I am infuriated that such a simple software will now start charging me an annual fee! I am extremely unhappy. Currently, at least 80% of software products have moved to subscription models, and those applications are significantly better than a basic desktop organization app like Fences. I will not upgrade and I suggest others do not upgrade either. Fences 4 accomplishes the same task and offers a permanent license. It seems that once you upgrade, you will lose the option to have a permanent license for Fences 4. This software is not worth the cost. The permanent license is £30, which is utterly unfair. I've already paid for this software, and there are no new features that justify spending more money.
It feels like a rip-off, almost as if you literally robbing people. You should be ashamed.Its impossible to get in contact with startdock customer support!I will rather help hackers to crack this software so it could be shared for free!
There is an option to buy a permanent license on the nag screen on my laptop.
I'm struggling to see any reason, when the current version does everything I need though.
What is in the new version that actually makes it worth paying for, (again)?
Regardless of your views on the price, it is never acceptable to suggest you would crack software and further suggestions will result in user bans. Feedback on price is fine, suggesting piracy is not.
If the new version does not offer anything you want or does not provide sufficient value to you then I would suggest you stick with v4. Costs you nothing extra and there is no requirement to upgrade to v5.
It's funny. When the new versions were $4, $5, etc., I would pretty much upgrade immediately. I know that software companies love the idea of a constant revenue stream, but increasing the price of nonsubscription software by a factor of 4 is untenable for me.
Does "permanent license" mean just Fences version 5? That is, when Fences 6 arrives, would I need another $30 permanent license?
Unless Fences 5 has 20+ really useful new major features—which is hard to imagine—the new permanent license price seems a bit high. I'm just going to stick with Fences 4, and I suspect many other users will as well.I suppose this is a sign of things to come for your other software as well. Too bad.
"Does "permanent license" mean just Fences version 5? That is, when Fences 6 arrives, would I need another $30 permanent license?"
Yes, It's exactly what it means.
I paid for a "LIFETIME" license, which apparently means something else to Stardock, since they say it only applies for the current version. I have no idea if that clause was present when I purchased my lifetime license, but I agree that it's unacceptable. Especially since actual updates to any "major version" are few and far between before a new "Major version" is released.
I'm still experiencing bugs that existed in Fences 3 such as icon spacing is constantly being "forgotten" which makes icons squeeze together causing labels to overlap. The only way to correct this to to resize each fence a little bigger, watch the spacing reset, and then resize it back.
If these bugs still exist, what exactly are we paying annually for? Why would the annual fee be for the current Major version only? Why wouldn't it automatically upgrade to the next version? Paying yearly for outdated software seems incredibly stupid.
I still feel cheated out of a lifetime license. I've paid for a lifetime subscription before for an MMO, and guess what? I can log in today and have access to EVERYTHING as if I was paying 15$ a month for the last 12 years.
Well, they probably set the new pricing with the idea that they would lose some customers, so the remaining ones will have to pay more.
For anyone that has ever asked for Fences / Start 11 to become a subscription AND never actually subscribed to Object Desktop should have be disqualified from this request.
Lifetime has never changed definition. It means your license to use the software is not time limited like a subscription. If you have a license to Fences 3 for example, you can continue to use that as long as you wish (subject to OS compatibility of course)
Stardock have always charged for major updates. This isn't new and is pretty much how all software used to be sold. Even today Microsoft come out with a new version of Office standalone and it is an upgrade unless you are using their subscription service.
Lifetime has never changed definition. It means your license to use the software is not time limited like a subscription. If you have a license to Fences 3 for example, you can continue to use that as long as you wish (subject to OS compatibility of course)Stardock have always charged for major updates. This isn't new and is pretty much how all software used to be sold. Even today Microsoft come out with a new version of Office standalone and it is an upgrade unless you are using their subscription service.
Then, like I said Stardock has a much different and misleading definition of "lifetime"
If it only applies to the "current" versions then it's not a lifetime license (this subscription BS didn't exist at the time). It's a purchase like every other software.
