Pay a little every month to use the software. In the smartphone age (mostly due to the iOS App Store), it became subscriptions. New users would be buying the software at full price as their way into the platform. In the internet age, it would also include all security bug fixes and many OS update fixes.

For existing users, it would cost maybe half or two-thirds of the original price of the software and include all of the latest updates. Traditionally, these purchasing events were done by charging for updates at significant new versions. CSP is not something you are entitled to for the rest of your life because you paid for it once. The cries of “But we’re starving artists” fall on deaf ears to the people who work on the program and want to feed their families, too. It was fun while it lasted, but you can’t expect it to have lasted forever.Īnd, yes, I’ve read lots of the comments. The fact that there hasn’t been a single major update with a required payment since Day One of CSP is insane. You get a whole new set of features and the software publisher is rewarded for their efforts to maintain and improve the software you are using. When a new version is published, that’s the time to pay again.

But once those numbers stop accelerating and incoming revenue starts shrinking, the money to pay the developers dwindles and the company can no longer afford to continue.Īt the very least, you need to pay for major updates. They couldn’t possible afford to continue developing and improving the software without money coming in.Īs a business model, the “one-time purchase/free upgrades forever” model works while the software is in a high growth stage and new people are streaming in. It was never practical to expect the makers of Clip Studio Paint to provide free updates forever. Now that the dust has settled and we can see through clearer eyes, let’s talk about the new way Clip Studio Paint will be sold as of 2023.

Clip studio subscription price