Sync for Lemmy @lemmy.world Ljdawson (Sync dev) @lemmy.world 1 yr. ago

Post launch day chat

Afternoon everyone,

I wanted to go over a few points related to pricing, stats and the roadmap

Pricing

Sync for Lemmy is completely free with ads (the same as Sync for Reddit)
You can remove ads in the account picker or drawer for a one time fee of ~$20
Sync Ultra also removes ads but it's not required
I'll be working on regional prices over the coming weeks

There are now 24k installed users up from 100 the previous day!

I'm going to be spending the next few days going through all of the comments / messages and fixing any crashes.

As always thanks for the support and hope you're liking Sync!

Edit: testing edit

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It's the best app but the pricing is insane. I mean, maybe you have experience from your other apps and you know this is the optimal price, but otherwise, consider changing it. People are surprised by the high price right now.

If it was me, I would price it like this:

Remove ads - $10 lifetime.

Ultra - $3 per month, $20 per year, $50 lifetime.

Those sums are realistic and people are likely to find them acceptable. You would get more users instead of less users paying more.

But this is just me and I speak only as someone who never had an app in a appstore. Maybe you know better. But that's what I would do.
- People are comparing very short timescales for ad removal. Lots of 1 week/2 week comparisons.
  
  I hope to have this app for 4 years, like I had for Reddit. That's $5 per year or 10 cents per week.
  
  Actually, I've paid for 1 month of Ultra to see if Lemmy is worth staying on and if LJ updates Sync, but I don't mind the idea of $20 for a long-time payoff
- Insane? $20 to remove ads is insane? That's 2 Starbucks coffees
  
  The Starbucks coffee price is also insane. $20 for two cups of coffee?
  
  The inflation has made me stop drinking coffee from these chains. It's just a ridiculous price.
  
  Please don't call those caffeinated milkshakes "coffee". Apart from that, I fully agree.
  
  Two Starbucks coffees are 6 to ~12USD) where I live and I think regionalisation of pricing is the main issue people are raising, not that the app "should be free".
  
  I see both sides. I think his point is that people can easily spend 20 dollars/euros/pounds a week in petty cash on coffee, snacks etc. If you'd half those costs for two weeks you have your sync money.
  
  On the other hand 20 dollars is a steep price when it comes to mobile applications.
  
  Maybe a breakdown of associated costs from LJ would help justify his current pricing. I'm assuming it's based on his experiences with Sync for Reddit.
  
  I was a Sync ultra subscriber and I thought it was a bit steep but on the other hand I loved the app and wanted to support him as I understood that a one time cost of 5 dollars for Sync pro wasn't a realistic pricing model either.
  
  At the end of the day if the Sync for Lemmy ad free cost is realistic for both his costs yet affordable for the average consumer then I don't mind if Ultra is a bit steeper.
  
  I dont buy Starbucks, and I won't buy a 20€ Ad-Removal. It is simply to much. 5 would be an instant buy, 10€ may have been ok.
  
  I bought both pro and dev back on the day, and I expected a similar price.
  
  Then don't? You can use the app for free, free as in a free beer
  
  You also need to be insane to pay $10 for a coffee.
  
  The only problem with the prices is it's not yet targeted for regional value. In my country the cost to remove ads is a very fine dinner, not a couple of coffees.
  
  Yeah, Lj said he's taking this week to regionalize pricing
  
  What kind of coffee are you drinking, damn. Besides the point as I can't afford Starbucks either.
- I would say that is still high for ultra. Imo:
  
  Remove ads - $10 lifetime.
  
  Ultra monthly - $1 per month, $10 per year, $30 lifetime.
  
  I would definitely consider lifetime if that was the case. And you would have a ton more users signing up. The number of users should more then make up for the lower prices.
  
  Edit: Question for people downvoting me, do you think I'm being cheap with these prices? $1/month doesn't sound much, but that is the point. It is still $12/year and the amount of users would more then make up for it.
  
  I think the problem with comparing pricing on Lemmy with comparing pricing on Reddit is the scale of numbers. Reddit love it or hate it, had a much greater potential of paid users. When you have to make similar (or at least sustainable) income from a smaller pool of users, prices are going to reflect that (at least short term).
  
  Also when you math it out pricing isn't all that crazy:
  
  $20 ad free lifetime = ~$1.70 USD/mo for 1yr = ~$0.06 USD/per day for a year
  
  $100 Ultra = ~$8.34 USD/mo for 1yr - ~$4.17 USD/mo for 2yrs = ~$0.27 USD/per day for a year = ~$0.14/per day for 2yrs

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