Developers revolt over change to subscription based licensing model by Jetbrains

Jetbrains,  a developer of many tools for developers has seen its users revolt after it changed to a subscription based license model. The company previously sold perpetual licenses which offered users the possibility to extend their license if they wanted to continue to receive updates.  Now users of the software require a valid subscription to continue to use the tools. When the subscription is cancelled access is lost.logo_JB_tagline

The change was announced to be simpler, more flexible and easier to understand but users perceive the change as a way to maximize profits. In the comments an user writes, "Oh no, not ANOTHER subscription. Wonderful, now you've joined Adobe (CC) and Microsoft (Office 365) in “renting” your software."

ADVERTISEMENT

The user also questions the reasoning behind the decision, as he continues, "Not for the benefit of your users, of course, just for your own benefit to get continuous cash coming in every month. Subscriptions are a form of ransom : if you stop paying, your software no longer works."

Another user responds with, "Steal it (torrents)".  Obviously an illegal solution as also other commenters point out. However the same user continues, "Yeah, it sucks, and isn't something one should do, but it will happen once certain people find themselves in the boat you described. From a moral perspective, it’s easier for most people to make the jump to pirate something if they've already been paying for it, especially if they feel like they're getting burned, which seems to be the overwhelming sentiment here."

Not everyone appears to be disappointed, although it's hard to find a single user in the almost 500 comments who applauds the change. One happy user writes, "I can see why folk don't like subscriptions, but I object to them based on value for money, not on principle; you don't own the software either way."

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile the company is trying to minimize damages by continuing to explain the change and has posted, "We want you to rest assured that we are listening. Your comments, questions and concerns are not falling on deaf ears."

Previously also Adobe switched to a subscription based licensing model, and also Microsoft offers the possibility to get a subscription to Office 365. However the latter also offers a perpetual license. The move to a subscription based licensing model remains controversial.

No posts to display