continue using something that has no future anyway.
The day it stops working right, and you still depend of it, its already too late.
Better proactively move to something else.

Starting to look for an alternative while still using the existing tool is very different from rage-deleting the software.

 

[skinned66]

So, if I disagree with your opinion, I need to take my “boo-hoo” elsewhere?

Typical arrogance associated with the subscription model.

Wait, what do you mean you don’t want to be nickel and dimed for everything you do in perpetuity? Devs gotta eat.

In some cases I’d consider it - i.e. things I use heavily. But in most cases I have something the devs can eat - and it ain’t food.