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TextExpander has gone subscription

Stella said:
There's quite a backlash. Smile have stated that they will now support Textexpander 5 to the next version of OSX.

A total miscalculation of their user base.
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Just to be clear, is this until whatever releases after El Capitan? So with Apple on a yearly(?) OSX update cycle, then TE5 will be supported for about a year after the next/new (El Capitan) "Redwood" or whatever is released?
 
Cassady said:
Just to be clear, is this until whatever releases after El Capitan? So with Apple on a yearly(?) OSX update cycle, then TE5 will be supported for about a year after the next/new (El Capitan) "Redwood" or whatever is released?
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Correct
 
maflynn said:
I hope we'll see the option for a standard software license instead SaS, its a handy utility, but at the end of the day, its only a utility.
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I received this today with Subject line: Text Expander 5 Lives!

We heard you!
View with translation.
​


Our changes to TextExpander last week made a number of you unhappy, and many of you shared your passion for the product with us. We are equally passionate about TextExpander and have made these changes so that we can expand the customer base and continue to enhance the product for all users.

To some of you it may seem we don’t care about our individual customers any more and only care about business use. We care about both, and in the changing software world a single focus is not a viable long term strategy for TextExpander. We did not make these changes easily or lightly, but for the long term life of the product so we can all enjoy it and engage with it for many years to come.

Change is difficult, and we didn't get some things right at the start. Our pricing for Life Hackers was too high. Our upgrade pricing was too high and did not extend long enough. We didn't offer an option for users who cannot use third party cloud services or cannot purchase subscription software.

We’re listening to your feedback, and are making adjustments, effective immediately.

Standalone TextExpander:
TextExpander 5 for Mac and TextExpander 3 + Custom Keyboard, the most recent standalone releases of TextExpander, will continue to be supported, and available for sale.

We understand this is important if you need:
- private-network snippet storage
- sync via Dropbox or iCloud Drive
New Pricing:
You, and other current TextExpander customers, receive a 50% lifetime discount on the new TextExpander. This brings the yearly cost of the Life Hacker plan to $20, which is comparable to previous upgrade costs ($19.95).
If you aren't sure about the new sharing features, or just want to test the waters beyond the demo period, you can pay $2.08 monthly to experience the new features before committing to the discounted $20 annual plan. The cost for new purchasers of the Life Hacker plan is similarly reduced to $40 per year.

If you've already purchased an annual upgrade plan, we'll apply two months of credit to make up the difference. Please give us a few days for this to be reflected in your account.

From our team to you, thank you for being part of the conversation that makes the community around TextExpander what it is, and helping us continue to develop and improve TextExpander.

smile_logo_2x.gif
Thank you
The TextExpander Team
at Smile

Pricing Details

$1.66 / month for a Life Hacker plan for individuals billed annually (reg. $3.33)
$3.98 / user / month for a Team plan billed annually (reg. $7.96)
Current TextExpander user receive a lifetime discount of 50% off. If you purchased on or after December 1, 2015, then you get 3 free months on top of that.

Try It
Signing Up
1. Sign up for an account at textexpander.com/upgrade. Paste in your license to apply your discount.
2. In the plan selection window, individuals should choose the Life Hacker plan.
3. In the billing options window choose to set up payments, we suggest annual payments, then check out. Alternately, Text Drive the new version for 30 days.

If you do not see the pricing stated above, enter your license number into the Redemption Code field, located by clicking on your account name in the upper right corner and choosing My Account > Billing. (Can't find your license? Look it up.)

What's New
  • Integrated TextExpander account and Apps
  • Use current snippets on all your devices
  • Share snippets easily with coworkers and friends
  • Set editing permissions for shared snippets
  • Set up an Organization to easily manage sharing across your team
  • Automatically join an Organization using your company email address
  • Automatically share company snippets with anyone who joins your Organization
  • New Windows app (currently in beta)
  • Beautiful new app look and feel
  • New snippet editing toolbar
  • New app icon

follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | Forward to a Friend

Copyright © 2016 SmileOnMyMac LLC dba Smile, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you purchased TextExpander from Smile.

Our mailing address is:
SmileOnMyMac LLC dba Smile
350 Bay Street Suite 100 PMB 278
San Francisco, CA 94133
 
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mailbuoy said:
Standalone TextExpander:
TextExpander 5 for Mac and TextExpander 3 + Custom Keyboard, the most recent standalone releases of TextExpander, will continue to be supported, and available for sale.