If I buy MS Office, then I get that version forever, sure. Also, notice how they wouldn't call it a "Lifetime" license either. If MS offered "Lifetime" subscriptions, then I would get every future versions of office because that's the definition of LIFETIME. I'd get every new versions until either I die or MS goes bankrupt.
Plex has similar offerings. You can pay monthly for their extra offerings (Plex Plus), OR you pay a one time LIFETIME fee and get the Plex Plus features FOREVER. There's no "It's only lifetime for this or that version" BS.
The other example was the MMO. You can pay 15$ a month for their subscription or pay a one time fee and be subscribed FOREVER. This includes ALL updates, EVERY subscriber only feature FOREVER. Like I said, I can log in today and get EVERY benefit of being subscribed no matter what updates or changes they've released over the more than 12 years since I paid. There's no "We arbitrarily decided to call this version 2.0, so your lifetime subscription doesn't apply anymore."
In short, it's the last time I pay for anything with the Stardock name attached to it.
Oh boy here we go yet again. I'm astounded by people's inability to read or even understand the basics. Let me help.
1. The pricing model has been used for as long as Stardock has existed. Yes prices change.
2. Stardock is NOT every other company. Saying crap like <Insert my fav company here> would never charge me blabidy is moot.
3. All of this is spelled out quite clearly and has been forever (See 1. above).
4. Not only is it publicly available it is all over this message board at least 50 times. If you can't do a simple search then i don't know what to say.
5. Define what constitutes "Arbitrary".
6. I suppose Neil and the gang should just keep working for free forever.
7. And finally suggesting piracy is the single most asinine and dumbest thing you could ever do. Or were you just not aware of that policy being clearly spelled out as well?
The pricing model HAS NOT been used for as long as Stardock has existed. Even if I ignore their dubious use of the term "lifetime," it was never a subscription model and now it is. You purchased and that was the end of it.
If I never update past 5, why should I have to continue paying every year? What continual service am I getting that justifies continual payment? Updates? Like I said, the updates are rare and bugs have existed since Fences 3 (probably also existed in earlier versions), so what exactly is the justification that I continue to pay? I remember only getting 2 updates for Fences 3, and then they came out with 4. It's not like they are rolling out updates every week or even month.
Also, What happens when Fences 6 inevitably comes out after barely updating 5? Do I get to stop having to pay for 5 annually? Does my subscription automatically transfer to 6? Considering Stardock's "This version only" mindset, I'd hazard a guess that I'm expected to continue to pay for 5 forever even if it never gets another update. How is Stardock justifying that I pay continuously for a Software they stopped supporting because they decided to put a new number after the word "Fences"?
On the subject of "arbitrary" consider what are the actual differences in the "major" versions of the software? They changed the menu and renamed some of the features, maybe fixed a bug or two. I mentioned one bug that's existed in at least 3 "major" versions now at least. There are probably others, so we know the code probably isn't rewritten from scratch each time. So ask yourself, what exactly constitutes a "major" version to Stardock? What major changes were make that aren't bug fixes that makes it worthy of being version 5 instead of 4.whatever? Slapping a new whole number onto something with pretty minor changes seems pretty arbitrary to me.
When did I ever suggest piracy?
I've made my point. The subscription model is dumb and pretty unjustified. Not going to waste my time here or on software by this company anymore.
