This is terrible.   I have been using a few licenses of Fences for many years and if they stop working I may have to find an alternative. 

I understand you want to stop updates or migrating to the next rev (version 3 to 4) but to cripple the software is not cool and very "Microsoft like". 

I just bought a new PC and this is my FIRST software install (shows you how much I love Fences) and I was perplexed about the "subscription verbiage at checkout. 

Are any licenses 'grandfathered' if purchased before this change?

Will there be an "upgrade" path from version 4 to 5 with Subscription? 

Does the permanent license for $30 include all future updates (incremental AND new versions?)  

Does the permanent license allow for use in more than one PC?  

Regards, 

broderp

Thank you for replying.   This is good news that my early licenses are protected against the pay to play model Star Dock has adopted.  

As I look for alternatives for Fences, I hope Stardock will reconsider their position on a subscription service or at least make the price for a perpetual license a value-add proposition.   $30 is not bad if it was a forever license that included all future updates and versions.  I would even consider $40 a fair price for Fences as outlined in the prior sentence.   Fences does one thing, and it does it well.  Stardock is aware of this - hence the subscription model.  It's a revenue maker and I get that.   Hopefully, no one else will develop something as good or better for less or equal in price and Stardock can continue to profit from thier monopoly.   

Love the software, not a fan of the marketing cash grab. 

Cheers.

Agreed, its not uncommon.  I'm don't mind paying for a "next version upgrades" because as long as my software is not crippled I can still forgo the upgrade and stay with the version I have.  Honestly, I rarely notice any performance or visual difference in Fences upgrades. 

I'm not opposed to paying subscriptions if there is value to me.  It may sound trivial, but the fact Stardock IMO is turning to a more "Corporate Greed" model on this product for the same price as it was without subscription just rubs me the wrong way for some reason.  If the price for subscription based Fences was like $5.99 then this would make sense.   My brain says this:

• $  5.99  Annual Subscription - free updates for one year/  crippled if not renewed
• $12.99  Version License with updates with discounted upgrades to next model /  never made unusable
• $39.99  Lifetime License for all versions: exactly what it implies   

Since businesses like to tout "Support" as what they are getting, offer support for any of the above for an additional $4.99 and see how many people really think they need it for this software.  Truth be told, support comes for most through user forums and THAT is free. 

Regardless, Stardock doesn't care what I have to say and unless sales drop they will not change their mind.  Its really a mute point. 

Lucky for me, the reason for my looking at getting a 3rd or 4th license for fences may be unneeded.  My new corporate laptop is locked down so without admin rights I can't even install Fences.  I will deactivate my license on my current personal laptop I have been using for work and use it on my new PC instead.  

I love fences, thank you Stardock for a very cool way to stay  organized! 

Cheers,

Tbh, the last part is a compliment. What generally cripples older versions of software are changes M$ makes to its OSs, in its efforts to milk the public, not the apps. SD has never (and will never) deliberately cripple its apps to milk its customers.