New Pricing:
You, and other current TextExpander customers, receive a 50% lifetime discount on the new TextExpander. This brings the yearly cost of the Life Hacker plan to $20, which is comparable to previous upgrade costs ($19.95).
Click to expand...
I wonder whether if you buy TextExpander 5 now and then switch to 6, you still get the discount? A new customer getting TextExpander 6 now for $40/yr will have paid $80 in 24 months. If instead you buy TextExpander 5 now for $45 and then switch to version 6 at the 50% discount price after 12 months, you will have paid a total of only $65 for your first 24 months.

Of course, still offering TextExpander 5, the only people incentivised to get TextExpander 6 are those that really want snippet sharing. The choice for new customers is between $45 for TextExpander 5 or $40/yr for TextExpander 6. You really must value sharing if only after two years it will have cost you almost double.

They started with the idea that something has to pay for maintenance cost and paid upgrades didn't do it as not enough of their user base paid for, partly because enticing users with new features in a mature, essentially feature-complete product is hard. Now they have to maintain two versions, 5 and 6 (and the same on iOS), the vast majority of users won't switch to the subscription plan and they don't get any upgrade revenue either. So they ended up with higher costs and lower revenue compared to releasing version 6 as a standard upgrade with a business subscription version with sharing offered additionally.

Longer term they probably do better by offering TextExpander 6 without sharing as a standalone upgrade and offer sharing as an additional option in a subscription plan (some existing customers will go for that and new business customers offer new revenue on top). How many new customers they can attract to their $40/yr plan, however, remains a very open question.
 
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ValSalva said:
Has anyone else seen that TextExpander just released 6.0 and it's now a subscription model. It doesn't seem that there is a way to just purchase the software outright. $4.95/month. $3.96/month if paid up front. Another subscription. Not happy about this. Smile Software.
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What a freaking money-grab. I have and use TextExpander daily... but will be passing on the new version. I absolutely disdain the subscription model for software, especially for this type of utility software. I will gladly pay for this utility, but I absolutely refuse to pay for it forever in an ongoing way. Shame on Smile Software.

If they do not offer an up-front permanent license option, I will stay at v5.x as long as possible, and then look for an alternative.
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manu chao said:
Only $5/month sounds like a small number but if every app you use semi-regularly were to charge this, you'd be out off a lot of money very quickly. Adobe offers Lightroom + Photoshop for twice that, a package that cost north of $1000 in their standalone versions. If we reversed that comparison, this would imply TextExpander being worth $400 to $500. Which it isn't.

Make that $1/month and now we are talking. I paid about $30 for TextExpander 3.x in 2012 and $20 for the upgrade to version 5 last year. That averages out to about $1/month. Smile is telling me I now should pay 5x that? That's ridiculous. We can argue about subscriptions but regardless, Smile picked a price that is way too high. And by not offering a cheaper, missing some new features version, they have priced themselves out of 90% of the market. Congratulations, price per unit goes up by a factor of five but number of units sold goes down by a factor of ten. That's still loosing half your revenue. Great move. And even if sales only went down by a factor of five and thus this whole operation would just be breaking even, they'd still pissed off 80% of their customers, which cannot be good publicity.
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I totally disagree. Even $1/month is too much. Give me an up front fee to license the software and be done with it. Smile Software is out of their freaking head if they think they can collect $2, $4 or more per month for this software, even as good and useful as it is.
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maflynn said:
I have to agree with that assessment, I was thinking of trying to reduce the software that I pay by subscription not increase. I'm seriously re-thinking my Office365 but that is used quite a bit and my kids have increasing needs of Word.
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Exactly why I paid about $125 for the licensed version of the full Office suite. IMO, $10/month forever is too high a price for MS Office. And likewise, $2/month forever is too much for TextExpander.

Because I pay for software, I can also vote with my wallet. Smile Software can go pound sand.
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manu chao said:
I had gotten the same reply after which I wrote back to them again (which then resulted in the answer I had quoted).


The main two arguments brought forward in favour of subscription pricing are that:
  1. The user expects bug fixes and compatibility updates ideally indefinitely, and
  2. Apps being good enough such that most users don't ever see the need to pay for an upgrade to a new version.
Both can lead to apps being dropped by the developer after a while when the initial sales rush has slowed to a trickle. For example, more than a third of the iOS apps I own have not been updated in over a year. And yes, bug fixes and compatibility updates cost money and cannot be sustained indefinitely if no new revenue comes in but requiring a paid upgrade after some time to continue to get updates has been a solution to this problem for a long time.

