I’m not going to add much to another thread dealing with subscriptions. 
I’ll only add a few thoughts:
- Applications are different than most things we purchase. We buy them and keep them. If they break we either replace or pay to have them fixed. In a way, a subscription is the cost of “fixing” them (keeping them running on new platforms) and doing what one can’t do with tangible goods–add features. Subscriptions are justifiable.
- App subscriptions are much like streaming services or utilities–there is a cost to keep them going which I, as the consumer, pay monthly for.
- That said, most of us have a finite budget so we have to make decisions. I anticipate even more apps going to subscription–including the real possibility of Things doing so. OF already has a new subscription model. Craft is also subscription as is Ulysses. I mention these three programs because I have used them and I like them. However, I’m hedging my bets and saving a little money by using non-subscription apps whenever they are “good enough.” Here are my examples:
- Moved from Things to Reminders. I like Things better. It is easier but I can make Reminders work good enough and I don’t have to worry about Apple converting Reminders to a subscription–I don’t think!
- I will use Obsidian for all writing and note taking. I like Ulysses and Craft better. But, with Obsidian, all of my markdown files are local and I can use a lot of different apps to work on them. So even if Obsidian went subscription, it would have no material effect on me.
- I’ll use Apple Notes for personal notes.
The decision to go subscription with Notability–again, justifiable–has finally forced me to make decisions about my app choices. I’ve been experimenting with different options for several months but as subscriptions continue to proliferate I am going to minimize their impact in my workflow and budget even if the subscription apps are better.
No cost:
