Thank you all for your wonderful feedback! I just wanted to set a few things straight.
First, in-app purchases are tied to your Google or Samsung account, depending on which store you downloaded Papyrus from. Purchases are automatically restored or enabled by Google Play or Samsung Apps on all devices you are signed into with that account. This means, if you get a new device, have multiple devices, or need to reinstall Papyrus, you only need to purchase the premium features once (as long as you use the same account). This is true for all applications in these stores (not just Papyrus) as it is handled by Google and Samsung. Please note, however, that it can sometimes take a little while for purchases to show up on other devices or after just installing Papyrus (usually it’s instant though).
Second, we’re always trying to figure out the best business model for us and our users so we can continue to make Papyrus the best note-taking app. We currently offer different paid features individually so users can choose what they want, rather than having one higher priced option (such as a “pro” version or single in-app purchase). Each feature we add to Papyrus is not a new paid feature. In fact, we’ve added many features to the free version of Papyrus over the past year, and we will continue to do so.
Please feel free to continue to provide constructive feedback here about pricing models and what you would like to see!
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback! I just wanted to set a few things straight.
First, in-app purchases are tied to your Google or Samsung account, depending on which store you downloaded Papyrus from. Purchases are automatically restored or enabled by Google Play or Samsung Apps on all devices you are signed into with that account. This means, if you get a new device, have multiple devices, or need to reinstall Papyrus, you only need to purchase the premium features once (as long as you use the same account). This is true for all applications in these stores (not just Papyrus) as it is handled by Google and Samsung. Please note, however, that it can sometimes take a little while for purchases to show up on other devices or after just installing Papyrus (usually it’s instant though).
Second, we’re always trying to figure out the best business model for…
As a user, I lean toward the in-app method you have, as it allows me to pick and choose what I want and I like the idea that it provides the devs with a more constant revenue stream.
HOWEVER, what I really, really don't like is that it makes me as a consumer feel the app gets more expensive over time, which makes it feel far more exploitative than it should, and the value set for the add-ons is arbitrary to the user, which makes me feel wary and makes the overall experience feel "risky".
Let me explain:
1. Right now, in my market (Canada), all the pay functions put together come to $11. I personally feel $11 is pretty spendy for an app that I use sometimes, no matter how handy it is those times I *do*use it -- and that comparison just compounds in my mind over time, and I feel more and more bound to the app as I sink more and more cost into it. This is completely unfair on my part, of course, but I think that's a big part of why people feel better with a single, higher cost for a "pro" version over paying increments over the lifetime of your use of the app.
2. I look at the prices of the functions I'm interested in: cloud support ($3) and PDF import ($5). Immediately, I feel a "whaaat?" sensation. The anchor price set by the cloud support makes the $5 for what I in my ignorance as a nondeveloper feel is a comparable piece of functionality feel like an arbitrarily high price. Do I want it? Sort of. Do I $5 want it? No. The "reason" for the $5 price is not apparent to me, and it feels like an attempt to chisel me, which makes me wary of future content drops. And makes me suspicious of future content prices -- especially if they're more than $3. Why is $3 the anchor price? Because it's the price of the other two functionalities, making it the "majority" price to my perception. Again, this isn't fair or rational on my part -- especially because I have no idea how "hard" it really was or was not to make the PDF import function -- but it's how it makes me feel. Again, I think this explains the general reticence of people to go along with this model.
I really appreciate your thoughtful response to the original question: it's a lot of good info. I hope this ramble is potentially useful -- I think it might provide some insight into why users (myself, certainly) get skittish around the a la carte model, as opposed to a single "pro" price. And, now that I think of it, may also shed light on why subscriptions are often viewed as ok (low apparent price) and sometimes viewed as terrible (high aggregate cost depending on perceived length of service).
Anyway, I say keep the a la cart, but be mindful of each new function's price and make sure you frame anything notably more or less expensive (or more or less functional) with an appropriate explanation of why it's an apparent outlier. You'd probably get a spike of people choosing to jump to a one-cost "pro" version, but over time it'd perform more poorly (I suggest) than a la cart, or even subscription.
Erik
As a user, I lean toward the in-app method you have, as it allows me to pick and choose what I want and I like the idea that it provides the devs with a more constant revenue stream.
HOWEVER, what I really, really don't like is that it makes me as a consumer feel the app gets more expensive over time, which makes it feel far more exploitative than it should, and the value set for the add-ons is arbitrary to the user, which makes me feel wary and makes the overall experience feel "risky".
Let me explain:
1. Right now, in my market (Canada), all the pay functions put together come to $11. I personally feel $11 is pretty spendy for an app that I use sometimes, no matter how handy it is those times I *do*use it -- and that comparison just compounds in my mind over time, and I feel more and more bound to the app as I sink more and more cost into it. This is completely unfair on my part, of course, but I think that's a big part of why people feel better with a single, higher cost for a "pro" version over paying increments over the lifetime of your use of the app.
2. I look at the prices of the functions I'm interested in: cloud support ($3) and PDF import ($5). Immediately, I feel a "whaaat?" sensation. The anchor price set by the cloud support makes the $5 for what I in my ignorance as a nondeveloper feel is a comparable piece of functionality feel like an arbitrarily high price. Do I want it? Sort of. Do I $5 want it? No. The "reason" for the $5 price is not apparent to me, and it feels like an attempt to chisel me, which makes me wary of future content drops. And makes me suspicious of future content prices -- especially if they're more than $3. Why is $3 the anchor price? Because it's the price of the other two functionalities, making it the "majority" price to my perception. Again, this isn't fair or rational on my part -- especially because I have no idea how "hard" it really was or was not to make the PDF import function -- but it's how it makes me feel. Again, I think this explains the general reticence of people to go along with this model.
I really appreciate your thoughtful response to the original question: it's a lot of good info. I hope this ramble is potentially useful -- I think it might provide some insight into why users (myself, certainly) get skittish around the a la carte model, as opposed to a single "pro" price. And, now that I think of it, may also shed light on why subscriptions are often viewed as ok (low apparent price) and sometimes viewed as terrible (high aggregate cost depending on perceived length of service).
Anyway, I say keep the a la cart, but be mindful of each new function's price and make sure you frame anything notably more or less expensive (or more or less functional) with an appropriate explanation of why it's an apparent outlier. You'd probably get a spike of people choosing to jump to a one-cost "pro" version, but over time it'd perform more poorly (I suggest) than a la cart, or even subscription.