Pixelmator Photo Switches to Subscription Pricing, Launching on Mac by Next Year

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

I feel kinda bad that I got this one for free during that brief period they gave it away

The lifetime price increase from 7.99 to 59.99 is kinda bonkers, makes you wonder why they were fine with selling it for so low…

Do you mean you feel bad for them ? Why ?
In order to land off ,you need to sell for a low price with free offers from time to time ,then after your name is well known and you acquired a good reputation ,you can raise the prices,never make any offer (like apple lol) , change from lifetime to sub ,etc

It's the natural order of things .just rejoice you got it during their giveway period

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Because it’s just a matter of time till it stops working, due to incompatibility that Apple introduces with every major macOS update.

Doubt it. You can still buy lifetime for 60 bucks (8* more than before ) and i don't think they'll make it stop working

Oh wait were you talking about pixelmator pro on Mac ? My bad then .and yeah it's sad

 

[The Phazer]

Ultimately the App Store not offering upgrade pricing has been one of the most consumer unfriendly things Apple has ever done. It creates toxic incentives, which is why many of us feel it's stranglehold on iOS is so toxic.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

This again...

While it might be understandable from the businesses point of view, for the customer it's just hostile.
There's one ultimate greedy person, and it's Apple's current CEO (or the people he has to answer to).
Unrestrained capitalism always pushes towards the most profitable route, whatever the consequences. It's like electricity or water, always choosing the path of least resistance to get where it can.
It's the responsibility of the architects of the bigger structures to design a platform that doesn't allow such customer exploitation and keep the business healthy on the long run. Here, it's the contrary and it's actively pushing app makers towards the greedy route, leaving no choices to the customer but to either accept, or leave the platform.
How is this any good on the long term except for those reaping the benefits ?

I understand the concerns of app makers, and yes, they have to make a living. But this is NOT the solution. Allowing users to try the apps (not speaking about freemium here), allowing special sales or promoting them (like Steam), allowing true upgrade paths (reduced prices for owners of a previous version), ... this should have been part of the platform from the start. Building a healthy relationship with your customers is what makes them get back to you when you have a new version or a new product, or simply when they can afford it.

Some plans make sense, because the service usage itself is a running cost by nature (insurances, access to a media library like streaming platforms or e-books). Something like a processing software doesn't belong there. If you push it to the limits, maybe having access to an online storage like adobe cloud, or some cloud processing which could not be done on device would be acceptable, as an option.
For the life of me I can't think why I would have to subscribe to an app I have to use, but only seldomly like a Photoshop or a Lightroom alternative. Adobe understood that and kept the lifetime licenses for Photoshop Elements. If you have a pro workflow it would probably need cloud storage anyways so a plan makes sense, and that cost is part of your business expenses.

So to get back to your reaction, there's no need to be sarcastic. Yes people have to make a living, but their options are in the hand of the people who control the platform itself, and these are the people who make them miserable, not the customers. App store developers should unionize and reclaim what their work should get them, and not play the devil's game and offset their issues onto their own customers, it will only end poorly for everyone but the person at the top of the pyramid.

While nasty ,the route apple take (and have always been.taking ) is viable .
No matter the price increases or the limits the system put ,you gotta remember it's apple. They don't have true competitors . Apple may raise the prices and remove features and people will still buy from them .and with the arm MacBooks they're growing more than ever .
They may use anti consumers tactics and people will still buy from apple.
Now I'm not saying it won't last forever,but if Yu are into apple ecosystem ,you will just accept whatever rules apple wants for their own game ,and you'll avoid eating in restaurants in order to pay for your subs .

The best part is that if ,like most people ,you cannot stand cognitive dissonance ,you'll probably praise them for the **** they do ,find excuses for the G-od apple

 

[PlayUltimate]

IMO, from its inception, iOS store pricing was always unsustainable. $1.99, $2.99 for a great app cannot sustain a developer beyond the new purchase phase. And with Apple not creating an in-app upgrade price mechanism, there were few reasons for developers to maintain the app. I have tons of apps, sitting on my purchased list, that no longer work and were abandoned; likely due to a lack of incentive to do so.
I am not a fan of subscriptions. But I understand that a developer needs to have a steady source of income to support software in the long term.

