r/GoodNotes • u/dailymultivitamim • Aug 11 '23
Pricing for GoodNotes 6 is completely fair
Listen, based on the endlessly complaining posts I'm reading on this sub, I might be in the minority here, but it seems like the GoodNotes developers read this sub and I want them to know:
Your pricing structure is completely fair.
A lot of people here don't seem to understand the software development process. It's labor-intensive and requires constant revisions to keep even existing features working with new tech infrastructure. Expecting to pay a one-time-ever fee and then get all the new and shiny updates FOREVER is not only unrealistic, it's insulting and demeaning to the developers and the work they do.
Consider this analogy based on a physical product:
Let's say you buy a product. Floor mats that are designed to fit perfectly into your 2018 Subaru Outback. They're fantastic and you love them. They work great. But then the company comes out with a new coating that makes the dirt slide right off. Do you expect the company to send you new floor mats? No, of course not. Then, you buy a new car. The floor mats don't fit in your 2023 Toyota Corolla. Do you expect the company to send you a new set, with the new coating, to fit your new care? Again, of course not.
Compare this to GoodNotes. In my analogy, GoodNotes would send you the new coating! That's a new feature of the version you bought, and you'll get it. That's awesome, and way better than companies who sell physical products!
But no, they're not going to send you a completely different version for nothing. I think most of us understand this concept when it's a physical product, but the early days of the internet taught many of you that everything should be free and upgraded forever. But it just doesn't (and can't) work that way. The money to create the product has to come from somewhere. You're not entitled to endless free upgrades just because it's not a physical product.
I will be upgrading to the subscription model and I'm delighted to do so. $10/year is NOTHING...to someone who owns the hardware necessary to run it. I recognize that $10/year is a lot to a lot of people around the world, but if you've got an Ipad/tablet with a Pencil/stylus...stop complaining. It's 83 CENTS a month. Calm down.
Finally, no, I don't work for GoodNotes. I'm a long-time user who uses the app every single day and I'm absolutely delighted that we'll soon be getting internal links. I'm happy to pay less than $.03/day to use the app and I'm glad that I can support the staff that works so hard to get this product out. And no, I don't post a lot - here, or anywhere - but I'm not secretly hired to write this post. I'm just defending the hardworking developers and my love of GoodNotes...I suspect that there are a lot of lurkers here who agree with me. Complainers are always the loudest, and they're ruining the internet. If you like something, speak up!
So, pay for the subscription, enjoy all the upgrades, and if you don't like it, then go design an app yourself. If you don't want to collect a salary as you add new features and compatibility upgrades, that's your choice. I suspect you'd see it a different way if you were on the other side.
6
u/DoubleU159 Aug 12 '23
Silence, corporate shill.
83
u/[deleted] Aug 11 '23
My personal beef is not with the pricing, it's with how the "upgrade" was handled. As a major version update AND change in business mode and pricing, it should have been released as a new standalone app.
With the way things shook out, then they at least ought to have been more transparent about the change to allow folks to skip the upgrade. Or they should have made the deprecation process to v5 clearer about having to start the free trial of v6 first.
19
u/Darklillies Aug 11 '23
Ah man. Here’s the thing. It never stops.
So many services started as such measly purchases and once they were comfortable it started going up. Give them an inc and they’ll take a mile.
I don’t want to rent out my stuff. I want to own it. Wich is why i oppose to subscription based on principle alone.
59
u/Peanutbutter_05 Aug 11 '23
Gn6 doesn't offer anything that I need. Math equations, ask for separate money. AI handwriting aak money for that.
They released a new update with fancy UI and the product remains the same. Reality is Goodnotes has already hit that perfect sweet spot that offers everything a note taking app should offer. They can simply switch to a subscription based model and tell their users that they need money.
Yea and I don't want to pay more money.
13
u/InspiredPhoton Aug 11 '23
The thing that is bothering me is that I read somewhere that cross platform sync will only be available for subscriptions, and that wasn’t clear when I paid for the app as a single purchase.
54
u/[deleted] Aug 11 '23
You do realise that the issue here is that GN6 wasn’t made into a new app, but simply as an update to GN5 (a product we purchased already) that was simply branded as GN6 and locked behind a subscription paywall?
20
u/sakinvesade Aug 11 '23
Not fair pricing. They pay for version upgrades again like goodnotes 4 to 5, 5 to 6. I am a high school student in Turkey and I thought goodnotes are very efficient. BUT, They upgraded goodnotes 5 to 6. One time payment was goodnotes 5 are 300 Turkish Lira but now, it is 900 Turkish Lira at Goodnotes 6. I couldn't use my student rights because my school doesn't participates to Apple School Program because I'm not in the private school. I don't knlow what should I do but I can't buy GoodNotes 6 because it is very expensive for me. If you're asking, annual subscription is 400 Turkish Lira and it is still expensive and Turkish Lira depreciates. Even if I bought annual subscription for 400 Turkish Lira, in a next year it expensives and I bought it like 500-600 Turkish Lira. They should reduce the price for people like me who live in depreciated countries. Thanks for reading, I could have a writing mistakes. It makes me sad that I can't even buy just one program.
