One of the items on this list "FridayGPT" doesn't actually do anything unless you plug in an API key from a subscription service. While I understand that technically the app itself is buy-once, it doesn't feel in the spirit of the website, or maybe should be called out on the page, as it could be quite misleading.
Unless it's (maybe) mainfraame software, your software is going to break with an OS update. O you can maybe keep it working for a while in a VM, but the idea that you'll keep a software binary working forever is, for practical purposes, mostly silly.
Serious question, because I'm not sure how I feel about it… should software with a server-side component that needs to keep working be counted as "buy once"? We've seen so many cases of companies going out of business or just deciding that it's no longer worth running these services, and leaving customers with no recourse.
An example from this list: LocalCan – https://buyoncesoftware.com/localcan – there's a server-side component (which is why ngrok its competitor is subscription based). If this component disappears the app ceases to function.
The flip side to this is that just because an app is entirely local doesn't mean it will work as the software around it gets updated (OSes etc), so if a company decides to stop supporting it, that too is useless in a way. It's not the same because running it on the machine you had when you bought it would still work, but that's not how we use computers in practice. Perhaps this is a different case because many of these "buy once" would charge for a major update like that anyway.
Something is better than nothing, but this feels ripe for abuse. If this gets any real traction and trust from a large user base
– baiting into an expensive one-time-fee and pull the rug becomes that much more viable. In particular it becomes a good place to promote FOSS projects reskins that will be left behind once it gets exposed.
– having a crazy high one time fee and 99.9% operate the subscription tiers will be enough to put the name on the list, which could enough publicity to cover the entry price.
The directory management still gets the money, so I'm also not sure how much incentives they actually have to stop the abuse. What am I missing ?
While the directory is a good idea, the FAQ did not address the one question that immediately came to mind: how is software that requires online activation handled? I've been bitten by vendors who offered perpetual licenses before, only to discover that they dropped support for perpetual licenses and have them push a subscription license on me. (To that software vendor: sorry, but you reneged on your promise. I'm not going to be fooled twice.)
I was about to recommend VueScan which I purchased once way back in 2004 and have used ever since using the same license, but I was disappointed to learn that they have now moved to a subscription model (guess my perpetual license got grandfathered in). How disappointing!
This motivated me to check another perpetual license I've had for a while — MediaMonkey (license bought in 2006). Looks like this is still available as a lifetime license!
I like the premise but don't like the pricing. Google search ads would be a much better investment. Add something that makes it unique like reviews of the software as well, not just a bio and two product links.
You need some kind of special decoration for "you buy a license to use the app, not a specific version of the app", like VueScane or FL Studio (you pay for a lifetime license to "the thing", not "whichever version of the thing happened to be the current version when you bough it").
And maybe a badge of shame for "buy once, and yeah, you own that version, but you get punished for not upgrading by skipping a version meaning you now pay full price again" like DxO… Yeah it's "you own it" but my goodness is it the worst possible way to offer that.
As others have also expressed, a lot of the software here doesn't really live up to the what most people mean by 'one-time purchase'.
Screen Studio: $9/month vs $220 "one-time purchase" with only one year of support.
Sizzy browser: $12/month or $499 one-time purchase.
Then you often have a one device limit – I can't be two places at once but I do have both a laptop and desktop machine.
Who in their sane mind would choose these? Note that the problem with "one-year of updates" is not that you'd want free access to a newer major version of the app, but a year+ is enough time to have a new OS version make your app unusable or subject to security updates. While companies in the before times would quickly release a patch to keep their old users happy, the one-year term just ensures you'll be left hanging.
This is just paying lip service to the idea of a one-time purchase.
This is one of the things I wished I came up with… excellent and useful idea. For a moment I thought it was started by Basecamp people, I am sure they would support this.
I think idea is good, maybe execution is lacking and could use someone else to do it…
There's a ton of shovelware in here and there's currently no good method of filtering it out without manual comprehension. For example, there's an LLM interface that "Lets you access multiple LLM models" (https://buyoncesoftware.com/fridaygpt) But you obviously will not have access to these and it's clear self-promotion spam of over-eager people looking for exposure for their commonplace apps.
Since this website is pretty terrible (and broken, can't submit without a cloduflare error), our app Homechart is a one time purchase, self-hostable household management app. No ads, no gamification, just get-out-of-your-way organization:
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30 Comments
reassess_blind
Needs a sort by popularity filter on the homepage
silvestreh
nanoCAD uses a subscription model
mjmas
Rhinoceros 3D
singpolyma3
I remember when we called this "software"
Aachen
> you can submit it to our directory for a fee of $20. This is a one-time cost
Well at least that's consistent. Feels a bit hidden after the invite in the title, though
fiatjaf
There is so much software you don't have to buy at all, it's all free.
So much you can't even have a directory for them.
riddley
It would be nice if i could limit by my preferred operating system.
danpalmer
One of the items on this list "FridayGPT" doesn't actually do anything unless you plug in an API key from a subscription service. While I understand that technically the app itself is buy-once, it doesn't feel in the spirit of the website, or maybe should be called out on the page, as it could be quite misleading.
fredol
You have to pay to submit your app. Waste of time.
ghaff
Unless it's (maybe) mainfraame software, your software is going to break with an OS update. O you can maybe keep it working for a while in a VM, but the idea that you'll keep a software binary working forever is, for practical purposes, mostly silly.
danpalmer
Serious question, because I'm not sure how I feel about it… should software with a server-side component that needs to keep working be counted as "buy once"? We've seen so many cases of companies going out of business or just deciding that it's no longer worth running these services, and leaving customers with no recourse.