Take VMware Fusion for example, it certainly is a complex enough piece of software and has to deal in a very involved way with both the host and the guest OS such that new OS versions might easily require updates at the very least to support new features of the OS. Security and stability is also paramount for such an application. It has received a paid upgrade almost every year since its introduction in 2007. While it certainly has taunted new features for every paid upgrade, most people bought the updates for compatibility and security reasons.

I am fine with apps that require a paid update every two years or so because I can decide how important bug fixes, performance improvements and security fixes for me are for a given application (or if new features entice me). The more I use an app, the more likely I am to pay for upgrades and not just because I think I would profit from any app improvements more the more I use the app but also because I want to ensure that the app keeps getting developed and because I might want to reward the developer.

Subscription software doesn't give the customer the choice between living with software that doesn't receive updates anymore and one that does. It doesn't give the user the choice of paying more to get improvements and reward the developer and paying less and live with potential bugs and the risk of software abandonment. It might be too inflexible but what if software came with a guarantee of updates for a year or two and after that you could either keep using the software without getting any further updates or pay again and keep getting updates. And once you fix this period in advance, there would be no difference between upfront payment or a subscription (as a subscription for a fixed period equals a fixed price). The difference to a conventional subscription would be that the user could keep using the software after the subscription has expired and that the developer is enticed to keep releasing improvements (if only of the stability, speed and security kind) if she or he wants the customer to keep paying.
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I have absolutely no issue paying for software updates. That model affords me the opportunity of weighing the new feature set to determine whether or not the cost of the upgrade is warranted.
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Cascades42 said:
Your feedback is important and does matter. Expect an update on The State Of TextExpander (based on your comments) very soon.

I'm hoping for something that allows me to not use their sync and also be able to afford the app.
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The response that I got from them (via Twitter) was simply:

Thank you for your feedback. It's been passed along.
 
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\-V-/ said:
That's a terrible recommendation, thank you.
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You're welcome :)

You stick to your paid, proprietary service and ignore the moral of this thread.

FWIW, I was being genuine. The idea that we need specific apps for every discreet task has really warn thin with me. The idea of becoming dependent on software, only for it to turn into paid SaaS is quite frankly nuts.
 
Osty said:
You're welcome :)

You stick to your paid, proprietary service and ignore the moral of this thread.
Click to expand...
Another unhelpful response. Thank you.

FWIW, I was being genuine. The idea that we need specific apps for every discreet task has really warn thin with me. The idea of becoming dependent on software, only for it to turn into paid SaaS is quite frankly nuts.
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I appreciate the assumption that I need an app for every mundane/trivial task and that I'm dependent on anything. Thank you. My request for a recommendation was so I could use it on my phone, which is where I've always done my journaling. I'm sorry my request for an alternative app, a request that doesn't pertain to you whatsoever, rubbed you the wrong way. You have my sympathy.

I'll continue to use apps that make some of the simple things I do more convenient and time-saving, which is what apps are for in the first place. Just because something works for you doesn't mean it works for someone else. You suggested to me a workflow of yours that isn't something I can ever see myself doing. Your way isn't any more right than mine. It's just another way of doing something.
 
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\-V-/ said:
Another unhelpful response. Thank you.


I appreciate the assumption that I need an app for every mundane/trivial task and that I'm dependent on anything. Thank you. My request for a recommendation was so I could use it on my phone, which is where I've always done my journaling. I'm sorry my request for an alternative app, a request that doesn't pertain to you whatsoever, rubbed you the wrong way. You have my sympathy.

I'll continue to use apps that make some of the simple things I do more convenient and time-saving, which is what apps are for in the first place. Just because something works for you doesn't mean it works for someone else. You suggested to me a workflow of yours that isn't something I can ever see myself doing. Your way isn't any more right than mine. It's just another way of doing something.
Click to expand...


My apologies, I certainly didn't mean to offend nor was I trying to be unhelpful nor was I making assumptions about you as a person. Your sympathy is misplaced and I wasn't 'rubbed up the wrong way' by your desire for an app, though your notion that my recommendation was 'terrible' without further clarifying why that was so was a little rude, intended or otherwise.

