Ask HN: One Time Pricing Option on SaaS

[gerardojbaez]

Is it a good or bad idea? Think of lifetime deals like the ones found in AppSumo. It could be for a limited time only (suitable for early access) or as the only pricing option for our SaaS. What are your thoughts on this?

What I like the most about SaaS is having a single codebase that works almost everywhere. You deploy your software and it is instantly available to all your users. No need to support old versions of your software; development is straightforward, syncs out-of-the-box, etc.

The problem I see is that almost everything is subscription-based nowadays. Of course, users pay for what they get; like having access to always up-to-date software and support.

But, what if we can set some limits and provide users with pay once, use forever?

For example, for a finance app, let's say that users pay for up to 1 year of transaction history for just $19. Or even up to a max of transactions, per period. If limits are reached, then the user may have the option to upgrade either by a monthly/yearly subscription or even by expanding their current one-time plan.

For me, one-time pricing option seems like a good differentiating factor, and a quick way to get funding since users may be more inclined to pay for one-time rather than recurring plans. Also, it is a good way to pass savings to your users.

What are your thoughts?