this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2023
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[–] bug@lemmy.one 68 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Contains ads

ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 45 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That was the case with the original Sync, no surprise here.

[–] ijeff@lemdro.id 47 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

Although there was the option to purchase Pro as a one-time fee. This one unfortunately only has a subscription option (which I'm not too keen on).

Edit: ljdawson has confirmed there will be an one-time payment options for both Ultra and ad removal!

[–] starlinguk@kbin.social 34 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Screw subscriptions. They're invariably a rip off and I'm not made of money.

[–] lolreconlol@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Same.. I rarely buy apps. I'm definitely not subscribing to something.

[–] Zaphod@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 1 year ago

And not to an app to browse a social network, when there's free alternatives without ads

[–] Schaedelbach@feddit.de 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I am in the same boat. Bought RIF years ago and there are a couple of other apps I got as a one time purchase but subscriptions mostly make me delete an app immediately. Stuff like Spotify or Netflix are exceptions of course but those apps are just the gateway to a paid service. Sync doesn't have to pay money on an ongoing basis to Lemmy. It's straight up a purchase to the developer for an app.

Not too concerned though, I use Voyager at the moment and it's just such a great way to browse Lemmy, I have no problem sticking with it!

[–] notapantsday@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago

Technically, they could be fair but they're just always extremely overpriced. If you buy an app for $5 and use it for 5 years, it comes out at 8 cents a month. You'll never find an app subscription that costs you 8 cents a month, but that would be a fair deal.

[–] Weazel@feddit.de 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Afaik a one-time-purchase to get rid of the ads is planned.

[–] ijeff@lemdro.id 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Do you happen to have a source? This is what I'm hoping for.

[–] RedNora@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yes, according to ljdawson on discord, lifetime ultra will be coming back. Not sure about pro though.

[–] ijeff@lemdro.id 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah, I'm thinking more the ad-free pro option, rather than the Ultra. That's all l need πŸ™‚.

[–] Katiria24@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

It's on Sync's discord

[–] BackStabbath@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It'll probably have a one time fee option. The dev must know that not everyone will want to pay a subscription. I paid for removing ads on Sync for Reddit and I'll happily do it again, so hopefully there will be an option of just removing ads. I don't use either Lemmy or Reddit enough to justify paying a subscription, even though I really respect the dev.

[–] ijeff@lemdro.id 5 points 1 year ago

This is what I'm hoping for!

[–] danc4498@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

While I've never used this app, it seems like there are so many good quality free/open source Lemmy apps now that an app with ads and subscriptions doesn’t really make sense.

[–] maxwisecracks@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

there will be an option to buy an ad-free version in the future (IAP).

https://lemmy.world/comment/1969752

[–] ijeff@lemdro.id 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The future is now.

[–] flossdaily@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago (7 children)

I'm fine with an ad version and then an upgrade to an ad-free version.

What's insane here is this developer making a subscription service instead of an ad-free pro version

I mean, he's competing against TOTALLY FREE, Ad-free lemmy apps RIGHT NOW, and every 3rd-party Reddit app developer is working on a lemmy version as we speak.

This was a total clown move. I was ready to drop like $10 on a pro version right now, if it had great UI. But a subscription ... For access to a FREE service? The balls on this guy.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Lemmy is not a free service. You might not be paying for it but some of us are. With subscriptions too. Subscriptions are the better funding model for continued development and operation.

[–] NightOwl@lemmy.one 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Lemmy instances are not a free service. Yet don't have ads and instead rely on donations or are self funded. And then this app comes out with a subscription model to remove ads despite instances doing the heavy lifting of this space that has been contrary to the usual monetization model?

I'm not sure this type of defense you make really applies in this situation. If it was a reddit app sure, but in the space of the fediverse it stands out as rather unusual.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I'm not defending anything. Simply pointing out that Lemmy isn't a free service even if it looks that way for some (or many).

I'm not sure who does the heavy lifting btw. It's not easy to decipher whether running an instance or developing the cloud components or the mobile components is easier. Also the funding is a bit wonky at the moment. The core Lemmy development is woefully underfunded compared to some of the large instances. It's likely to get better eventually but so far I've noticed that core development funding barely budged for the last month or two. Instances are vitally dependent on the core project.

[–] fuzzzerd@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago

People are understandably reluctant to donate to the core Lemmy devs, but donating to an instance is a lot more reasonable to many folks so that's why it's unfolding that way.

[–] NightOwl@lemmy.one 2 points 1 year ago

Yes, lemmy isn't a free service So the argument to defend lemmy and give them money makes more sense when it comes to instances than it does for an app that shows up with a subscription model to remove ads.

The subscription from sync is not one run directly by the lemmy instance that is not charging api calls, not showing ads to users, and not paywalling users yet taking on so much expense. Which is why I'm not really sure what role sync plays here from your comments, since sync app and the costs of hosting a lemmy instance seem like entirely different matters.

[–] SubsAndDubs@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I have to agree with you, I feel Sync has gone against the Fediverse ethos.

[–] donut4ever@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

πŸ˜‚ nailed it. There are other amazing apps that are completely free

Yup what a let down. Luckily there are also open source apps.

[–] Aasikki@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 year ago

On sync for reddit there always was a one time purchase to remove ads. The subscription is for extra features which you honestly don't need. I believe the one time purchase is coming back on this version as well.

[–] cakeistheanswer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's just evidence it's a gold rush.

I wasn't expecting an ideologically motivated project by any means, but his focus is on the diminishing parade of users he's got from the previous app and not where he's sending them.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 4 points 1 year ago

I got kinda disappointed when I noticed that the author almost doesn't visit Lemmy and everything is coordinated on Discord instead of the, you know, forum-thingy which you make an app for.

[–] SplicedWren@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Beta update released within the last hour adds the option for lifetime ad removal.

[–] flossdaily@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] SplicedWren@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

After updating, it's in the sidebar. $12.99 for me.

[–] flossdaily@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

$20 for me.

Lol. I said I was ready to drop $10.

This Dev is really trying to milk this.

[–] Welp_im_damned@lemdro.id 10 points 1 year ago

We lose some we gain some.

[–] fujiwara@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] youthinkyouknowme@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've only noticed it on the 'slide' view mode so far.

[–] fujiwara@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just switched and saw it immediately. What a disappointment :(

Given the dev history on the reddit app and implementation of features and changes based on users feedback, I'm willing to pay for a pro version, not so sure about the subscription model though.