An example from this list: LocalCan – https://buyoncesoftware.com/localcan – there's a server-side component (which is why ngrok its competitor is subscription based). If this component disappears the app ceases to function.
The flip side to this is that just because an app is entirely local doesn't mean it will work as the software around it gets updated (OSes etc), so if a company decides to stop supporting it, that too is useless in a way. It's not the same because running it on the machine you had when you bought it would still work, but that's not how we use computers in practice. Perhaps this is a different case because many of these "buy once" would charge for a major update like that anyway.
haunter
So 99% of the videogames?
makeitdouble
Something is better than nothing, but this feels ripe for abuse. If this gets any real traction and trust from a large user base
– baiting into an expensive one-time-fee and pull the rug becomes that much more viable. In particular it becomes a good place to promote FOSS projects reskins that will be left behind once it gets exposed.
– having a crazy high one time fee and 99.9% operate the subscription tiers will be enough to put the name on the list, which could enough publicity to cover the entry price.
The directory management still gets the money, so I'm also not sure how much incentives they actually have to stop the abuse. What am I missing ?
II2II
While the directory is a good idea, the FAQ did not address the one question that immediately came to mind: how is software that requires online activation handled? I've been bitten by vendors who offered perpetual licenses before, only to discover that they dropped support for perpetual licenses and have them push a subscription license on me. (To that software vendor: sorry, but you reneged on your promise. I'm not going to be fooled twice.)
mattl
I can't tell which operating system the software is for.
pmags
I was about to recommend VueScan which I purchased once way back in 2004 and have used ever since using the same license, but I was disappointed to learn that they have now moved to a subscription model (guess my perpetual license got grandfathered in). How disappointing!
This motivated me to check another perpetual license I've had for a while — MediaMonkey (license bought in 2006). Looks like this is still available as a lifetime license!
zeeebo
I like the premise but don't like the pricing. Google search ads would be a much better investment. Add something that makes it unique like reviews of the software as well, not just a bio and two product links.
TheRealPomax
You need some kind of special decoration for "you buy a license to use the app, not a specific version of the app", like VueScane or FL Studio (you pay for a lifetime license to "the thing", not "whichever version of the thing happened to be the current version when you bough it").
And maybe a badge of shame for "buy once, and yeah, you own that version, but you get punished for not upgrading by skipping a version meaning you now pay full price again" like DxO… Yeah it's "you own it" but my goodness is it the worst possible way to offer that.
gbraad
"Get featured for $99", "Add entry for $20". Doesn't sound very independent, but rather one big ad.
talles
I would love a little icon indicating Windows/Linux/Mac support
zeeebo
There's a mismatch in submit pricing: FAQ says $20 while the submit page says $10
Nihilartikel
Davinci Resolve is a lifetime license for an extremely powerful video production platform. It's a great value even at a serious-hobbyist level.
commanderkeen08
Probably the only app I bought once 10 years ago and still use daily.
https://fogofworld.app/en/
SubiculumCode
FL Studio. Buy once, forever version upgrades. Good software too. https://www.image-line.com/
ricardobeat
As others have also expressed, a lot of the software here doesn't really live up to the what most people mean by 'one-time purchase'.
Screen Studio: $9/month vs $220 "one-time purchase" with only one year of support.
Sizzy browser: $12/month or $499 one-time purchase.
Then you often have a one device limit – I can't be two places at once but I do have both a laptop and desktop machine.
Who in their sane mind would choose these? Note that the problem with "one-year of updates" is not that you'd want free access to a newer major version of the app, but a year+ is enough time to have a new OS version make your app unusable or subject to security updates. While companies in the before times would quickly release a patch to keep their old users happy, the one-year term just ensures you'll be left hanging.
This is just paying lip service to the idea of a one-time purchase.
gslepak
I've been maintaining Espionage (macOS folder encryption + plausible deniability) since 2008 as part of a small Mac shareware business.
$29.99 w/o lifetime updates, and $49.98 with.
As appreciation for this thread, here's $10 off for HN readers (expires April fools): HNONCE
https://www.espionageapp.com/order/?code=HNONCE
desireco42
This is one of the things I wished I came up with… excellent and useful idea. For a moment I thought it was started by Basecamp people, I am sure they would support this.
I think idea is good, maybe execution is lacking and could use someone else to do it…
crawsome
There's a ton of shovelware in here and there's currently no good method of filtering it out without manual comprehension. For example, there's an LLM interface that "Lets you access multiple LLM models" (https://buyoncesoftware.com/fridaygpt) But you obviously will not have access to these and it's clear self-promotion spam of over-eager people looking for exposure for their commonplace apps.
candiddevmike
Since this website is pretty terrible (and broken, can't submit without a cloduflare error), our app Homechart is a one time purchase, self-hostable household management app. No ads, no gamification, just get-out-of-your-way organization:
https://homechart.app
politelemon
This is just a big affiliate marketing site. You have to pay to get listed.