[Landon Salazar]

Once the Alpha stages are finished and the final product is released, the software will no longer be free and we will be charged to use the program, correct? Once that happens, will there still be a free version of Animation Paper availible for people to use? If so, what will the differences be between the free version and the paid version?

[Niels]

Yes, the alpha stage is soon over (meaning we are feature complete). Then we’ll have the beta stage. Only for as long as it takes to iron out the last remaining bugs (a few months).

Then we will start selling Animation Paper. It will only be $79 USD (introductory offer). And this is not a subscription – it’s a lifetime license.

We will have only the one version. However, we will have a fully functional trial, so you can try it for free for 2 weeks before possibly buying it.

The official version coming out costing $79 is called v5.0. We will keep developing and release a v5.1, v5.2, etc. All these point-upgrades are free for v5.0 license holders.

All alphas and betas will eventually stop working (license expire).

I hope you think this is very fair?

Thanks,
Niels

[Landon Salazar]

I do like the fact that the full version is a lifetime license instead of a monthly subscription. However, other than the 2 week trial, it doesn’t feel very fair for people who want to see if this program the right one for them and not have a free version availible for them to try out. I would recommend making a free version with not as many features or abilities as the full version for new users to try out, but I understand that this may be too much work for you to do.

[Niels]

Well, it is not much work at all. But I don’t understand how you could check if a program is right for you, if it is a completely stripped down version. My hope was that I made it so inexpensive, so virtually everybody could afford it. Also, I wanted to keep it all simple, so only having one version (the real full version), that is made for the pros, but so easy to work with that beginners will love it too. Everybody would use the same and have the same reference. The price could easily have been much higher as many of my competitors software are.

Please let me know more. I am genuinely interested in fully understanding your point. It is not out of the question to make a completely free version.

Thanks,
Niels

[Landon Salazar]

I think I have an idea.

I’ve been thinking, maybe the “free version” I have in mind could just have the regular animation interface that is currently in use, while the paid version can offer “premium features”. When I say “premium features” I mean additional features that mimic techniques that classic animation studios like Disney had done back then, such as Rotoscoping, Multiplane Cameras, etc. That way, the software can mimic the way classic animation is done more closely with a higher quality.

What do you think of that?

[Niels]

Thanks Landon. Then I like your first suggestion better. Haha 😀 I mean, giving almost the main software away for free and then do a version that has the most pro features, but still is very inexpensive doesn’t sound like we will get our efforts paid for unfortunately. Of course we could then have the pros pay more, but what I wanted was having one version that is the same for all – and have it so inexpensive that virtually everybody could afford it.

If a free version should make sense for me, it should be a SUPER slimmed down version. We actually did this with the predecessor, Plastic Animation Paper. Back then we had PAP:Free, PAP:Home and PAP:Pro. I still believe one version is better these days.