I recently toyed with the idea of getting a subscription to Proton services. While I’ve long relied on Google’s suite of services, I’ve become more concerned about the trade-off: convenience and features in exchange for privacy and exposure to ads. Although Proton isn’t perfect, it seems better than Google and is available on phones and Chromebooks. However, no matter how many times I’ve considered it, I haven’t been able to make the switch.
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Proton isn’t the only service where I’ve been presented with this choice and haven’t upgraded to the premium version. Most services I use have a premium version that I’ve considered a few times, but I’ve only upgraded a few services. Converting from a free service to a paid one requires a compelling value proposition, which is often lacking. This is a common dilemma for users navigating the increasingly subscription-based digital landscape.
The allure of premium features
Extra goodies for all of your services
Premium versions of apps and services offer enhanced features to improve the user experience. However, they need to be compelling to justify the additional cost. An example of these features is an ad-free or ad-lite experience. A YouTube or Netflix premium version can remove ads during TV shows or movies. This can also remove some or all the video, pop-up, and banner ads on a website.
Enhanced or additional tools or services are another premium feature category. These can include upgrading services like higher-quality streaming on Spotify or more capable editing tools in Photoshop.
Larger storage is another feature that could be included in a premium version or subscription of a service. Additional cloud storage through Google One or device backups on a service like OneDrive are examples of larger storage.
A premium subscription can also include exclusive content, such as videos or articles for subscribers or extra content in a video game. This can often be found through services like Patreon or memberships on YouTube. Other premium features could include extra or more of something, such as in-game currency or folders to separate items into.
No matter which premium feature a service offers, it improves the service for the user. For example, removing or reducing the number of ads in a service allows users to spend more time enjoying it, improving the user experience. Adding or improving features that are a part of the service makes it easier for the user to use the service, helps them do more with the tool, and potentially saves time.
Additional content allows a user who is invested in someone or the content they put out to get more of that content and get more enjoyment. Premium features also remove any paywalls that users may run into when they use a service and let them enjoy all it has to offer.
Premium features come at a cost
Not everything is free
While these premium features make services better, they come at a cost. The cost can be a one-time payment or a recurring subscription and varies depending on the app or service. One-time payments are a payment option, but it’s becoming common to see subscriptions so that companies get recurring revenue. It almost feels like there’s a subscription for everything, which causes subscription fatigue. The increasing number of subscriptions and rising individual costs make it difficult to justify adding more to an already strained budget.
I have subscriptions for phone service, home internet, Google One storage, and Spotify Premium. I don’t have subscriptions to streaming services, but I know that many people subscribe to at least one. It’s hard to imagine adding additional subscriptions to apps when the other services I subscribe to are expensive and get more expensive every year.
Some may find these costs manageable, yet many domestic and international consumers face financial constraints. Subscriptions like phone service are essential costs, but app subscriptions are not. With most people facing diminishing disposable income, app and service subscriptions are a hard sell. The cost of these subscriptions also fluctuates depending on where you are in the world, which can affect how affordable they are for people in each region.
The value of money is also a factor. Since people have less disposable income, things they spend money on need to be worth it. Apps and services that help people in their careers may be worth the money, but subscriptions for hobbies or fun may not be worthwhile. Additionally, consumers will have difficulty justifying a subscription if the cost is high and doesn’t add perceived value.
The habit of free
Free is a better price than paid
It’s difficult to pay for something that is free. I use Google’s suite of services, which are free except for additional Google One storage for $20 a year. I could live without the Google One subscription and use everything for free if I deleted emails, files, and photos I no longer need, but that takes time and effort.
If I switched to Proton’s services, I would pay $120 a year for similar services. While there are differences between the subscriptions, I would pay for something I didn’t pay for before. Although there is additional value in terms of privacy, it’s hard to pay for something you didn’t pay for before. We’ve been conditioned to expect free services throughout the internet’s history. There are often numerous free alternatives you could use instead of paying for a service, which makes the decision hard.
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Developers need money
They should be compensated for their work
While users grapple with the cost of subscriptions, it’s important to consider the perspective of developers who rely on these revenue streams to maintain their services. Developers and creators should be compensated for the time they put into their services and the value they provide. They offer great services that many use, but often aren’t paid fairly for their efforts. Subscriptions allow them to continually be paid so that they can sustain their business and keep being paid for their time.
One-time payments can compensate creators, but it might not be enough with the rising costs of server services and rising demand for increasing and improving services. Not all subscriptions help pay creators, just shareholders for large companies. Still, subscriptions help creators and developers be properly paid for their work. This doesn’t make a subscription worth it, but it makes it more compelling.
Finding the right balance
Evaluate each subscription yourself
I’ve wrestled with whether to invest in premium features. While the promise of enhanced functionality is tempting, the cost is often a barrier. The key, for myself and others, is finding a balance: leveraging free services where they suffice and investing in premium features only when the added value justifies the cost. For now, I will continue to leverage Google and try Proton Mail. If I find Proton Mail’s features compelling, I may decide that the value of its upgraded services is justified and upgrade my subscription.
