Alarmy app and the problem of expensive lifetime access after switching to "freemium" subscription model.: Difference between revisions
Created page with "{{IncidentCargo |Company=DelightRoom |StartDate=2016-10 |EndDate=2025-08 |Status=Active |ProductLine=Smartphone App |Product=Alarmy |ArticleType=Product |Type=Exploitative pricing |Description=Alarmy app is now subscription-only, using a ludicrous $200 lifetime-access to force users. Reddit users say it once cost $2 — unverified. }} {{Ph-I-Int}} ==Background== {{Ph-I-B}} ==[Incident]== {{Ph-I-I}} ===[Company]'s response=== {{Ph-I-ComR}} ==Lawsuit== {{Ph..." |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
|Description=Alarmy app is now subscription-only, using a ludicrous $200 lifetime-access to force users. Reddit users say it once cost $2 — unverified. | |Description=Alarmy app is now subscription-only, using a ludicrous $200 lifetime-access to force users. Reddit users say it once cost $2 — unverified. | ||
}} | }} | ||
[[File:Screenshot - Alarmy in app purchase page .png|thumb|Lifetime acces availble for 719,99PLN (~200$). This purchase is not visible in App Store in "In-App Purchases" section.]] | |||
== | == Alarmy app as a good example to a bad practise == | ||
The Alarmy app illustrates how some developers push users into subscriptions by setting an absurd $200 lifetime access price. This tactic leaves consumers with little real choice, unlike its earlier rumored $2 one-time cost, and raises concerns about exploitative pricing in mobile apps. | |||
==Background== | |||
''(Disclaimer: this section requires further research and reliable sources.)'' | |||
= | Alarmy was first released on the App Store in October 2016, according to [https://app.sensortower.com/overview/1163786766?country=US SensorTower]. Early reports from users suggest that the app may have initially been sold for around $2 as a one-time purchase, although this claim remains unverified. Before 2021, the app transitioned to a freemium model, and by that time its monetization fully shifted to subscriptions. Since then, the subscription system has remained in place, supplemented by an unusually expensive “lifetime access” option. | ||
==Lifetime Access Pricing Controversy== | |||
The Alarmy app provides an example of how some developers may pressure users into expensive subscriptions. While not a widely publicized issue, the app’s “lifetime access” price— $200—far exceeds the cost of many professional software tools, like DAWs, and seems disproportionate for a simple alarm app (even with sleep tracking). Reddit users have speculated that Alarmy may have initially cost around $2, though this remains unverified. When users criticized the high lifetime price in App/Play Store reviews, the company did not respond, highlighting concerns over transparency and consumer treatment. | |||
==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||
| Line 30: | Line 28: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
# | |||
{{Ph-I-C}} | {{Ph-I-C}} | ||