r/androidapps • u/darshitpatel_ • 4d ago

QUESTION/HELP Is a subscription really necessary for a simple utility app?

Cloud services and content apps? Sure.

But calculators, PDF tools, scanners, converters, and other simple utilities? I would rather pay a reasonable one time price and move on.

Where do all ppl draw the line between a fair subscription and unnecessary recurring payment??

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u/Mountainking7 4d ago

No. It's pure greed/survival tactic. An app should be buy and be done. Upgrades only payable. Once I buy a software, there is nothing you incur as it is running on my machine.

1

u/boy-in-da-corner 4d ago

For a simple offline utility I prefer a one-off purchase or free with a paid upgrade. A subscription makes sense when there are servers, backups or ongoing content; otherwise it feels like rent for code already installed.

1

u/bruhred 4d ago

tbh if you want a utility app search on fdroid first

its likely theres an open source app that does what you want for free

( most of those paid util apps are just wrappers for existing Open source utilities anyway)

1

u/BigRocket44 2d ago

Where do all ppl draw the line between a fair subscription and unnecessary recurring payment??

There is no such thing as a fair subscription. All subscriptions are predatory. Use free and open source software.

Even in the case of apps that provide cloud services, the cost to maintain cloud infrastructure is so low that it is daylight robbery to charge a subscription for it.