App: Switch to pay-as-you-go licensing

Personally I don’t like subscriptions very much.
I prefer to pay once, use it as long as I wish, and decide myself when I want a new (upgraded) version.

That said, I can’t imagine how 10 EUR once in a live time could be a sustainable business model.
Kurviger is not Whatsapp/Facebook. (there you are the product being sold, not the customer :face_vomiting:)
If we want Kurviger to survive we’d have to pay more. :money_mouth_face:

To attract new users, and don’t annoy existing users the current price model IMHO should be kept for the current feature list. But new features could cost extra.
An alternative to subscription may be plugins for new features. (OsmAnd is doing this AFAIK)

Possible candidates for extra payment would be:

Manfred

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Presenting all variables, besides app (not free) development, several features cost on regular basis, like maps (offline / online), hillshading and other.

I really love this discussion thread, what an awesome back and forth of opinions, I think this gives the devs already valuable input for what they could implement in the future. I also want to say a couple of things and present my taste:

No I don’t agree, not “by definition”. On most subscription models or prices that I can imagine, after two or three uses, the subscription is probably already more expensive than the current 10€ single payment

You’re making tons of good points in the first couple of responses, but this one is a bit strict I think. It depends hugely on the fine-tuning of the subscription models, and what features would be locked behind the paywall. If the models are combined like Robin and linux-user suggest I think I would be able to find my personal niche of features.

Lastly, let me just say what is incredibly important to me and I think has not been said before:
If you move to a subscription model, then I think it’s a must to grant the useres that already paid the 10€ all the features, at least the ones they had before. Lifetime must mean lifetime, I cannot stand companies who lock features after the fact.

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@linux-user expressed reasonably well above what most think for any app’s viability.

I dont like to pay every month or year such as with many othet software nowadays.
(MyRouteApp does this and I avoid it because of that) athough it has many good features.
Yes, I would like to pay more if everything is fully working on the android pro app.
Max would be 50 Euro, but once only.
Then a new (smaller) payment for major updates with new features, just like as it used to be for most softwares.

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I’ve just read this thread. I know it’s a bit tricky. Nobody wants to pay to much and the developer needs an income. Devil’s circle… Is this the correct translation? I’m also one of the people who don’t like the monthly payment version. And I believe it will keep people away from buying Kurviger Pro. I think the developer’s should do a test with a donation button.

I enjoy the all the things which are coming with Kurviger and this forum. The straight contact to the developer is unique. And I personally would be fine to give every year some money. And I think the developer’s will see that the people appreciate the work they do.

Regards, Nico

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Google Play does not allow external payments.
Several apps have been removed from Google Play because of violation of payments policy.

Google Ejects Open-Source WireGuard From Android Play Store Over Donation Link In App

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Hello devemux86,

I didn’t know it. Google is for someway really strange and takes a lot of Money for work they don’t do themselves.

Does the donate button at the kurviger.de website reach all the developers of Kurviger?

Regards, Nico

Actually there are 2 developers:

  • @boldtrn handles the website with routing
  • I am the author of the application(s)

I am not quite ready to examine potential changes in Kurviger’s business model.
With many features under my implementation, we must be careful & transparent.

One thing is for sure and like mentioned above in a similar app’s coming change of business model:
Without subscriptions there cannot be any sustainable future for any application.

Note: it’s funny that the only mode where Google offers free trials is inside subscriptions. :slightly_smiling_face:

Hello devemux86,

I know this and you are earning my respect.

We will see what the future holds.

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It’s quite easy to do it:

and I do it - comparable to a tip for exceptional service.

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YES. This is what Í´m gonna do. Every year. And I hope others will as well. We must make sure this app/service survives long time!

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I know…:smirk:

Website donations are not related to the application.

Eine Alternative wäre vielleicht ein Live-Abonnement wie bei OsmAnd+? Siehe http://osmand.net/osm_live, da kostet das Jahr 5,99 €.

An alternative might be a live subscription like OsmAnd+? See http://osmand.net/osm_live, there the year costs 5.99 €.

