Aqua mail going to subscription

[sunking101]

Please correct me if I have misunderstood but the way I see it when we swap phones and have to install the latest version of Aqua Mail it will be the standard version with ads and not allowing multiple accounts? The Pro unlocker won't work anymore?

I hate subscriptions. Absolutely hate them. It's why I don't use Microsoft products anymore and it's why I bought the 'lifetime' version of AquaMail. No way will I pay £29.99 a year for an email app! £9.99 a year? Maybe, seeing how I have been using AquaMail for years and hate change! Can admin please let me know regarding my query about swapping phones. Thanks.

[mkgtu]

Also would like to point out ambiguous/inconsistent language in some descriptions. Could use some editing.

Examples:
- The old Pro feature says "multiple" accounts, the Premium says "unlimited" accounts. Logically, not necessarily the same thing! Clarification?
- in Google Play Store, references to "trial" of "Pro" version when "Premium" must be meant, since there is no longer a "Pro" version. Reminds me of the TuneIn app where I have the Pro version (one time purchase which eliminates some ads and adds a few things) but I also have a Premium annual subscription which eliminates some more kinds of ads and adds various other features like specialized  sports and news feeds, plus premium podcasts and 100,00+ free audiobooks, some of them pretty good ones. Lots of extra content for $40 a year. I don't mind paying but I like to get some bang for the buck. The $30 annual payment for AM really only adds a bit of fizzle, not much bang for too many bucks!

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[Jeff]

Agree, the "spin control" may well be a little too little, a little too late.

I'm already preparing for the inevitable, and I too just purchased FairEmail Pro.  While not quite (to me) as polished as AM, it's very good, and considering what's going on here, it'll probably be my replacement.  It's a real shame, I do love AM, but I am not loving this decision, and I'm loving even less the apparent lack of honest answers.

The management team is going to lose users in droves over this.

[arf8]

Let's give them an opportunity to clear the air. Although I doubt they will change their position on the premium features, I still want to hear it from Martin, who is usually helpful and seems to be the one who responds to these inquiries.

They can save themselves a lot of headache by doing the right thing.

[Wissertje]

They already gave their respons about this. Here in another topic: https://www.aqua-mail.com/forum/index.php?topic=8803.0

Talking about loyal customers. Yeah right.

[chris122380]

What it sounds like to me is they will no longer support pro users you're expected to update to a subscription service. They're explanation is terrible and the support they're giving their pro users is basically non-existent we've paid for a service we're no longer getting.

[cattleya]

At any rate they have decided to discontinue support and PRO's life expectancy is not long.
I have not even been here for 3 months when I purchased unlocker app. I would like a refund

[Sir Psycho]

Well... After testing FairEmail I'm ready for the change. I've used Aquamail for more than 7 years I think. I've purchased the pro version since the beginning, but after some bugs we've experienced a couple of months ago and now THIS, finally I'm moving away.
I've coosed FairEmail after trying different apps. It's excellent! And also I'm an old user of Netguard, it's from the same developer and excellent too!
I'll miss you Aquamail.. Welcome FairEmail!!

[mkgtu]

Trying to be philosophical. I'm 78 yrs old and have been using tech stuff of one kind of another ever since tech things were born. Countless apps that I still use started out free-to-cheap and they all eventually started charging, at least for the extra bells and whistles. Pocket, Last Pass, Evernote, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, TuneIn, Spotify, etc: they all cost me $30-120 a year. Email is no different. I've tried most major email apps and for some specific features (usually to clean up mailboxes) I still keep the free versions of Edison Mail, Blue Mail, Spark - but the premium versions of those three run $60-100 a year (and some include AI to write your emails for you!). FairEmail and K-9 are still free and are pretty good, but they aren't as good as AquaMail. If they were really as good as or better than AM, there wouldn't be all the hue and cry in here.
  For new users or old ones that can't get the Unlocker, I think they're going to be stuck having to pay for premium. It seems the "free" version of AquaMail will be missing some basic features (like multiple accounts) that other apps offer on their free versions. That may drive away new customers and some old ones as well.
   For owners of the old Pro Unlocker, we'll still keep some of the premium features. And the rest I doubt I'll miss - and if I do need them I'll start paying for them. What's one more item on the credit card?
   
