Ask HN: What is the easiest way to paywall native software?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44935393

by prhn • 11 months ago

2 5 11 months ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm building what amounts to a Windows DLL. It will be loaded as a windows shell extension. It does not talk to a server. It's all native.

What is the easiest way to paywall this? I've seen services like keygen.sh, but the licensing fees are quite high.

I don't want to build, deploy, and maintain a server just to manage serial numbers and perform license authentication.

What are y'all using?

bigyabai• 11 months ago

I don't want to build, deploy, and maintain a server just to manage serial numbers and perform license authentication.

That's precisely why other people charge you licensing fees.

NoahZuniga• 11 months ago

You could distribute via Steam

falcor84• 11 months ago

I don't think that licensing alone would merit giving them the 30% cut

latexr2• 11 months ago

Not to mention forcing non-gamers to create an account and install Steam just for one piece of software. That would likely lose you sales.

latexr2• 11 months ago

I have never used it as a seller, but I’d consider Gumroad.

https://gumroad.com

That should allow you to effectively have a paywall, as you mentioned: someone can download the software only after paying. I’d also consider not adding DRM to it. In the end, you’re probably going to waste more time with it than the money it’ll save you, only to be cracked anyway. Perhaps consider making it free for countries with a large cracking culture, so they have no reason to do it.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27184692

What I probably wouldn’t do is implement the online verification, for something which only works offline. It’s as a selling point that your software never accesses the web. And again, the effort is probably not worth it.

Ask HN: What is the easiest way to paywall native software?

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