 

[diego.caraballo]

I'm tired of the developer non-sense about making a living.
A billion plus iPhone users but you had to milk the cow of the existing ones.
Also, as other users had posted, 7.99 worked before, but now THE ONLY way is 59.99???

The app subscription stupidity must stop now, just some examples:

Agenda (notes): $29.99 YEAR
PDF Expert (PDF editing): $49.99 YEAR
Fantastical (calendar): $39.99 YEAR
1Password (Password manager): $35.99 YEAR
Splitwise (Shared expenses): $29.99 YEAR
Day One (Diary): $34.99 YEAR
Ulysses (For writers): $39.99 YEAR

I think that a better solution would be to create tiers of usage.
Let's say Pixelmator Pro cost $9.99 upfront and lifetime and you can edit
up to 100 photos month. Above that you need to subscribe, and FOR THAT USER
it makes sense.

 

[GumaRodak]

For family pictures i do use Photos...its very good aplication. For professional pictures i use Capture One, which offers buying stand alone and Affinity...no subscriptions

 

[steve09090]

Because it’s just a matter of time till it stops working, due to incompatibility that Apple introduces with every major macOS update.

If it’s an App Store download, you’ll still be able to update it ad infinitum. They have 3 tiers now. Monthly, Yearly & Lifetime. If you’ve paid for it already, you have the Lifetime tier.

The ONLY difference is those people who have a subscription will get the Mac version free. People with a lifetime ownership, get a discount.

 

[zorinlynx]

I bought this app years ago and use it less than once a year, I estimate. A subscription model makes no sense for a casual user; it becomes a total rip off.

 

[antonypg]

I really wish there was a subscription model where you only paid for the weeks or months where you used an application. If someone asks me to build a website for them then I might use a web design application and all the associated graphics packages solidly for a month or two, then I might not touch them again for a few months. There are quite a few applications where I use them very infrequently.

Generally if an application changes to subscription then I tend to look for alternatives. I normally look for a free or cheap alternative that does what I need, even if it is inferior or harder to use.

Subscription systems are fine for things that you use non-stop, day in day out, perhaps for your work. But for apps you very rarely use they seem very unfair.

 

[mciarlo]

I understand the concerns of app makers, and yes, they have to make a living. But this is NOT the solution. Allowing users to try the apps (not speaking about freemium here), allowing special sales or promoting them (like Steam), allowing true upgrade paths (reduced prices for owners of a previous version), ... this should have been part of the platform from the start. Building a healthy relationship with your customers is what makes them get back to you when you have a new version or a new product, or simply when they can afford it.

I understand this perspective and appreciate it.

The best thing Apple could do for developers and users is introduce more flexible pricing options. I'd love the ability to release an app for a fixed price knowing that anyone who buys it can use it for a year including all the updates. If you want to keep supporting development, you can buy it again after the first year. But if you don't - you aren't locked out. You keep the functionality you paid for, but you don't get updates and new features. This is like the old Sketch model where you pay for a yearly license.

The way existing app bundles and subscriptions work means you lose access to functionality if you don't continue paying. And releasing a major new version as a separate app (like some bigger developers) in order to create something like the model above means you lose existing reviews, App Store features, and basically have to start from scratch with users. It means building in nag prompts and such to let people know about the new version. These things are solvable, but depend on Apple to support.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

If it’s an App Store download, you’ll still be able to update it ad infinitum. They have 3 tiers now. Monthly, Yearly & Lifetime. If you’ve paid for it already, you have the Lifetime tier.

The ONLY difference is those people who have a subscription will get the Mac version free. People with a lifetime ownership, get a discount.

Think he point was about those who purchased pixelmator pro on Mac

Eventually pixelmator pro will be abandonned in favor of pixelmator for Mac ,or they might just move to sub model entirely

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

I understand this perspective and appreciate it.

