I don’t think a lot of people understand what it takes to actually run a profitable business, let alone a profitable software business.
When a developer puts their software on a subscription model, they have to balance a lot of different things, it’s not all about maximizing profit. And what you end up paying for—development—is only one piece of the equation. You still need to do marketing and support. You think SlackJaw is on this community for free?
Developer salaries still need to be paid whether or not you’ve sold any licenses. If you put out software traditionally where users have to upgrade periodically, that forces users to make a decision every time a new major comes out. That might sound fine from a user’s perspective but it’s a nightmare for software development.
Let’s say you’re a software company. You just spent the last year polishing a new version. Marketing wants to put X, Y, and Z features in it. What if those features don’t sell as well as they thought? Maybe it’s a down year? You can easily found yourself in a hole financially and the only way out is to have multiple revenue channels—hopefully you built more than one app—or you might have to start laying people off.
And what about Operating System upgrades? OS upgrades can often touch a lot of developer code but users still expect your app to work and will blame you when your app doesn’t work on the latest and greatest. And they sure as hell don’t want to pay for an upgrade just for OS compatibility— You didn’t add any features, it’s more or less janitorial work. And worst of all, you have users who think the software they bought 7 years ago (and possibly 4-5 major versions ago with slightly different interface tweaks over the years) should still run and be supported on their brand new M4 Mac. It’s a rat’s nest.
Subscription is really the only profitable way to do development these days. Every user has incentive to keep current which lowers support costs. That bug you fixed 5 versions ago? Just tell the user to download a newer version. Brand new features? You get all of them.
I’ve also seen hybrid models where you pay a slightly higher price but then you “own” the app. If you want updates, then you just pay for another year of them but your software stays locked at that version. That’s less ideal but it doesn’t force users into a subscription they don’t want. These tend to work better for utility apps where you only do a few smaller features a year. On an app like DJay, I don’t know how you’d even put it out without subscription, as it’s constantly updated. One DJ’s must-have feature is another one’s “meh”.
I really hope Algoriddim can offer a lifetime option, even if it’s expensive. This way, those who like subscriptions can subscribe, and those who prefer lifetime can purchase lifetime, rather than having subscription as the only option. I don’t care about the price of the lifetime license — I only care whether this option exists.
The difference is often in the mind; I am not a fan of subscription models either. As explained above, I would also welcome a one-time payment, also for reasons of cost-effectiveness. Of course, not for a four-digit amount, that’s really nonsense. But I think €199, for example, is quite reasonable for both sides. And I believe that Algoriddim could also win customers with this. I know a few people who would like to use Djay, but generally don’t subscribe to anything in this area. And there are certainly more of them, even though I don’t know the actual numbers, of course. And even though I myself use the subscription despite my reservations in this case, it’s mainly because Djay is the only option for me as a DJ.
There were times when such subscription models were not even allowed in the App Store, and even then it was apparently possible for developers to market such an app economically, just as there are still many apps today that you only have to pay for once. For developers, it’s all about maximizing profits, so a subscription as the only option makes sense. I don’t think that’s a bad thing; it’s completely normal. But for customers, it’s not a good solution.
For me, the biggest difference lies in the sense of ownership — and that’s extremely important. If I fully own an app, I can truly make it my main tool, use it in depth, and place greater trust in it. Otherwise, I can never feel completely at ease. I think this is simply part of human nature.
Subscriptions have never been within my consideration. I love buying, but I don’t like renting — what you buy is yours, what you rent is not. Of course, $1,000 might be a bit expensive, but I would evaluate whether the app is worth it, and I believe it is. At the same time, I think a more reasonable price would be $499, which is ten times the annual subscription fee. Many of the apps I’ve purchased have lifetime prices set at about ten times the annual subscription cost, and that feels more reasonable.
I’ve always believed in giving users a choice — so those who like subscriptions can subscribe, and those who prefer lifetime can buy lifetime. This way, everyone’s needs are met. I’m very willing to support Algoriddim, and if there is a lifetime option, I will definitely purchase it. I would also buy all of the company’s other apps and hardware, which would both support a company I like and allow me to own the software and hardware I use.
Thanks for sharing your input everyone. I have shared this with the devs for consideration.
We currently offer djay as a free basic version or a premium subscription. This model enables us to continuously add new features, provide server-based content and capabilities which may incur ongoing costs, and deliver constant improvements without any extra upgrade fees. This approach ultimately helps us build and maintain the best possible product for our users in the long run.
There isn’t a lifetime purchase for coffee, but I spend more on a cup of coffee, at least once or twice a week, than the cost of a monthly subscription fee for djay pro
I agree here. I want a one-time purchase, period – end of story. If there are significant upgrades, I am OK paying for that. The subscription model is a modern phenomenon, for software – it’s revenue generating. I get it, but no thanks.
for the current price point, i got no problem on subscription, i spend more on W*** in a month than djay subscription LOL, and i like the customer service and attention this company give to its user, so i see it as money well spent
I’m not normally a fan of subscriptions, but as long as the yearly price isn’t too high, then I think it’s a good compromise.
I’ve dabbled with virtual dj for years as a backup to Serato, but even though the perpetual license is good value, the subscription is way to high if it’s not going to be your main dj software.
The issue isn’t whether you can afford it. A subscription model is primarily designed to maximize the provider’s revenue. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to condemn that, but the fact remains that a subscription like this is almost always the worst option for customers.
My first 3 annual subscriptions were 50USD each. At the time I had a mac, then an ipad. It would auto-renew itself. Then i left it expire and I kind of cancelled the subscription off my apple payments. I then bought a new iphone/ipad and attempted to begin another subscription, only to find on my iphone/ipad, it’s showing just 29.99USD. Yet when i check from the macbook, it was still 50USD. So instead I bought from iphone and i now get my yearly invoice of just 29.99!
So I don’t think the price differences are geographic.
Give it a try, you never know (cancel n retry)
To be honest, $30US/yr is a steal for what Djay Pro offers.
For the amount of features and flexibility you get with Djay…I personally don’t have a problem with the subscription. The consistent bug fixes and updates proves they are putting our money to good use and clearly they care about the customer experience.
It would be a different story if you had to keep paying a subscription and there was nothing to show for it like other programs out there.
I’ve only been on this forum for a couple days and am extremely impressed with the quick response and organization of the online help and community
I honestly feel like Algoriddim is practically giving their product away at the current subscription price.
