Recent changes to products I use have left me suspicious of application pricing. This, coupled with the capitalistic obsession of locking users into services, has led me to overhaul almost all of the software I rely on for productivity. I’m mad as all heck about it, and I hope the following paragraphs serve as a warning to those who haven’t yet noticed this creeping trend.

I realise that what I’m about to describe is exactly why the free software movement exists—something I learned during my decade of running Linux. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that lesson. But recent demonstrations of greed from software I once adored have reminded me in no uncertain terms.

When I purchased GoodLinks, it cost £15. That wasn’t a subscription or a limited-time offer—it was a one-time purchase. The app was offline, server-free, and didn’t rely on ongoing revenue to function. At the time, nothing seemed off.

But this simple, seemingly honest purchase was the beginning of my distrust. It made me realise how easy it is to fall into the trap of assuming that apps will stay as they are.

GoodLinks lets me capture links and articles, saving them locally and syncing through iCloud. Then, almost a year ago, the app transitioned to a subscription model. It caught me off guard. Suddenly, I needed to pay £5 a year to access new features. The first feature? Article highlighting—something I’d genuinely wanted.

In hindsight, I would have paid for it, begrudgingly. Since I had purchased the app within a year of this change, the feature was unlocked for me. But the way this was rolled out lacked transparency, or feature roadmap and that left a sour taste.

Even more frustrating is that, in the time since, no new features have been added. Users are effectively paying £5 a year for a single upgrade. That feels disingenuous—an opportunistic move to extract a little extra cash from loyal customers.

Case 2: Reeder

Next on my list is the RSS reader, Reeder. For years, it was a shining example of excellent design and fair pricing. You paid once per major version, and that was it.

Now? It’s free to download, but costs £10 a year (or £1/month) to use. It has changed—dramatically. The classic feed-based layout is gone, replaced by a timeline-style interface that feels more like a social network than a reading tool.

I tried switching to News Explorer, but I didn’t love it. And so, reluctantly, I returned to Reeder—not because it’s better, but because I actually like the new timeline… Annoying!

The previous version, now branded Reeder Classic, is still available, but it won’t receive real development. This feels like a false compromise. The developer is relying on loyalty and nostalgia rather than improving the product.

While I don’t expect the subscription cost to skyrocket overnight, even modest annual increases (1–2%) add up over time. And that’s assuming the model doesn’t shift again.

The only upside? Switching RSS apps is relatively painless.

Case 3: DEVONthink

Now we come to DEVONthink. This is the one that really ticked me off.

DEVONthink isn’t just a notes app. It’s a document management platform—a digital brain. I’ve loved it. Trusted it. I paid over £100 for the app, and it maintained a stable business model for years. My entire digital life has been stored in its databases. It always felt safe.

Until now.

With the release of DEVONthink 4, the pricing model changed—and not in a good way. The update brought a confusing, opaque “modern” pricing scheme that hasn’t been properly explained. Users are being asked to trust the developers, but there’s been no clear communication of how much it will cost year on year.

You can opt out of paying and stay on the version you’ve got—but for someone who relies on this app for mission-critical tasks, that’s not a gamble I’m willing to take. macOS updates and hardware shifts make old software unreliable, I can’t afford to risk data loss.

Currently, the cost of staying “licensed” appears to be around £100 a year. That’s not pocket change. And it’s very likely to increase. For me, this isn’t sustainable.

Escaping the Madness

I depend on productivity tools for organising my life, work, and commitments. These recent changes have shaken my trust in proprietary software and made me reassess almost everything I use.

So, I’ve made some changes.

  • I left BusyCal for Apple Calendar—and honestly? It’s actually quite nice.
  • I left Things 3 for Apple Reminders, which does the job surprisingly well.

Yes, I know Things 3 is unlikely to go subscription-based—it’s practically legendary for resisting the trend. But I’d have said the same about DEVONthink a month ago.

The biggest change? Leaving DEVONthink. I explored every option. Most were subscription-based. The free ones could flip to paid. Even apps you “buy once” could pivot overnight.

Eventually, I realised there was only one viable option: Apple Notes.

It’s not a research platform. It lacks DEVONthink’s smart sorting and relational features. But it works. After migrating around 800 notes, my conclusion is: It’s fine.

I plan to stick with it. I’ll resist the temptation of shiny new tools and focus on stability. With an all-Apple setup, Apple Notes offers the most stable pricing model I can find (free with OS) as long as I stay on a Mac.

A Compromise: AnyBox

There’s one exception to my new anti-subscription stance: read-it-later apps.

Safari’s reading list isn’t enough for my long-term archiving needs. So I’ve stuck with AnyBox, which I paid for with a “lifetime” license a couple of years ago. The terms were very clear: one-time fee, full access, forever.

Yes, it’s a gamble. But until Apple offers something better—or Apple Notes adds clipping—I’m staying put.

Final Thoughts

I feel bad. My bad experiences with proprietary apps have made me less willing to pay developers—even those with good intentions. But I need a stable, sustainable workflow for my own sanity.

Have you run into similar frustrations? Have the tools you rely on shifted beneath your feet? I’d genuinely love to hear your experience.