Affinity Designer Now FREE with All features can be used, except for AI.
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It's a silent subscription model as we own nothing but eventually strings will be attached because a corporation is duty bound to remain profitable. I don't think it's a good idea to push independent developers to work for free. That only helps out the competition that has deep pockets. If you want a project to grow, there are plenty of other ways to contribute than asking them to make the product free... no such thing.
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@lilith There's more than just discriminatory content being subject to review in the link @fde101 provided and it's a code of conduct, basically... if Affinity is now a service requiring an active user account for licensing, then we don't actually own anything.
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@lilith said in Affinity Designer Now FREE with no restrictions or payment needed.:
What I mean is that we can have a free version with some basic features, and a paid PRO version with advanced features;
No offense, I understand the desire, of course, but I don't know
anyone who could live or work for free.In my opinion, €95 (often less on sale) is still very good value for an
app with all these features, and no, I'm not rich. I also have no
objection to the developer of my beloved app being able to make a
good living and continue working on it.Or should apps only be developed by large companies that can then
use "free" offers to bind "customers" in one way or another?
Personally, I don't consider Canva's offer "free" and suspect it will
involve some costs sooner or later.
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@lilith said in Affinity Designer Now FREE with no restrictions or payment needed.:
What I mean is that we can have a free version with some basic features
No plans for this at this time.
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@lilith said in Affinity Designer Now FREE with no restrictions or payment needed.:
I think regular people would not create the discriminatory content it mentioned,
That's not the problem. The problem is "in our sole determination". Something that is viewed as discriminatory by one person won't be by another. Different people will interpret the same thing differently, particularly in the world of visual arts, and the fact that they are clearly stating they might "permanently" "terminate" access "without notice" means you could suddenly find yourself cut off from a tool you need for your work, without warning, based on someone else's opinion which you might not share.
You may not think of what you created as fitting those categories, but that doesn't matter. If they do, then you lose your access.
The first issue is that the license terms are based on things which are subjective instead of objective.
As others also echoed, the second issue is that they have turned it into a subscription.
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@lilith said in Affinity Designer Now FREE with All features can be used, except for AI.:
Is vectorstyler also considering releasing a free version?
OMG Noo! If you want a free product than use a free product. But I'd rather have a good product without hidden costs and weird terms (search for the 'Affinity terms' on the Canva site) now or in the future with no things after a subscription-based paying wall now or later, but a perpetual license for the product which is trustworthy and where the company keeps its promises. The price VectorStyler goes by is very reasonable. Especially for the development cycle rate. IMO it's also not reasonable to even ask to make it free knowing this is a one man thing. It makes me think if you understand what time goes into creating such software.
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I think we should all be thankful to have such a dedicated developer behind VectorStyler (@VectorStyler). His commitment to improving the app, listening to users, and implementing bug fixes and requested features—often in such a short time, no matter how complex or niche—is truly remarkable and something rare in today’s software world.
I want to support his effort financially (the price is more than fair) to help ensure that this great tool continues to grow and evolve over time, and that his motivation to keep improving it remains strong.
I’d also like to contribute in my own small way to helping VectorStyler gain more visibility and attract new users. I believe what’s mostly missing right now are quality tutorials. I’ve never made YouTube tutorials before, but I’d be willing to give it a try. I remember it was mentioned that promotion would become a focus after the 1.3 release—if there’s a plan for that, I’d be interested in knowing how I could help.
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Do it and learn along the way.
My little tutorials often started for different reasons. Either through
VS features that I was exploring myself, or it was a way to
familiarize myself with VS's features. Or as a small project that I
did for myself and later had the idea to share it. Explaining things
to others often helps with understanding as well.Btw i can recommend using "ScreenPal"—it's a great tool for this.
It's easy to learn, has some video editing tools, and you can upload
your videos for free to your free account.
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@Subpath yes, you're right. I should just start and do it. I was wondering what channels to use if one was planned. Where can I find your tutorials on YT ?
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You won't find me on YouTube, and I have no interest in doing so.
I don't know if that will change in the future, but I don't really think so.I post my tutorials here in the forum to show features, for helping
new users, and serve as a reminder for myself.
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@Subpath said in Affinity Designer Now FREE with All features can be used, except for AI.:
You won't find me on YouTube, and I have no interest in doing so.
I don't know if that will change in the future, but I don't really think so.Actually, I’d suggest posting your tutorials on YouTube. Here are the reasons: 1. They’ll reach a much larger audience, which can attract more new users. 2. People can subscribe to your YouTube channel to access all your videos—finding all your tutorials on the forum is practically impossible. 3. You can share the YouTube links on your tutorial page after uploading the videos, which kills multiple birds with one stone. Hope you’ll consider this suggestion!
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@Subpath And here’s another thought: if your tutorial videos consistently draw a huge following—tens of thousands or even millions of subscribers—they could also bring in some extra income, haha!
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@monsterfox said in Affinity Designer Now FREE with All features can be used, except for AI.:
Hope you’ll consider this suggestion!
Well, I've already considered this and consistently decided
against it. And that will remain the case for the time being.I get all your points. But in my eyes having and managing
a YouTube channel is a bit different ballgame.My goal was and is not to have a large following or to
earn extra money on the side (which in Germany, depending
on income, could be taxable; you might even have to register
a business and deal with various other things).People who are interested in VS and have questions can check
out the forum, ask their questions, and may find something
helpful in the Tutorial Section.
