[cplli]

I wouldn't throw Jetbrains in the same boat. I quite like their pricing model. You get to keep the last version, so you're basically paying for updates in the end (which are worth it IMO). On top of that, you get a discount after the first year.

[xg15]

Yeah, Jetbrains' model is one of the better ones in that. At least your money doesn't completely vaporize with that, even though you'll still lose a year of features and improvements once you cancel.

[Semaphor]

You’ll lose it now, but under the old model you would never have had those features and improvements.

While it took a community outcry, I think Jetbrains now has the best subscription model, that’s a positive for both users and the company.

[xg15]

I still think there is a bit of a dark pattern in it, because when you cancel, you have to give up features which you've already been using for a year and likely integrated into your workflow. In the worst case, there were some breaking format changes and your project files are not compatible with the version you'll be rolled back to.

They could just let me keep the version I already have and block me from future updates. The way, they set it up right now, they are deliberately causing some disruption when unsubscribing.

[codq]

My favorite pricing model is by the note-taking app Agenda[0].

It's called a Cash Cow[1] model—you make a one-time purchase, which allows you updates for the next year. At the end of the year, you can either purchase another year of updates, or enjoy the full-featured app you currently have.

The thing keeping me from subscriptions is the fact that if you decide you no longer want to pay, you no longer get access. This encourages devs to continue to ship great updates, while not gimping your software at the end of the payment term.

[0] https://agenda.com/

[1] https://drewmccormack.medium.com/a-cash-cow-is-on-the-agenda...