[TACD]

Subscriptions for simple usage only make sense for a true service with an ongoing cost to the provider; cloud storage, email, movie streaming, etc. A subscription for a general-purpose application is incongruous; you’re purchasing a finished product with no ongoing costs, like a pair of shoes or a book, and it should cost a one-off fee that reflects the cost that went into producing it.

What subscriptions are theoretically paying for is *updates* — the ongoing cost of supporting new technology, fixing bugs, and adding features. Requiring additional payment for additional work is totally fine, and some apps successfully use this model (Agenda (https://agenda.com) and Nova (https://nova.app) are two that come to mind, and I’d be interested to hear of others).

Requiring ongoing payment just for continued usage is predatory and leads to a perverse incentive where developers don’t actually need to provide updates or new features; they’ve got you as long as you still need the app’s basic functionality. It’s rent-seeking behaviour and it will prove to be as toxic in the digital realm as it is in real life.

[adventured]

Paying to rent Photoshop to use it for a task is absolutely no different than paying to rent a tree stump grinder. It all depends on what your needs are as to whether such rentals / subscriptions make sense for you or not. Don't rent the thing in question if it doesn't make sense for your context.

If you need to use Photoshop daily for the next three years, paying monthly might not make sense. If you need it for two months, it might make a lot of sense to rent it instead of buying it.

> Requiring ongoing payment just for continued usage is predatory

No it's not. You're not entitled to their property. If you don't like their payment terms, don't purchase their service. It's no different than purchasing a television one-off; don't pay $5,000 for a TV if you don't agree with the pricing. It doesn't matter if you're paying monthly or one time, the principle is identical. There are available alternatives to just about every type of software.