Not for me. I rather pay for upgrades as they come if I can afford them. Otherwise I keep using the previous version.
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I purposely bought DXO PL 2 Elete TO AVOID SUBSCRIPTION BASED SALES/MARKETING.
Note: Had plenty of non-subscription choices, obviously, after much research, picked DXO PL Elite.
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I completely disagree! I own multiple DXO products that are completely useless because they aren’t supported with new versions of other software or NIK that hasn’t worked when I update other things (e.g; LR), or it doesnt support new camera profiles despite the fact they are available in the latest versions etc
Perpetual licensing gives you the “impression” you own something but the reality is what you buy becomes a relic from the day you buy it, in reality you DONT get a choice because there are no updates, no new features, no dev focus because ALL of the effort goes into building the next version that you need to drop big $$ to get…and of course they selectively choose what goes into the new versions to ensure an upgrade will be needed! With DXO you will always upgrade within a 2yr window otherwise you are buying a new licence!
Not only that, the cost of perpetual software is generally far higher…eg; Adobe used to be $1024 outright or even $599 for students…it now costs me like $160 a year, and I choose what I want…its always updated, always have the latest features and I pay as I go…I still vote with my wallet as I can cut it at any time…but can do it without a massive upfront outlay.
Each to their own I guess 
There are still many people happily using PhotoLab 2, 3, 4 and 5. There are even people still happily using even earlier versions of OpticsPro. Not everybody is constantly upgrading their cameras and lenses, and many people, like myself, use PhotoLab as their primary photo editing software and have little in the way of concerns about compatibility with other software.
Although I update every year because that is my choice, many people choose not to update regularly because their gear is already supported and/or they do not need the newest features. For them the DxO products they own will continue to work as well as they did when they were brand new versions. With subscriptions, however, they would be forced to perpetually pay every single year or their software would simply stop working.
As to cost, upgrading to the latest version of PhotoLab each year costs no more than an Adobe subscription. For me, and I suspect for many others, there is no real advantage to a subscription plan and in fact there is the very significant downside I mentioned above. However, I certainly understand how cost-effective the Adobe subscription plan is when compared to purchasing the standalone versions and upgrades for both Photoshop and Lightroom when they were still available in that format.
Mark
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Initial $219 purchase + yearly $90 upgrades add up to $399 for 3 years.
Subscription $120/year adds up to $360 for 3 years.
You can skip one upgrade otherwise you have to put down the $219 again with PhotoLab and Capture One.
Most people I know don’t tend to skip upgrades, so the net investment is the same. Only over a much longer period it can be more economic.
The bigger argument is that once you stop subscribing, you cannot use the software anymore. This is the only thing that should be fixed. You should stay on the last version you paid for, perpetuity (meaning = when you upgrade your OS every year for 3 years).
Affinity is still the gold standard here.
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