Universal Sunsetting of app one had 'lifetime purchased'

[Ipadonly1]

Hey everyone,

Looking for some opinions/advice please.

I found a really good app maybe a year/year and a half or so ago. It offered monthly, annual and 'lifetime' subscription. I bought the lifetime pass.

The app itself is a really good client of a service and so used that service's API. The app used to be an unofficial client, but has recently become an official client, or, more accurately the developer has released a separate, second version of the app which is official. Both apps exist together on the App Store, but the developer has said that soon the original app won't be updated and therefore may break (if the API changes etc). The new app is free with a subscription for premium features (as before) and apparently more functionality is included within the free tier, but my fear is that this can be changed. For instance, free users can hardly complain if lots of previously free features become paid.

Maybe fool me for paying for a 'lifetime' pass for an app that relies on integrating with an external API.

Does anyone have any experience of this or advice on what they would do?

Maybe I should just use the new app and benefit from the free aspect as long as possible to offset what I spent? It would probably be churlish to request a refund from Apple for the lifetime pass...

I hope the developer has got a good deal from being brought in-house as it were because they made a great app, but at the same time I did pay for something seemingly for the long term...

 

[it wasnt me]

Lifetime licenses are for the app’s lifetime, not yours.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I’d talk to the developer, see if they have some sort of migration or discount for “lifetime” subscribers to the prior version.

This is a good example though, of why I prefer recurring license software vs. “one and done” payment. It encourages devs to continue development, in order to preserve their revenue stream. And it gives customers an exit strategy (stop paying) if they don’t.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If the developer doesn't offer a discount towards the newer app for those who bought the lifetime option, I would stop using the app.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

If the developer doesn't offer a discount towards the newer app for those who bought the lifetime option, I would stop using the app.

Problem is, of course, that doesn't harm the dev in any way. OP's already paid. It's just cutting off their nose to spite their face.

 

[Ipadonly1]

Lifetime licenses are for the app’s lifetime, not yours.

Thanks, yes I think I am now realising that

 

[Ipadonly1]

I’d talk to the developer, see if they have some sort of migration or discount for “lifetime” subscribers to the prior version.

This is a good example though, of why I prefer recurring license software vs. “one and done” payment. It encourages devs to continue development, in order to preserve their revenue stream. And it gives customers an exit strategy (stop paying) if they don’t.

Yes I think I’m coming round to the thinking that recurring license software is often better.

 

[Ipadonly1]

If the developer doesn't offer a discount towards the newer app for those who bought the lifetime option, I would stop using the app.

Yes perhaps, though I think the developer is a new addition to the official team and so I think they might not have sufficient sway to discount the subscription for the new app

 

[NoBoMac]

Lifetime licenses are for the app’s lifetime, not yours.

This. And it's not just App Store apps, but everything computing related. Been going on since pretty much day one of non-mainframe computing and commercial software development.

Like it or not, that computer in one's pocket probably needs to be treated like a computer, and most people do not. Software developer might be acquired, go out of business, stop supporting the HW/SW combo one runs, so one needs an exit strategy. Sure, easy to setup and use some app/program but when the doo doo hits the fan, now what?

Reminds me of this old thread re a dental office and their SW/HW setup. Seen it myself in previous jobs where vendor gets acquired and new owner drops the product (heck, we see it with Apple doing the same with indie developers). Works for now but when there needs to be an upgrade in the compute environment?

For me, I try to not use many apps and when I do use one that will be storing/creating data, looking for apps that don't have proprietary formats and or have an export capability that I can massage to use in some other environment. For example, my Calendar app uses iCloud calendars (which can be exported as ics files), password app has an export to csv file.

 

[it wasnt me]

I try to not use many apps and when I do use one that will be storing/creating data, looking for apps that don't have proprietary formats and or have an export capability that I can massage to use in some other environment. For example, my Calendar app uses iCloud calendars (which can be exported as ics files), password app has an export to csv file.

I have started self-hosting more and more stuff in the past few years, including CalDAV/CardDAV, but I can see why that isn't for everyone.