The best thing Apple could do for developers and users is introduce more flexible pricing options. I'd love the ability to release an app for a fixed price knowing that anyone who buys it can use it for a year including all the updates. If you want to keep supporting development, you can buy it again after the first year. But if you don't - you aren't locked out. You keep the functionality you paid for, but you don't get updates and new features. This is like the old Sketch model where you pay for a yearly license.

The way existing app bundles and subscriptions work means you lose access to functionality if you don't continue paying. And releasing a major new version as a separate app (like some bigger developers) in order to create something like the model above means you lose existing reviews, App Store features, and basically have to start from scratch with users. It means building in nag prompts and such to let people know about the new version. These things are solvable, but depend on Apple to support.

Hell of a point

 

[Bustycat]

I'm tired of the developer non-sense about making a living.
A billion plus iPhone users but you had to milk the cow of the existing ones.

They should have spent time on developing ****** pay-to-win gotcha games instead.

 

[tubular]

Not a fan of subscriptionware, but they're keeping a You Actually Bought It tier, so I've got no room to complain.

 

[aevan]

This again...

My thoughts exactly. Everytime there is a subscription announcement - the same comments.

While it might be understandable from the businesses point of view, for the customer it's just hostile.

It really isn't.

It's the responsibility of the architects of the bigger structures to design a platform that doesn't allow such customer exploitation and keep the business healthy on the long run.

Subscriptions are not exploitation. I mean, they can be, like anything else - but just because something requires a subscription doesn't mean it's exploitative on its own.

How is this any good on the long term except for those reaping the benefits ?

It is good because this will allow the developer to continue existing and continue making and updating apps. Or would you prefer abandonware?

I understand the concerns of app makers, and yes, they have to make a living. But this is NOT the solution.

Ok. What do you suggest? The current model is not working for many developers.

Building a healthy relationship with your customers is what makes them get back to you when you have a new version or a new product, or simply when they can afford it.

Yeah, um, most customers don't do that.

For the life of me I can't think why I would have to subscribe to an app I have to use, but only seldomly like a Photoshop or a Lightroom alternative.

There are those who use these apps daily and professionally. You can find cheaper or even free alternatives for your usage case.

So to get back to your reaction, there's no need to be sarcastic.

There's also no need to make silly, undermining comments like calling developers greedy. Yet here we are.

 

[rimi]

The team behind the popular Pixelmator series of image editing apps today announced that the Pixelmator Photo app for the iPhone and iPad is switching to subscription-based pricing with an update rolling out now on the App Store.

For new users, Pixelmator Photo now costs $4.99 per month or $23.99 per year, while existing users of the app will continue to have "unlimited access" without having to pay again. A lifetime purchase option will remain available for $59.99, which is significantly more expensive than Pixelmator Photo's previous one-time price of $7.99.

In a blog post, the Pixelmator team admitted that the subscription-based pricing model is more expensive, but argued that there are "some pretty big problems" with an upfront pricing model, including slower development and a focus on new users over existing users. Among other reasons, Pixelmator also noted that the App Store does not allow paid apps to offer free trials or upgrade discounts for major new versions.

"The hope is that there are enough users who use the app regularly and feel that the annual or monthly fee is worth it," said Pixelmator. "It looks like this is the best way to ensure Pixelmator Photo can continue to be developed long into the future."

Pixelmator also provided a sneak peek at its Pixelmator Photo app for Mac, which will be a "completely native app" that is "designed from the ground up just for Mac." Pixelmator plans to release the app late this year or early next year and says those who subscribe to Pixelmator Photo for the iPhone/iPad now will get Pixelmator Photo for Mac for free when it launches. Existing users will be eligible for a discounted subscription.

Pixelmator informed MacRumors that it doesn't have any immediate plans to switch the standard version of Pixelmator for iOS or Pixelmator Pro for macOS to subscription-based pricing and is working on a major update to Pixelmator Pro that will be free as usual.

