Developer adds subscriptions to app, gets only 18 payers, calls it a failure
A developer who burned out after six months of building an app took community advice and added a tier. The s that make the app useful stayed completely free, while only extras were locked behind the ; some minor features were even removed to keep things clean. The rollout was gradual, with no or nagging prompts.
Out of roughly 2,500-3,000 and 7,800 total registered users, only 18 people subscribed. The developer doesn't think the app itself is bad, but sees the outcome as a clear failure.
Key points
- Burned out after six months of solo development, then added on community advice
- Core app functionality stayed free; only extra features were paywalled
- Rollout was slow and pressure-free, avoiding or nagging
- Only 18 subscribers out of 2,500-3,000 and 7,800 total registered users
- Developer calls the result a failure despite not blaming the app's quality