I don’t mind investing in communities - I really don’t want to do it at $2.99 a month or whatever. Since you’re trying to bootstrap, how about a “lifetime membership” option (e.g. qrz.com) for a couple hundred quid?
Figure that out and contact me. I’ll be your first lifetime customer!
Thanks.
I think a lifetime membership would be a great option!
I would like it if i could make payments for the membership fee because i cannot afford to pay for it all at once. 
I was just about to post this suggestion, nice work to the site devs in the yellow side pane showing similar threads to what’s being made (I know that’s common on other sites as well, but it’s pretty slick here).
I’d love to see a lifetime membership option, even if for early adopters etc. I’m always more inclined to go that way than a perpetual cost, when there are options out there that are free (though, I’m huge on visual aesthetics and function, and this site hits those marks out of the park). Would gladly pay more for something that sticks.
On a business justification, considering the average subscription term of those who would pay for the membership features/allowances, a few years is reasonable to assume before churn. Mixing a lifetime membership at a $299 or $349 price point gives the revenue for that term at once and then adding another membership option (or just reducing the existing) at something like $2.99/mo for the basic plan, you’d boost both sides of the core membership market while maintaining margin. Then, add expansion sale options in the future to boost revenue outside of memberships. Swag, merch, digital items, etc. The younger crowds love microtransactions, boost that next generation of HAM userbase with consistency they currently know and participate/pay in. Maybe even bundling something with the HRP training (I bought the top end lifetime access plan there).
Great work creating this platform, it’s what’s needed for that next generation of HAMs.
Myself and a growing number of people would gladly move from free accounts to Lifetime accounts if it were an option for us.
I personally log by pen and paper, so the computer is a huge step for me. I desire to make this a one and done purchase. Is this something that can be arranged?
So far, it hasn’t been feasible for us to add this option, but as we grow, it could become available. I’ll check and see if this can be implemented at some point.
Andy N0APX
Thanks for the feedback here everyone! Pricing and packaging is a technical challenge as well as a business one.
Our biggest goal is to offer the best possible services at the lowest possible price while still funding the project.
The current pricing model helps us achieve this, because we have recurring cloud fees to keep the platform up and running, and the recurring membership fees align with that.
A lifetime membership is a pretty good idea, and I think we could entertain it at some point, but it would require us to change our payment integration and some of the code around renewals/etc.
We would also have to find the correct price (QRZ charges $995 for comparison) and would need to think long term about how this affects our ability to deliver new features.
I don’t expect we will release lifetime memberships in the next few months since we are so focused on critical new features like CAT control, Analytics, Spotting Enhancements, Live Contesting, etc. But once we get more stable on new features, we will have availability to come back and consider changes to the pricing structure.
While I do appreciate the annual option, I’d spring for a lifetime subscription, in fact I’ve been waiting for that option to jump on board. I prefer to pay upfront in onelumpsum. I avoid any monthly commitments, and keep my annual payments to a minimum.
The platform is really developing well. Cat control and N3FJP integration are working well. Kudos to the team!
