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by gruez 873 days ago
> I agree that in a way it makes sense for a lot of software. But as a consumer who just wants something to use once in a while it does not make any sense. It just feels like you are being milked.

What's the alternative? I suspect users would be equally upset if they were charged per use of the software (eg. $5 per photo edited).

2 comments

> What's the alternative? I suspect users would be equally upset if they were charged per use of the software (eg. $5 per photo edited).

For the publisher: offer the customer a choice. I doubt that many businesses and enthusiasts that depend upon a product are going to dump a subscription if it is tied to product support and upgrades. Occasional users who aren't interested in support or upgrades may end up purchasing a perpetual license. It's not exactly a new concept. From the descriptions I've seen, this is pretty much what JetBrains does.

As for fee per use, that $5 is a deal if you only have a half dozen photos to edit. (The least expensive way to access Photoshop for a one-time task is $35/month.) Granted, that's probably not the type of service that Adobe is interested in. Which is fine. There are plenty of companies that would be more than happy to develop a product that is better suited to that market.

As for myself, I have found a much better solution for infrequent tasks: open source software. In my younger days, I would have considered less expensive commercial options but I have been burnt too many times by "perpetual" licenses being temporary licenses. So instead of businesses getting revenue, they end up with nothing at all.

I would honestly love to pay $2-$5 for a weekend license to Canva or Illustrator. Once in a blue moon I need to hammer a logo or an event flyer or a random SVG and then I won't touch the tool again for 3 months.