OK, so donating over Website will NOT reach everybody involved.
This is SUB-OPTIMAL and defeats the whole purpose.
I would really like to support everybody involved with the project.
That is all the people that contribute should be reached.
At the moment I am unsure how to do that :frowning:

One-time payment cannot cover any product’s ongoing costs over time.
Only viable solution for any application’s future seems the subscriptions.

Here besides app development, there are also map server monthly costs.

Moin zusammen!
Vielleicht ist es ungewöhnlich, dass ein Kunde vorschlägt, ein Abo-Modell anzubieten. Aber ich weiß, dass ihr nur ein kleines Team seid. Die Pro-Version kostet(e) 12 €. Einmalig. Ich befürchte, dass das vielleicht nicht ausreicht, denn die app wird immer umfangreicher und komplexer. Das ist wunderbar, und bald werde ich mich sicherlich über eine Favoritenverwaltung freuen dürfen, über Wegepunkte-Typen, Shaping points, etc, sodass ich kurviger auch als Planungstool nutzen kann. Das bedeutet aber immer mehr Aufwand für die Entwickler. Was wir als Kunden machen könnten (neben der lebendigen Diskussion im Forum), ist etwas Geld zu geben. Andere Navi-apps wie calimoto und myRoute-app machen es so. Das finde ich jedoch viel zu teuer. Wie wäre es, wenn ihr den Kaufpreis (sind es noch 12 Euro?) einmal jährlich erhebt? Das reicht nicht, um reich zu werden, aber vielleicht, um eure Arbeit zu finanzieren, Infrastruktur aufzubauen, Serverkosten zu zahlen oder zusätzliche Dienste zu integrieren. Es geht ja auch darum, Werbung in der app zu verhindern. Außerdem könnte es auch eine Motivation für euch sein, am Ball zu bleiben (Ich habe diesbezüglich aber keine Bedenken :-))

Ich kenne euer Geschäftsmodell nicht, es sind nur meine Vorstellungen. Ich jedenfalls fände ein paar Euro im Jahr sinnvoll angelegtes Geld, denn ich bin in vielen Dingen überzeugt von kurviger pro und freue mich jedesmal, wenn die Grenzen der app wieder mal erweitert wurden und neue Funktionen hinzukommen. Mit dieser jährlichen geringen Zahlung würdet ihr euch auch positiv von calimoto und myRoute-apps abheben. Aber vielleicht passt das ja auch gar nicht zu eurer Philosophie, dann ist es auch gut. :wink:
Community, steinigt mich bitte nicht!


Hi there,
perhaps it is unusual for a customer to suggest offering a subscription model. But I know you’re only a small team. The pro version costs 12 €. One time only. I’m afraid that this might not be enough, because the app is getting more and more extensive and complex. That’s wonderful, and soon I will surely be happy about a favorites management, waypoint types, shaping points, etc., so that I can use kurviger as a planning tool. But this means more and more effort for the developers. What we could do as customers (besides the lively discussion in the forum) is to give some money. Other navi-apps like calimoto and myRoute-app do it that way. But I think that is much too expensive. How about charging the purchase price (is it still 12 Euros?) once a year? That’s not enough to get rich, but maybe to finance your work, build infrastructure, pay server costs or integrate additional services. After all, it is also about preventing advertising in the app. It could also be a motivation for you to stay on the ball (but I have no concerns about that :-))
I don’t know your business model, it’s just my ideas. In any case, I would find a few euros a year of well invested money, because I’m convinced of kurviger pro in many things and I’m happy every time the limits of the app are extended and new functions are added. With this annual small payment you would also positively distinguish yourself from calimoto and myRoute-apps. But maybe it doesn’t fit to your philosophy, then it’s good for you :wink:
Community, please do not stone me!

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Thanks for the valid concerns about Kurviger future!

I moved the post in the related existing discussion, where we have already expressed our thoughts and explained the ongoing costs for development, servers, etc.

That is 9.99 € one time purchase.

The day will come! don’t call for it!!!
They will be sold or acquired by a profit organization (or the older market dominants) and the good old days will be over.
RGDS
hk

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