I dont need distribute my apps over Apple Store or even notarize them.
I use all my compiled Mac , Andriod & IOS Apps only lokaly on my own devices or sideload for friends to test.
The biggest disadvantage of the Lite version is that it is not Version Control Ready. IMHO, the Free version should already be able to do this.
How do you get a free dev account?
Account Management - Support - Apple Developer.
Developer Account <> be part of the Apple Developer Program
When youâre ready to build more advanced capabilities and distribute your apps, you can join the Apple Developer Program to distribute on the App Store, Apple Business Manager, and Apple School Manager.*
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If you join a program, youâll see additional membership-related options in your account, such as membership information, access to Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, code-level support, and more.
Right, so to do anything which involves distributing apps (e.g., via a website) to others requires a paid dev account, and downloading certs for use when code-signing and notarising.
Please donât recommend people to do this. Thereâs two problems with it.
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The dynamic code sign will actually break certain functionality and prevents TCC from being retained build to build. You should ALWAYS sign your development certificate.
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Deep has been deprecated since 10.9, the longer people use it and tell others to use it, the more problems thereâs going to be when it completely breaks, itâs already partial broken.
I totally get your reason behind this post. I myself is just getting back into the waters, and thereâs no way that I can put this kind of money down just to get started. I get by with using the free option to compile and test on different platforms, but I know already now, that I canât do anything than wait for the Pro version to drop in price. I need proper SQL access on desktop and I need iOS which basically means that I need to renew a license each year. And then the Pro version just becomes to expensive.
I need version control and workers as well. I could probably find another way to connect to a DB, that would be sufficient⌠but honestly⌠itâs not really an advanced feature now a days.
I really donât care if itâs mix and match for One desktop + One Mobile or a Xojo Foundation License that you can renew individual platform licenses upon in an incremental fashion.
My ultimate license would be something that allowed me to compile Mac and Windows as well as iOS. And as stated above gave me the SQL and workers. I can live without support, early access and fast fixes and could probably live with only having one license on a Mac and not on a Windows PC even though it would become slightly annoying with my current workflow.
But all in all⌠the price model for a subscription is to steep for a single hobby developer. If I cut my features down and accepted to find another SQL connect approach and had no way of doing console apps and thereby using the worker process (or alternative) then I would right now have to pay 428 USD. That amount of money is about my absolute maximum, but not when I still lack the mentioned features. I would say 299 USD is more suitable and would be something that I could consider just subscribing blindly for annually. (Win, Mac, iOS, Console, Workers, SQL).
This is probably not gonna happen, but one is allowed to dream 
If Xojoâs market is the citizen developer then the prices are just too expensive.
Starting with Lite is not hard (if below $100) for many, but jumping from Lite to Desktop just for wanting version control is hard to justify. If they want to explore Web or Mobile thatâs another big jump to Pro.
Mobile development is not financial possible to someone not working to make money unless they want a hobby that needs to spend hundreds of dollars a year.
I have read many times that if the prices were lower and/or auto-renewals were 40-50% off, people will âblindlyâ buy and renew. I think this will help Xojo grow in active users (with current license), but I donât know marketing, or their numbers, just a point of view from the outside and what people post.
I think I mentioned this on tâother forum, that Xojo Lite might be a really hard sell to someone looking to learn programming. A single target dev tool faces a lot of competition, especially from platform vendors, and at $150 itâs not a battle that Xojo can win.
IMHO, what I feel would be a good starting package, would be not just Xojo, but a truckload of training materials and the tools the dev would need to release their first app for around $50.
Then it would be good to build atop of that, as that dev grows and become more confident and capable with Xojo, offer them more things that are going to benefit them, at a price thatâs kinda hard to say no too.
Imagine if you already build Mac apps, and to then compile for Windows also, is only another $50⌠Then you wanna port your app to iOS and Android, another $100 and checkbox laterâŚ
Now that dev, has taken their idea for a âGarden Gnome Trackerâ globally, and has it on all (major) platforms, but falls foul of App Store rules. So they decide theyâre going to make it a web app, another $100 and a checkbox later, and their iOS users continue using âGarden Gnome Trackerâ.
