[mittermayr]

Opened it up, first thing I do is set it to dark because every other HN app runs on dark — immediately prompts me to upgrade and pay. Sorry, but making money by not being annoying is such an old-school way to try and make a buck. Totally understand it can't be free, but then let people pay for things that make your app stand out — not the ability to "let the dark mode toggle stay put", I mean...

[xp84]

The app's premium unlock appears to be a $6 one-time purchase. Given that it's not a consequential life decision, the way a subscription can sometimes be, I would rather normalize paying for software that is well-made and lovingly maintained instead of having everything be free but it falls into disrepair after some big Apple update because it's too hard to justify working on it anymore.

I have a harder time with software that I have to sign up for a "trial" of a $20 monthly subscription before I can really experience what it's like to use it. With this app, you can see exactly how it works during the daytime at least, and what settings you'd be able to use once you pay, and no trial hanging over your head.

[ForceBru]

What could make such an app "stand out"?

[zamadatix]

The app already does a good job of standing out with its main premise and I doubt there are enough other stand out features to add for the niche. The problem really lies in the monetization focusing on the table stakes features up front instead of the stand out features after a while.

[tartoran]

Should be free first of all, HN is free after all and with it's old tech it is still working well and is also friction free. I've seen plenty of show HN:HN and most don't have traction because the original is just too good. It's probably one reason why it withstood the test of time and why we still have a community here.

[zamadatix]

I think it's less "too good" and more "$0 but been around 18 years so why bother with any alternative for >=$0 which has been around for 2 months. Also, why do I trust you again?". I.e. "not bad enough".

[al_borland]

Or it’s that every platform like this that does a major upgrade to the UI is awful. They are almost always driven by people looking to increase revenue at the expense of the user experience. The users hate it and leave in mass. Having seen this pattern time and time again, I don’t know why sites keep doing it, other than then obvious “investor pressure.”

There seems to be an inverse relationship between the spend on development and user experience.

[dmd]

“Walking is free, therefore bike shops should give away bikes for free.”