Screens 5: VNC Remote Desktop 4+

The app looks great however the steep price bump is jarring

I own Screens 4 for all platforms with all the IAP upgrades (when they were still paid) and plan to keep using the previous versions. This app looks great and I’m sure it took a lot or work and a long time to build. However the price to unlock lifetime for existing users who paid for the previous versions is the same for new users. This feels a little harsh and I understand this is now a universal app built from scratch but show your previous customers some grace. As an app developer I completely support the need for companies to be paid for their work but I also expect that they appreciate the people who supported their work previously and any discount would’ve been a gesture of goodwill. I’m going to hold off on purchasing it for now. Edit: To the developers - thanks for responding. I do enjoy your products and I did pay for both iOS and Mac versions for the previous version (which totaled less than this current version). I understand software takes work and you deserve to be paid for it. All I’m saying it would’ve been nice to have upgrade pricing for existing customers. I’m glad you have a lifetime option but we know that’s just for the just for lifetime of v5. We’ll have to pay again for v6 and from what you’re saying it’ll be full price again. I’m happy to update every version if there’s upgrade pricing. - Yariv.

Developer Response ,

Greetings! We appreciate your valuable feedback. It's important to highlight that our subscription plans, inclusive of the Lifetime option, offer extensive coverage for all Apple devices. Additionally, choosing the Lifetime plan constitutes a substantial discount that proves beneficial over time. As a developer, you undoubtedly understand the significance of generating revenue to sustain the continuous maintenance and updates of our app. Introducing a discount on a plan that is already cost-effective may seem contradictory to this overarching objective.

Great software, but you can’t try it without payment

I’ve used Screens for many years and it is greet software. I don’t support subscriptions but I will pay a one-time price for software I need and that is of high quality. I must, however, question the ethics of not being able to test a new version without, upon first launch, committing to either a subscription or a one-time payment. Sure you get a “free trial” with the subscription but then the user is responsible for canceling. This is unethical and I don’t think Apple should allow developers to do this. Subscriptions are easily and frequently abused.

Great app, Terrible Update Strategy

It’s really unfortunate to pay a decent amount for an application (Screens 4) just to have it lose support because they figured they can make more money by creating a whole new app (Screens 5) with a subscription and wildly expensive lifetime in-app purchase when it could have simply been an update to Screens 4…or at least allowed users who previously purchased to get a better deal than a discounted subscription…like a discount on the lifetime plan and some level of assurance that when Screens 6 comes out Screens 5 won’t be left behind like Screens 4. I’ll be looking for alternatives if Screens 4 stops getting updates (especially security updates).

I own Screens for multiple platforms and this move just makes me unhappy…and it appears that other’s feel the same way given some of the reviews.

Developer Response ,

Hello there! Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. Screens 5 represents a significant leap forward compared to its predecessor. It's important to highlight that our subscription plans, including the Lifetime option, now offer comprehensive support across all Apple devices, including Macs. There's no longer a need to make separate purchases for Screens on iOS and macOS. While we do offer a discount to our Screens 4 users for the annual plan, opting for the Lifetime plan translates to a considerable discount, proving advantageous in the long run. Offering a discount on a plan that is already cost-effective is counterintuitive to our objective of establishing a sustainable revenue source, essential for maintaining and continually developing Screens. Cheers!