Some ask and wonder why Dabble uses a subscription model. There are two reasons, one obvious, the other less so. Both provide you, the customer, the benefit.
The first and more obvious reason Dabble uses a subscription model is because Dabble provides ongoing services in addition to the software. At launch, these services include cloud storage and sync. We have plans for much more, including sharing the manuscript with friends (or beta readers, or writing group members) online, allowing those friends to leave comments, and supporting a writer-editor workflow. By starting off with a subscription model, we can work towards these additional service-based features.
The second reason we use a subscription model is so Dabble can continue to improve for years to come. If you look around at the existing 1-time-purchase software, it is all outdated. The money in the 1-time-purchase model comes from new releases and new products, so that is where the time of the company is spent. The product you bought doesn't receive continued improvements, updates, or features and stagnates. The only updates are those that keep it current with the latest OS. In addition, unnecessary features are packed into new versions to encourage you to upgrade and buy the latest version. This leads to feature bloat. Microsoft Word is a great example of how this process occurs over the years. How many features do most of us use (or even know about) in Word? On the other hand, with a subscription model, we can justify continued improvement, leaving features out that 99% of customers don't need, adding features they do as soon as they are finished (instead of waiting for the big launch at the end of the year), and making decisions based on what is best for the customer and product rather than what might sell more upgrades in next year's release. It also ensures the company stays around long-term and doesn't disappear next year.
In summary, the subscription model supports a better future for the product. It allows for continued updates, features, and improvements for years. It allows the company to provide additional services beyond the desktop app. And it ensures the company, product, and product support remain strong far into the future. By subscribing to Dabble, you are receiving a great product and service now, and you are investing in its future.