My response was partly in context to the moral of this thread, and the link someone posted about the tools people come to rely being changed to SaaS. I've been burnt like this before with proprietary software I came to depend on. Today, I'm of the position that the convenience (or promise there of) of a proprietary format or application cannot be trusted for the things that mean a lot to me.

Thanks for posting your reply about your use case, that at least justify why my recommendation is meaningless to you.

FWIW I actually use markdown for my blog (my journal, I guess) precisely because I work on it on my phone (and tablet, and laptop and desktop) and plain text/markdown is the only thing that works seamlessly across all devices and operating systems I use. If you are embedded in the Apple ecosystem and you find something from a vendor that meets your needs, then that's a beautiful thing.
 
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Osty said:
Crikey, do we need an app for everything!!! What's wrong with a text editor and Markdown.
Click to expand...

Yep. Here’s a simple recipe:
  1. Open iA Writer.
  2. Make a new snippet in Typinator that inserts the current date and time, for example `# {WW}, {NN} {D}, {YYYY} – {h12}:{m} {a}{return}{return}`.
  3. Choose a library in iA Writer and make a new folder, for example “Journal”.
  4. Create a new document and name it for example “2016-April”.
  5. Type the abbreviation for your date snippet and start writing.
Drawbacks: No (embedded) photos, no location, no weather.
Advantages: Clean and simple Markdown plaintext; synced via iCloud to your iOS Devices; better writing interface than Day One.
 
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Osty said:
My apologies, I certainly didn't mean to offend nor was I trying to be unhelpful nor was I making assumptions about you as a person. Your sympathy is misplaced and I wasn't 'rubbed up the wrong way' by your desire for an app, though your notion that my recommendation was 'terrible' without further clarifying why that was so was a little rude, intended or otherwise.

My response was partly in context to the moral of this thread, and the link someone posted about the tools people come to rely being changed to SaaS. I've been burnt like this before with proprietary software I came to depend on. Today, I'm of the position that the convenience (or promise there of) of a proprietary format or application cannot be trusted for the things that mean a lot to me.

Thanks for posting your reply about your use case, that at least justify why my recommendation is meaningless to you.

FWIW I actually use markdown for my blog (my journal, I guess) precisely because I work on it on my phone (and tablet, and laptop and desktop) and plain text/markdown is the only thing that works seamlessly across all devices and operating systems I use. If you are embedded in the Apple ecosystem and you find something from a vendor that meets your needs, then that's a beautiful thing.
Click to expand...
I think we were both being a bit passive aggressive. I apologize.
 
dwfaust said:
I have and use TextExpander daily... but will be passing on the new version
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The cost is lower overall and does mean if you upgrade often, you will be paying the same amount. I for one don't upgrade often, and so for me paying a subscription still doesn't make sense.

dwfaust said:
If they do not offer an up-front permanent license option, I will stay at v5.x as long as possible, and then look for an alternative.
Click to expand...

I agree, I don't see TE fitting in with my usage. I'll stick with my current version and use that until I can no longer.
 
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dammerl said:
Yep. Here’s a simple recipe:
  1. Open iA Writer.
  2. Make a new snippet in Typinator that inserts the current date and time, for example `# {WW}, {NN} {D}, {YYYY} – {h12}:{m} {a}{return}{return}`.
  3. Choose a library in iA Writer and make a new folder, for example “Journal”.
  4. Create a new document and name it for example “2016-April”.
  5. Type the abbreviation for your date snippet and start writing.
Drawbacks: No (embedded) photos, no location, no weather.
Advantages: Clean and simple Markdown plaintext; synced via iCloud to your iOS Devices; better writing interface than Day One.
Click to expand...

Editorial has 2, 4 and 5 with its templates and snippets too which are pretty cool. Editorial ships with a python module to access location data. The sheer power of Editorial is mind blowing and I'm shocked it's even allows in the App Store.
 
I don't get why everyone now want to make its software a SaaS product. I am a developer, but I have clearly in mind which kind of software can benefit from a subscription approach and which can't.

If developing an app like this did not take the devs to earn some money, it means they don't need to put their time in it anymore, simple.

It seems like a desperate move to me
 
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ciaoben said:
I don't get why everyone now want to make its software a SaaS product
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For bigger organizations, it straightens out the review stream. Instead of getting huge inflow, after a major release, it allows a constant influx of cash which makes managing a lot easier. For older apps, like Office and Photoshop, it also forces customers who don't normally upgrade to keep paying.