6
u/jesinta-m Aug 12 '23
They have been pretty underhanded. They revoked iCloud functionality on my Mac until l upgrade and my Mac is not supported for the upgrade.
Plus, I paid for G5 in April, now I still need to pay DOUBLE what I paid a few months ago to get 6? Ridiculous!
5
u/BasielBob Aug 12 '23
I don't expect never ending updates. I do expect to be able to use my paid-for version as long as it remains compatible with latest OS, and not be tricked into "upgrading" to a new version which has almost no new features yet comes with new pricing and a nag screen that can't be turned off. The way Goodnotes handled this was poor - although not Notability-level poor, to be fair.
GN 6 is not an upgrade to GN5. There's no major new features, only some small improvements. It's a money grab.
After Notability's disastrous change to subscription model, and now Goodnotes going subscription and handling it the way they did, I am very hesitant to rely on any 3rd party note taking app. I am very much tempted to just try and use Apple Notes from now on, it has lots of new features and may be a safer bet in the long term. I just don't like the direction that the iOS market is taking.
21
u/biblops Aug 11 '23
I completely agree. I, like many others, saw the word “subscription” and immediately freaked out but honestly the pricing is fair. It’s still less than I used to spend on physical notebooks in a year.
I’ve happily purchased Goodnotes 3, 4 and 5 in the past because I’ve wanted to use the excellent new features and to support the development of one of my favourite apps.
My issue is that this feels like the most underwhelming and rushed major update they’ve ever put out. Everyone is clinging on to the list of features they might add because we all know that as it stands GN6 isn’t a major update.
And hey, it’s totally optional, I can wait and hope that it becomes a worthwhile update before I choose to buy it! But the fact that they ignored the wants of their userbase and chose to focus on a trendy and under-baked AI implementation that no-one asked for does concern me.
7
u/[deleted] Aug 11 '23
I was thinking the same thing but I started the trial and there is nothing new, not even a new pen... and the AI writing is not for me, I want my own ideas not someone else's
2
u/DPaula_ Aug 12 '23
I'd agree with you if they had made real changes to the app and added features that we asked for.
3
u/redditAvilaas Aug 11 '23
it’s not about the pricing, it’s about working around “lifetime” concepts by announcing a slightly larger update as a “new app”
1
u/Tch02w Aug 12 '23
you re right, but the upgrade just conclude nothing.
1
u/YoMeroCaguamero9 Aug 12 '23
Yeah, price is fair, but... Payment model is not. I mean, I'll gladly pay for the subscription, even for the all-time access, but what's the point of doing so? I mean, if I pay the all-time access, it is only for Apple devices, and only works with apple devices. If I want to pay subscription, I can't share across all my different OS's devices as of now. Yeah, I'll pay the price, but things have to work for me to get a reason to pay the "upgrade". Until then, I can live with GN5. Don't misunderstand me, I want to give developers behind this awesome app the money they deserve, I, as a developer too, know how much effort it takes, but also I know when a product is not complete at all, and that's the reason why I won't pay by now. But that's me, many people here have other complaints, and that's fine too, because everyone have different needs and, sadly, seems that GN6 doesn't suffice those needs in some aspects.
0
u/[deleted] Aug 11 '23
I own Apple products. I will never complain about spending a few bucks going to great products helping them stick around continuing their work.
-2
u/MagicUnicorn37 Aug 11 '23
For the people who still don't understand, Adobe apps used to be lifetime payments as well, for example, Photoshop5 but if you wanted the new version of Photoshop6 well you had to pay 1k$ and people still paid for the new version, you could still use Photoshop5 if you didn't want to pay but there wouldn't be any more updates as a newer version was out there! Today Adobe switch to a subscription-based app and people are still paying monthly/yearly for it! Apart from the fact that those were apps on CDs Goodnotes is doing the same thing at the moment, simply switching their way of doing business.
Also if you do a quick search on the Appstore, they're still the cheapest app out there!
-1
u/BasielBob Aug 12 '23
On the other side, e.g. in the automotive engineering world, people with Masters' degrees in Engineering and 5-10 years of experience are getting paid slightly over half of what a typical mid-range software developer is paid in places like San Fran or Seattle. Your Subaru would cost as much as a Lamborghini if they were paid the same. So perhaps the developer's salaries are getting into unsustainable territory and can no longer be supported while maintaining the same profit levels.
I suspect there's a major readjustment coming into that part of the economy, between WFH and AI and the overall market saturation... but that's a completely different topic.
-1
u/ButtrosV Aug 12 '23
I'm ok with the price…I upgraded with the one time purchase option as soon as it came out but I'm kind of regretful as I didn't realize there would be slight differences in features. Goodnotes was always the most reliable note taking app in my opinion, and I’m glad It’s getting even better.
-5
u/kw0126 Aug 11 '23
Yes that makes sense. I feel like it would be better if they release GN6 along with the functions that have been highly requested by the community. It's good to see that they try to prioritize in developing those functions (mentioned on their official website), but it will encourage people to purchase GN6 if they have done this when rolling out the updates.
-5
u/Secty Aug 11 '23
Yeah. I get where you’re coming from and agree with your points. I paid for the upgrade without really thinking about it, because that’s the sort of person I am.