Paying for Software

The main reason I hesitate buying software, even when it’s a $2.99 app, is that it feels impermanent. It feels like you’re always on the verge of being screwed. I have, in fact, been screwed, and of course nobody likes that.

I’ve bought software that was abandoned by the developer and stopped working on future operating systems, or pulled from the App Store, or updated and then the update became a “new version” that required another payment, or the app was bought by another company and turned into subscription-ware.

I think developers can address this by offering some type of guarantee. Some already do this, and I buy software from them. For example, make it known that updates will always be free, or offered at a specific discount, or that you’ll open-source it if you ever give up on it. Yes, future efforts may not seem like they will be rewarded by current customers. But I think developers would make up for that by overcoming this hesitation and selling more copies today, and maybe even at a slightly higher price.

Categories    Apple    Technology