The pricing model HAS NOT been used for as long as Stardock has existed. Even if I ignore their dubious use of the term "lifetime," it was never a subscription model and now it is. You purchased and that was the end of it. If I never update past 5, why should I have to continue paying every year? What continual service am I getting that justifies continual payment? Updates? Like I said, the updates are rare and bugs have existed since Fences 3 (probably also existed in earlier versions), so what exactly is the justification that I continue to pay? I remember only getting 2 updates for Fences 3, and then they came out with 4. It's not like they are rolling out updates every week or even month.Also, What happens when Fences 6 inevitably comes out after barely updating 5? Do I get to stop having to pay for 5 annually? Does my subscription automatically transfer to 6? Considering Stardock's "This version only" mindset, I'd hazard a guess that I'm expected to continue to pay for 5 forever even if it never gets another update. How is Stardock justifying that I pay continuously for a Software they stopped supporting because they decided to put a new number after the word "Fences"?On the subject of "arbitrary" consider what are the actual differences in the "major" versions of the software? They changed the menu and renamed some of the features, maybe fixed a bug or two. I mentioned one bug that's existed in at least 3 "major" versions now at least. There are probably others, so we know the code probably isn't rewritten from scratch each time. So ask yourself, what exactly constitutes a "major" version to Stardock? What major changes were make that aren't bug fixes that makes it worthy of being version 5 instead of 4.whatever? Slapping a new whole number onto something with pretty minor changes seems pretty arbitrary to me.When did I ever suggest piracy?I've made my point. The subscription model is dumb and pretty unjustified. Not going to waste my time here or on software by this company anymore.
The label lifetime was added when subscription options for Fences were added to avoid confusion. Unfortunately this seems to be causing you additional confusion. I suspect this wasn't even on the website when you purchased Fences. So if you purchased say v3 then this is the version you purchased and the license continues to work forever.
Stardock have always worked on the model of make product X, after some period there may be a newer version Y which comes with new features. Licenses for X continue to work but if you want Y then you pay more but this is often discounted for existing customers.
This is the model pretty much every software company followed prior to subscriptions becoming a thing. Some companies did this yearly (so 2017, 2018, 2019 etc).
With Fences you can purchase a license like before for a price, or a subscription which costs less. If you buy the subscription version then your license moves over to the latest version at any given time as long as you are still paying. So subscribe to v5 today and if v6 comes out tomorrow (it isn't) then your license works on it. Say v7 comes out in 2025 and you are still paying then your license moves over to that. It is like Photoshop or Office in terms of how that works. With Office you can still purchase a standalone version but it costs considerably more and you don't get the same updates as those who have the subscription version too. Photoshop no longer has standalone options so subscription is the only choice.
If you purchase the non subscription version then the license is for that version only (and any updates it gets), but not major versions. So you would have 5, 5.1 or whatever but not v6. This is different to subscription which gets everything released whilst within a subscription.
If the price isn't worth it to you then thats fine, simply continue to use the version you have. Stardock are not stopping that working, you just don't get the newest features.
Actually, as with all software...if it's perfectly acceptable in the version you have then there is no need to purchase a new version, whether stand-alone OR subscription.
My primary computer is running Fences 3.1.3.3 still...and I have no motivation to change and yes, I am a subscriber so Fences 5 is currently available [as all future versions will be as and when they might appear].
I also own outright Office 2007 and likewise have no urge to update that either on this machine.
Same goes for the OS itself, in spite of Microsoft abandoning it...Windows 7 is still perfectly viable [with security tweaks].
Stardock now has 2 options for 'ownership' of Fences...
The original called 'lifetime'...you buy Fences 5...you get Fences 5 [and any minor updates up to the next version release].
Then there is a subscription to Fences...which will get you [currently] Fences 5 [and minor updates to the next version release]...and Fences 6 [and any minor ...etc...etc ]....keep subscribing and it can be Fences 20 on Windows 20 in X years time.
The latter is what the Object Desktop subscription model has already been giving customers for decades....for more software than 'only' Fences....
I think the core issues all started when start 11 v2 was released. Even though Start 11 v2 actually stayed in the framework and pricing Stardock had used for years, people still complained about that release as well. I even actually saw a few people state that start 11 v2 should be a subscription because they don't want to have to pay for the next version every time it is released. I never actually agreed with these people as I actually think Start 11 v2 is the right way of doing software. But people disagreed with me on that so here we are now with Fences subscriptions in competition with the start model. At the end of the day who buys what will be telling of which model is the best.
My advise for those who also disagree with the subscription model is simple. Don't subscribe to it. You always do get to vote with your wallet and your vote does always matter.
I would imagine the sales numbers, total revenue and even sales numbers vs other non subscription products are monitored though that's not my area.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
Sign in or Create Account