Each step should be a brainless decision and friction-less, if youâre gonna charge $400 for mobile atop $150 for a single desktop platform, and make the developer re-write their app once for iOS and once for Android, youâre begging them to look at alternatives.
Thatâs one thing I love about Unity. With just one single project file I could compile for Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone (RIP).
Some scripts had code for just iPhone or iPad builds, some for MacOS, and some for Windows.
I did not renew my mobile subscription because iPad is still missing basic features that should have been added nine years ago (Cannot tell if modifier keys are pressed on external keyboards like Mac/windows can, and you cannot add keyboard shortcuts).
- no reason for some special lite version - XOJO want to sell pro
For sure they want and need PRO customers.
BUT they will not get any semi pro or non commercial hobby customers with than prices for PRO Versions.
THEY would get overall more money for XOJO Versions if they would:
Create an new customized Lite Version together with more customisable Pro Versions.
What would that mean?
They rebuild their BUY Website by using an complete customisable BUY OPTION, like Apple or car companys do that.
Startpoint is the free version 0$
Then the customer can configure what extra functions , things he need.
For example i would select:
Free + Mac + Andriod + IOS + 1 Lic = XY $
Other semi pro users, which would never buy the offered PRO Version could select:
Free + Mac + Win + Workers + SQL + 1 Lic = XYZ $
Would be an win win situation for ALL - XOJO company & customer!!!
Some , with actual Price Table not buying anything would buy. Others may get better price for what they actual really need.
Example:
PRO users which want ALL , but dont need tech support & only one Lic = saves some money.
Other IDEA for XOJO:
XOJO could make an LIC CASHBACK offer, for PROs with bad running buisnes and so the PRO User could sell back one, two,⌠LIC back to XOJO.
XOJO could offer than that now âusedâ LIC back to interested customers.
- Use free XOJO for learning & use debugger(RUN) for simulation.
Yep, for only development, pure learning your are rigth.
But most of non commercial hobbiest devs want wo compile and use the self made apps at least on thier own devices compiled and not only simulated. With an older MacbookPro ist no fun to use the debugger, simulate an app! Slow as hell.
Same Macbook pro can run the complied App fast. Or if its an Android / IOS App even more worst to use the simulator. My Hackintosh Mac with 32GB and 6 Core i5 has less problems with debugging, simulation but also no funb compared to put the Android/IOS App an the device and try it there.
That makes no sense at all. These are not physical products. A car maker might buy back a car at 20% of the new price, then sell it second hand at 70% of the new price. That makes some sense because there is no manufacturing/materials cost.
For software, there is no âmaterialsâ cost. Why buy a used licence when they can sell a new one without the cost? Would you? I certainly wouldnât.
I will explain what i mean with resell unneeded/unused PRO Lic by PRO USER or even XOJO.
I donât know the situation NOW about what happens if a Desktop/Web /PRO User (with 2,3 LIC) didnt need more than 1 LIC and want so sell some LIC - for sure for less the normal price of 399$/799$?
For example resell one LIC for 200-230$ from his two owned Desktop or Web Lic?
That is win win for both - the other users reduces his cost for not needed 2. 3. lic.
I dont think all PRO users need all given Lic for themselfes.
Such an buy would be at least for non commercial hobby devs - like me - an solution to buy Licenses i would NOT buy for normal price.
The EULA, which you can read in XojoâAbout XojoâEULA, gives you the answer:
⢠There will be only one user of your Xojo License Key(s).
So you probably should read the EULA first, to get other answers useful to you.
But the software vendor need to sold license.
If you sold application, you can understand that. OtherwiseâŚ
When you buy a Pro license, youâre not purchasing multiple licenses. You get a single license that you can activate on more than one machine. You canât âsellâ the number of activations back to Xojo, because they canât sell an Activation to anyone else. Itâs not a separate license.
I guess this is not accurate. I had multiple licenses, some too old to be useful. I bought them as new licenses instead of upgrades. But⌠they all are tied to MY account. And as the EULA stands, it will be there, but I canât sell, rent, let others use. When I activate a new IDE the system picks the last one, but I think I could manually pick a prior one, but I donât see value in doing so.
This conversation has gotten weird.
The subject was weird. More a Reddit all purpose entry than a serious one that can lead to something.
Customer ideas will always be <> (and incompatible with) Company business model.