For smaller shops, I'm assuming it represents a potential cash windfall as they now get every customer to keep paying every month. I'm assuming its a reverse of economies of scales, that is smaller organizations see a bigger potential benefit - at least that might have been the thinking with Smile, but the negative blowback I think really shocked them. They were not really prepared for such negativity.

With that said, Smile really didn't change, they're still going full force with a subscription model.

I've said this a couple of times (maybe in this thread, maybe other threads), but I think it bears repeating - for my usage, budget and observation of the industry. I'm looking to reduce my monthly subscriptions. Paying 1 app 10 dollars a month is fine. Paying 3, 4 or 5 apps (and services like apple music/icloud) monthly subscriptions is ludicrous and I think developers are going to find that people will more resistant to buy their products.

1 app at 10 dollars a month is 120 bucks annually. 5 apps at 10 dollars a month is 600 dollars a year, granted not all subscriptions are 10 dollars a month, but I think my example illustrates the problem. Very quickly the money being spend on an annual basis becomes unsustainable - at least for me. I cannot justify spending 600 dollars a year on apps
 
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maflynn said:
For bigger organizations, it straightens out the review stream. Instead of getting huge inflow, after a major release, it allows a constant influx of cash which makes managing a lot easier. For older apps, like Office and Photoshop, it also forces customers who don't normally upgrade to keep paying.

For smaller shops, I'm assuming it represents a potential cash windfall as they now get every customer to keep paying every month. I'm assuming its a reverse of economies of scales, that is smaller organizations see a bigger potential benefit - at least that might have been the thinking with Smile, but the negative blowback I think really shocked them. They were not really prepared for such negativity.

With that said, Smile really didn't change, they're still going full force with a subscription model.

I've said this a couple of times (maybe in this thread, maybe other threads), but I think it bears repeating - for my usage, budget and observation of the industry. I'm looking to reduce my monthly subscriptions. Paying 1 app 10 dollars a month is fine. Paying 3, 4 or 5 apps (and services like apple music/icloud) monthly subscriptions is ludicrous and I think developers are going to find that people will more resistant to buy their products.

1 app at 10 dollars a month is 120 bucks annually. 5 apps at 10 dollars a month is 600 dollars a year, granted not all subscriptions are 10 dollars a month, but I think my example illustrates the problem. Very quickly the money being spend on an annual basis becomes unsustainable - at least for me. I cannot justify spending 600 dollars a year on apps
Click to expand...

Well said, sir. I am in total agreement with your position.
 
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dwfaust said:
Well said, sir. I am in total agreement with your position.
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Thanks,
I decided to stick with version 5 as long as possible. I was using TE much much more in the past then I am now. Its still a nice handy utility and time saver for me, but at the risk of beating a dead horse, not for a monthly fee.

Heck, I'm debating whether I should find a replacement for Lightroom since I'm paying for that monthly but I'm not using it to the level that justifies the monthly expense.
 
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maflynn said:
For bigger organizations, it straightens out the review stream. Instead of getting huge inflow, after a major release, it allows a constant influx of cash which makes managing a lot easier. For older apps, like Office and Photoshop, it also forces customers who don't normally upgrade to keep paying.

For smaller shops, I'm assuming it represents a potential cash windfall as they now get every customer to keep paying every month. I'm assuming its a reverse of economies of scales, that is smaller organizations see a bigger potential benefit - at least that might have been the thinking with Smile, but the negative blowback I think really shocked them. They were not really prepared for such negativity.

With that said, Smile really didn't change, they're still going full force with a subscription model.

I've said this a couple of times (maybe in this thread, maybe other threads), but I think it bears repeating - for my usage, budget and observation of the industry. I'm looking to reduce my monthly subscriptions. Paying 1 app 10 dollars a month is fine. Paying 3, 4 or 5 apps (and services like apple music/icloud) monthly subscriptions is ludicrous and I think developers are going to find that people will more resistant to buy their products.

1 app at 10 dollars a month is 120 bucks annually. 5 apps at 10 dollars a month is 600 dollars a year, granted not all subscriptions are 10 dollars a month, but I think my example illustrates the problem. Very quickly the money being spend on an annual basis becomes unsustainable - at least for me. I cannot justify spending 600 dollars a year on apps
Click to expand...

I see advantages of this model, but I don't get how they hope to make a good impression and not to lose your users.

There are simply software that don't suit this model, and unless you are Adobe, and bring the bread on the table of millions of customers, you can't force things to change
 
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