Subscription Model

Hi Guys,

Given the price of the Nik collection, it is a very expensive “add-on” but I thought I would give it a go, I have been pretty happy with it except its integration with PhotoLab is touch and go. I was initially excited to see v3 has been released but then equally disappointed to see I basically have to buy it again 5 months after buying (with a $15 upgrade discount).

If you are regularly upgrading you should consider releasing a subscription offer as consistent upgrading of this software becomes expensive once especially once converted to AUD, alternatively offer the upgrade free for anyone that has purchased within the last 6 months prior.

No thanks.

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I’ll pass on a subscription plan. Not interested.

Mark

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Ditto. I see no attraction in a subscription model for DxO software. Right now, major updates get released on a fairly consistent cycle, while improvements vary from release to release - so the benefit of upgrading also varies over time. Right now, we are free to upgrade whenever we want. And the option to do so at a discount won’t expire (for at least a couple of years, as far as I know - though the amount of the discount will fluctuate). In fact, while Nik 3 was just released and is on sale, its biggest discount price has been toward the end of November over the past two cycles. Meanwhile, we will continue to receive minor updates between major releases.

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Par pitié pas d’abonnement !

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Subscription?……No thanks!

That’s exactly the reason why I avoid Adobe.

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definitely not.

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Nooo!!! ou, même, Non !!!

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count myself in for a definite no

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Have you actually done the math? Thats my issue, major update are fairly consistent and you put your hand in your pocket every time. So you are saying you’re happy to pay $138USD (Nik+Lab) every year for upgraded versions but not a sub? infact based on my experience you may even pay that more than once a year!

Subscriptions are “Meant” to be lower cost, and keep you up to date for a lower price than continuous buying. My experience here is that new versions get priority so if you don’t have it “too bad”, e.g; my Nik v2 is up to date but rarely works properly on the latest OSX, and never transfers the photo the first time from PhotoLab.

I am just saying i am not happy paying for it again after 5 months

Yes, I’ve done the math. :smile: I bought two versions of OpticsPro a few months apart only once, when I first became a customer. After that, releases have been at least 12 months apart. And while I own licenses to all of DxO’s software, I haven’t bought upgrades every single year. And I’ve taken advantage of DxO’s nice sales. So I don’t see the benefit of a subscription model here. Furthermore, I’m concerned that a subscription model would mean licenses expire when you stop subscribing.

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And this is where the idea of avoiding subscription really becomes worth the (sometimes) extra cost.

Yes, I have to pay for new versions but, if I don’t want to take a particular version, what I’ve got keeps working. When most subscriptions expire, you are left with a useless installation that no longer does what you’ve already paid for.

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Agree. Once you’re a subscriber you have to subscribe forever. You have no choice if you want to continue using the software.

I was just literally forced into an annual subscription for my Quicken financial software. The older 2017 version did exactly what I needed it to do. After over 2 years of ignoring their continuous spam like pressure to update I finally was forced to do it because they decided to eliminate the online features that I had needed and had been using unless I upgraded. Now I’m stuck upgrading to a new copy every single year at the same price that a perpetual copy used to cost, even though it’s overkill for me. And if I stop upgrading, bye-bye financial software that tracks everything for me. Change any of the DXO products to a subscription? No thanks. With a perpetual license, I’m in control. With a subscription license the software vendor is in control.

Mark

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Subscriptions suck. You lose your ability to “vote with your wallet” in a subscription model. With updates if the software company does not deliver value for your money you simply choose to ignore the update. However with a subscription the software company can ignore your feature requests and deliver no value while fleecing the users. It is a great deal for the software company and a crappy deal for the users.

I refuse to accept subscriptions and every company that has switched to a subscription model has lost my business forever. I will use exclusively open-source software instead. The software companies can not be allowed to take their users for granted.

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Subscription medel dont have to be a copycat of adobe. There are plenty of subscription model that let the subscriber stop the subscription while still able to use the software. I’m thinking about « Agenda » (ios app) plan.

You « pay » the software once, then a subscription to keep the software up-to-date. If you stop your subscription, your software wont be updated anymore, but you will still be able to use it (imo the best option, for customers because it let the choice to stop the subscription and still use the software, for the company because it has now a continous cash-flow business model).

Other kind of subscription are for « premium » features (let say as a exemple, Prime NR). Basic software is free (or very unexpensive), then you subscribe for the premium features.

Not saying any of those kind of subscription plan are better or worse, just saying subscription dosent need to be a copycat of adobe-subscription plan.

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I will pass on any kind of subscription model.

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People who keep telling “But a subscription is cheaper” don’t get the point. It’s not about being cheaper, it’s about your rights as a consumer. If I subscribe to software as a service (SAS) I lose virtually all my rights. I don’t own a license, I only rent it. I have to accept all the license changes the software company forces on me. The company can at any point decide they don’t want me as a customer no more and terminate the contract. Or maybe I run into financial troubles and cannot afford the subscription model anymore. No matter how the contract is terminated, as soon as it ends the customer not only loses access to the software but also all the money invested over the years.

On the other hand if I buy a license I can keep it forever. Nobody can suddenly change license terms, prices or any other detail that is part of the contract. And if a paid upgrade comes along I’m entirely free to decide whether or not I want to invest more money or keep the current version. The same goes with changed license terms, if they change with a new version I’m completely free to decline them, don’t upgrade and keep the current version under the original license terms.

Buying software vs. SAS is about consumer rights, not about the price.

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Well said

Sigi

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That’s a NO from me. I agree with the_digi_picture_com, it’s not about cost per se, it’s about choice. My choice to upgrade or not based on the functionality.

The example I use is Lightroom. When I look back at the change introduced in the versions of Lightroom over the years since subscription was introduced, I find them disappointing to say the least. Yes, they have introduced a version of their software for ipad, but I don’t use an ipad, so why should I pay a subscription for Adobe to create and update products I don’t use while they neglect the products I do use. Subscription is not good for the consumer and is also not good for innovation as having a captive audience is not a good motivator in my view.

I prefer to have the choice thank you.

Ps. I don’t use Adobe products any more for these reasons.

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Subscription - and attendant threat of access denied if you are no longer able to pay - was all the reason I needed to wave goodbye to adobe’s hegemony.

DXO via Photolab/Nik + Affinity Photo create a killer alternative. Long may it reign.

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