Even simple apps nowadays have become subscription only. Whilst I used to pirate most stuff in the past, but if the app in question is a small one time purchase, it’s not bad considering you don’t need to sideload updated apk’s from Mobilism each time a new version is released (looks at some great cheap apps like Pano Scrobbler).
However, the trend has shifted towards the other side with everything from video recording apps(AZ Recorder), Weather apps(Today Weather) and Battery monitoring apps(Battery guru) offering subscriptions. Some have a high one time purchase option but some like the latter don’t.
Battery Guru is an example of enshittification. If phones still came with removable batteries and companies supported them, then for the price of say, a 4 year subscription to the app, I could have just gotten a new replaceable battery. It’s not like the app will magically stop my battery from degrading.
Whilst I have done piracy ( and still pirate stuff like films because no alternative, screw you Netflix), I tried to go the legal route for some apps since then updation and management of them becomes easier. But with the subscription scourge, I doubt devs are going in the right direction.
Running a business works better if you have a steady flow of income. I don’t blame them for trying.
But I vote with my wallet.
I stick to open source apps more and more, and not only for the lack of subscriptions.
Oh, I get what they’re doing, but I resent their approach.
So many just introduced the subscription to sucker the naive.
I don’t mind paying for software. So let me pay for a major version, and if I want a major update, that costs too. I have so much software where a given version works just fine (FolderSync for example, and Office 2016),that I see no need to upgrade.