Ask HN: Lifetime pricing for SAAS App?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6159149

by webstartupper • 13 years ago

5 8 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I want to test a different pricing strategy for my SAAS web app - DomCop. Currently, I have a monthly pricing scheme (like normal SAAS apps do) and want to try a lifetime pricing i.e. Pay $X and have access to the app for life.

Do you have any examples for apps that have done something like this? I tried googling it and searching here - but I might be using the wrong keywords for it.

Thanks

iriche• 13 years ago

A lot of games are doing that, why not a SAAS app?

webstartupper2• 13 years ago

Thats what I thought as well, but I have not come across any SAAS apps that do this.

Could you tell me which online games do this - a one time fee for lifelong gaming? Thanks

taoquay• 13 years ago

Star Trek Online had a lifetime subscription when it launched in 2010: http://sto.perfectworld.com/lifetime

lwe• 13 years ago

Basecamp from 37signals have a "Basecamp: Personal" account, where you pay once for a single project

https://basecamp.com/personal

LarryMade2• 13 years ago

teamviewer.com has this though the lifetime price is also linked to the local machine version.

colinm• 13 years ago

feedly

webstartupper2• 13 years ago

For those interested, Feedly gave 5000 lifetime license to certain backers for $99. However, once these were taken up, the rest of the customers still have to pay a monthly/yearly amount.

Feedly has probably used the lifetime license as a promotional method (and apparently very well too) and not as a sustainable business model.

rabidonrails• 13 years ago

I've thought about pricing like this in the past but it's important to consider what happens when you decide to stop working on/supporting/customer service.

If memory serves, there was a bit of backlash against 37Signals when they shuttered Breeze (https://basecamp.com/breeze) especially because of the lifetime pricing.

Ask HN: Lifetime pricing for SAAS App?

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