alt Hacker NewsOne way of looking at is that subscription software helps align developer interests with dedicated users. It's easier to retain users than it is to get new users, so developers are incentivized to build features/make improvements for existing users to keep them as happy users. In a pay once upfront model developers are essentially only incentivized to build features that attract new users.
“Still not selling the imprint of my anus? Here’s another five bucks!”
i.e.
It’s sad I can’t use Google’s task manager (both because it sucks, and I can’t trust it),
but that’s life.