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30/4/2015 Comments

Everything is now annoyingly subscription-based!

Is anyone else annoyed by subscription?

I've found one that suits me now, but earlier today, I was looking for an invoicing app to replace my old one which has massively upped its subscription fee and suddenly, I found myself annoyed by how many things are now subscription-based.

I don't want to be locked into paying £15/month for an invoicing service that I may use every day, but may also only use once in two months.

I take commissions on artwork and also am a self-employed DJ. I also have a full-time job so don't push either of these avenues particularly hard. Sometimes I have a few jobs in a month. Sometimes I'll go six weeks without any and I'd like to just be able to buy an invoicing program and have that service me 'til the end of time. 

I'd like to have the option to let the progam lie fallow if I have a slow period or decide to not take any new jobs for a bit, but know it's still there in a year's time if I decide to take it up again and not find my subscription lapsed and my account and history has been deleted.

I don't need constant updates and new features every other week to justify the subscription fee - if the product does what I want off the shelf, I'd like to just pay for that once, thank you.

I remember when this was the norm. I bought Photoshop CS3 9 years ago. I paid once I still use it because it does what I want it to. I like knowing it was a sound investment and that the longer I use it, the more cost-effective it is.
I haven't needed the newest features. If I'd had to subscribe all those years ago, I would have resented having to pay a small fortune over the years to have access to the shiniest newest Photoshop when I don't need all those features. But that is how it is done now:- To get Photoshop now you have to subscribe to it and pay a monthly fee.
Same with Microsoft Office. Same with an increasing number of things.

I know piracy has played its part, and to prevent people trading pirated copies, you now need a subscription, but I can't help feel that a bit of this a way of eliciting more money for the product on the basis it is constantly current, and ensuring brand loyalty by making sure a current subscription is necessary to access certain documents. It stops people doing what I do, which is buy the software once, then wring all the use I can out of that program before upgrading out of necessity. But I like that feeling of being economical and feeling like the longer I use it, the better value the purchase was.

Rant over.

What are anyone else's thoughts?
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