Article Link: Pixelmator Photo Switches to Subscription Pricing, Launching on Mac by Next Year

Sad news, they had potential!

 

[chrizzz09]

I'm tired of the developer non-sense about making a living.
A billion plus iPhone users but you had to milk the cow of the existing ones.
Also, as other users had posted, 7.99 worked before, but now THE ONLY way is 59.99???

The app subscription stupidity must stop now, just some examples:

Agenda (notes): $29.99 YEAR
PDF Expert (PDF editing): $49.99 YEAR
Fantastical (calendar): $39.99 YEAR
1Password (Password manager): $35.99 YEAR
Splitwise (Shared expenses): $29.99 YEAR
Day One (Diary): $34.99 YEAR
Ulysses (For writers): $39.99 YEAR

I think that a better solution would be to create tiers of usage.
Let's say Pixelmator Pro cost $9.99 upfront and lifetime and you can edit
up to 100 photos month. Above that you need to subscribe, and FOR THAT USER
it makes sense.

This right here is the reason I try to make use of as many stock apps as possible.
You want me to pay 30$+ a year for a notes app or a diary app? Nah, I'll just get by with Apple Notes then. The benefits these apps add are rarely worth it for the price they are asking compared to stock apps.

 

[Ludatyk]

For the life of me I can't think why I would have to subscribe to an app I have to use, but only seldomly like a Photoshop or a Lightroom alternative. Adobe understood that and kept the lifetime licenses for Photoshop Elements.

Huh? If you don’t care to subscribe… there’s a lifetime purchase option. Most apps have this option to avoid situations like this.

This is the happy medium. I don’t understand why there needs to be a complex pricing structure based off specials, promotions or upgrades. There is a way for a user to try out an app…. most apps have a week or month trial period to decide if the app is useful for them.

 

[Pskordilis]

Another greedy app from greedy devs. I uninstall apps in the past with those tactics like hipstamatic. Devs like those should be banned and send them to android. Greedy trashes.

 

[steve09090]

Think he point was about those who purchased pixelmator pro on Mac

Eventually pixelmator pro will be abandonned in favor of pixelmator for Mac ,or they might just move to sub model entirely

They talk about Pixelmator Pro being a layer based phito editor and Pixelmator Photo being more light Aperture was.

From their site and community (from a Pixelmator Team Member)

"The main distinction between the two apps is that Pixelmator for iOS is a layer-based editor, like Pixelmator Pro, and Pixelmator Photo is more of an Aperture-type app, designed mostly for photographers. But the end plan is to have a Pixelmator Pro (for layer-based editing) and Pixelmator Photo (for photographers) by either updating Pixelmator for iOS to support Pixelmator Pro or releasing a new Pixelmator Pro for iOS."

 

[Abazigal]

I really wish there was a subscription model where you only paid for the weeks or months where you used an application. If someone asks me to build a website for them then I might use a web design application and all the associated graphics packages solidly for a month or two, then I might not touch them again for a few months. There are quite a few applications where I use them very infrequently.

Generally if an application changes to subscription then I tend to look for alternatives. I normally look for a free or cheap alternative that does what I need, even if it is inferior or harder to use.

Subscription systems are fine for things that you use non-stop, day in day out, perhaps for your work. But for apps you very rarely use they seem very unfair.

Isn’t that basically called subscribing for a month at a time?

 

[tkaravou]

Simple to use ,clean interface , probably continuity features with iOS app (perhaps even handoff !!)

Pro is already simple to use with a clean interface

 

[mainemini]

I did use the regular Pixelmator before I bought Affinity Photo. It's a nice simple app to use; but Affinity is also straight forward and great overall. AP is the real deal and is way way underpriced, it would not be unreasonable if it was 5x more expensive.

Never tried the Pro version.

Given the big price increases for Pixelmator's apps, will look closely at Affinity Photo now instead of Pixlmator Photo for Mac.

 

[Mansu944]

Another subscription? Really?? Screw that.