If you aren’t providing free updates, how are you handling bug fixing?
How does an app that provides free updates for one year handle bug fixing after that one year?
In almost all cases the type of bug for which you’d have to fix would be fixed by then; and besides, as part of the “sale” you advertise free updates and fixes for one year.
So I’m interested in how, technically more than anything, you will support people. Because if you are just going to fix individual problems, that means a lot of branching and more code management.
Maybe the easiest answer is to just give those people free upgrades? So I’m interested in how you are handling this. I asked myself exactly this question eight years ago and came up with my different answer, so I’m interested as to how you came up on your side.
Quite honestly, I simply don’t provide bug fixes for people who haven’t subscribed to updates. If they want those fixes, which provide additional value to them, they need to subscribe.
All that is in the context of fman being a non-critical and inexpensive tool. If it were a database or an OS, the answers would likely be very different. But in this case, I stand by my point: Updates provide value and cost money to implement. It’s only fair that they’re paid-for.
Hmmm… I can see your point for sure. But another point of view is that, as a customer, I want the product I paid money for, if a defect means the product doesn’t do what I want, I don’t get the value.
Sure. But as I said, as a customer, you can evaluate fman for as long as you like to convince yourself that there are no defects that make it unusable for you.
The problem you point out actually applies to all software that doesn’t include free updates forever. You were of course right two comments ago that more included updates help alleviate the problem. But it never goes away entirely.
I’d be interested in how that scales for you with thousands of customers, so let us know!
I’ll let you know when they start lynching me 
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Looks interesting. I also sell software: https://wordcleaner.com
To be honest I have absolutely no idea what the product does.
I downloaded the free trial and I still none the wiser. Maybe I am just not the target market.
Maybe you need a features section? Or some help info or a video that runs when the user opens the app?
Thank you Brian.
Or some help info or a video that runs when the user opens the app?
I’m just working on that (a tutorial the first time fman is started). Hopefully that’ll make it clearer.
Hi Michael, so how did it go?
I’m also very interested in your Linux sales stats. I don’t plan a Linux version soon but wonder if it’s worth considering at all in the future.
It’s slowly changing. So far at least three popular writing apps are using subscription model: Bear ($15/yr), Agenda ($25/yr), Ulysses ($40/yr). Though the last one got a backslash because it was version-based before.
Also my app’s competitor is charging $39, $69, and $99 per year while not being a SaaS (they added sync only a few months ago).
No one has lynched me. People accept why I charge for automatic updates. But I think I am also selling it well to them in the FAQ.
Re Linux: It depends on your target audience I guess. Mine are developers, who use Linux a lot. I don’t know the number off the top of my head, but I think most of my revenue is not on Linux.
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Thank you for the reply! That’s great, I’ve already drafted a similar short FAQ and plan to put it right on the pricing page.
I’ve recently seen a surprisingly balanced “subs vs. upfront” poll and discussion, so I believe the amount of negativity towards subscriptions is skewed by a vocal minority (which should be even smaller when we’re talking about inexpensive update subscriptions like fman has).
I agree, it will probably stay under 5-7% at best for a non-developer software. Sorry, 
, I’ll pass.