But I do think that most of what's in the premium package really isn't very "premium" compared to other apps. Most of the AM premium is "basic" in other apps. What is so "premium" about copying an email to another folder? Really?
   It looks like they needed more money (who doesn't?) so they created an empty premium level and started making stuff up to put in there. Hopefully one day they'll use the money to develop some really cool stuff to add to premium.
   But right now, AquaMail doesn't really have a viable "free" level at all - except for some old ProUnlocker users who will still get "multiple accounts" and no ads.

Frankly some other apps that include most of AM's premium stuff for free, don't offer much in their own premium versions - and they charge double for it.
   Spark, though, has some really spiffy stuff in their premium, but it'll cost you $100 a year. In addition to AI they can look up the phone numbers of all the senders in your spam folders and add them to your phone's block list. They're in a different league and I don't know if I'd be interested in things like that, but that's the kind of above-and-beyond, cutting edge thing that I'd expect in a premium package. Not the commonplace things AM now wants to charge for (even granting they're the cheapest I've seen).

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[mkgtu]

Besides, I like the look of MY AQUAMAIL. Everything else from FairEmail to K-9, etc, all look pretty much the same, boring/dull - email-ish. Can hardly tell which app I'm looking at.
   Then I switch to AM, and Voila! I'm home!

I also use an SMS app, Handcent Next SMS, that I can also make very colorful and unique. I also recommend Chomp SMS, which is almost a clone of Handcent (or vice-versa). I keep it as a backup and can make both apps look identical - non-textish.

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[Jeff]

After spending a few hours with FairEmail, I'm pretty much a convert.  Yes, old habits die hard, I'm old too (although not quite as senior as @mkgtu, mad props to you, sir!).  As we get older, change becomes harder.  Yes, the money is a big deal, but (for me) "new S has come to light" ... regarding ads and trackers.  I use rooted devices, I use root apps to kill all sorts of telemetries and unneeded services, I have tons of adblocking and layered security, and I have pfBlockerNG with DNSBL at my perimeter, so for me, despite being a paid Pro User (and thus ad-free), I enjoy clean computing experiences throughout my household.

That all said, looking through AM's services (some of which I disable), it was not much of a surprise to me to read this:
https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/search/org.kman.AquaMail/

FairEmail, being open source and completely ad free, regardless of paying the insignificant cost for the pro features, is clean and secure.  I no longer feel that way about AM.  Oh AquaMail how I love thy interface, but as it's said "you can put lipstick on a pig"... and sadly, that's what it appears AM is becoming.

[ABOSWORTH]

Man, this is a bit of a shock to me. I've been using AM for 10 years. I bought the pro version in 2013. Looking at the advanced features, I don't think I use any of them but the ambiguous language about folders and accounts gives me pause. I tried K9 a whole back and didn't really like it. Guess I'll give Fairemail a shot. Such a bummer.

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[T2]

This is a bit depressing.
I've been using Pro for almost 10 years too, so discarding the pro users to go subscription doesn't feel very nice and definitely not a very user friendly move.

I really like (probably my favorite) AM's UI and how it feels and like some others are saying, one of the reasons I settled on AM is because it was a one time payment and not a subscription since I'm not a big subscription fan.

That said, I'll probably continue to use AM for the time being until I find a suitable alternative.
"You can still enjoy the Pro features but we can't promise you anything about how long that'll last" isn't very reassuring...
(I'll probably fiddle around with FairEmail and K-9 for now because that's about the only e-mail apps I know of...
but I guess I can always just use the Gmail / Outlook)

[mkgtu]

I've always liked the highly rated Edison EMail. It has all kinds of features for sorting and organizing. Uses some kind of AI to ferret out and collect Receipts, Travel docs, subscriptions/newsletters, entertainment, events, etc. And it's all free, though there is an Edison+ subscription available that offers some sophisticated phishing/spam protection and various AI tools. All over my head and costs $100 a year, on sale  now for 67. But you can do without that and still get a full featured app for free. I think it also works on iOS.

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[MickJ]

I have been using AquaMail Pro since March 2016, and appreciate times change, priorities move on and apps develop to keep pace with demand.

But the way this latest change has come about and how it was notified to its pro users with a very badly worded notification after an update, about the move to a subscription based app, is just appalling.

Can AquaMail afford to alienate its long term supporters

AquaMail, why not offer your loyal Pro users a one payment life time fee of 29.99 for the latest evolution, rather than subscription.

The subscription can apply to all new users.

As it stands, If I am going to pay a subscription, I like many others will try out other apps to find one best suited to my needs and so far like many have found Fairemail looks like it will be my next home for email on my mobile.