I’m not entirely clear about the difference between the free and paid versions. I understand that the the platform is open source, but I am confused about the rest. The FAQ says that you are limited to 10 entities with the “free version” of Studio. I have the 2.0.6 release installed and have created 11 entities. So is the FAQ outdated? I can also include the fts, bpm and charts subsystems in project properties. But the FAQ says these are paid features.
So what is the real difference between the paid and free editions?
Hello, Maxim,
The new licensing policy applies to CUBA Platform v 6.1 and Studio v 2.1. Previous versions are licensed under the old policy. I am sorry for the confusion. We should’ve made it clearer.
Thanks. My concern is maintaining an application built using the paid version of CUBA Studio +subsystems . Since the subscription lasts only a year, I would have to purchase another subscription after the year is over just to maintain it. I would not mind paying slightly more up front, if renewals were cheaper. But here one would have to pay the same amount every year just to make minor changes. And what if the subscription price is raised next year? I could commit to the CUBA ecosystem if the cost stays at $400/year, but if it is raised to several thousand dollars it becomes prohibitive.
Since much of the code is “generated” from Studio, I assume it would be very difficult to maintain an CUBA application without the Studio. Is that correct? Could one theoretically use an older version of Studio to maintain an application built with CUBA Platform 6.1.2 + Studio 2.1.2 + subsystems+more-than-ten-entities?
Thanks for open sourcing the actual platform however.
Since much of the code is “generated” from Studio, I assume it would be very difficult to maintain an CUBA application without the Studio. Is that correct?<<
You will always be able to continue development of your application in a Java IDE (e.g. Eclipse). It is not difficult, especially when we are talking about support without active development. All code (including XML screens layout) generated by Studio can be edited in the IDE, and there is good documentation coverage of this process. So you are absolutely not hooked.
Could one theoretically use an older version of Studio to maintain an application built with CUBA Platform 6.1.2 + Studio 2.1.2 + subsystems+more-than-ten-entities?<<
No, they are not compatible.
Since the subscription lasts only a year, I would have to purchase another subscription after the year is over just to maintain it. I would not mind paying slightly more up front, if renewals were cheaper.<<
We would like to keep the entry price low, so this is why we keep even subscription fee. However, would you be interested if we introduce say 5 year subscription with say 40% discount? I assume this should give you sufficient peace of mind.
And what if the subscription price is raised next year? I could commit to the CUBA ecosystem if the cost stays at $400/year, but if it is raised to several thousand dollars it becomes prohibitive.<<
Obviously I cannot guarantee that there are no price changes in the following years, but I believe such a dramatic increase is not in our favour, as it will affect our community, which is key to product success. Anyway, there are no plans for price change at the moment.
Glad to hear that the platform is usable without the Studio.
We would like to keep the entry price low, so this is why we keep even subscription fee. However, would you be interested if we introduce say 5 year subscription with say 40% discount? I assume this should give you sufficient peace of mind.<<
No, I was thinking of a perpetual licence combined with a subscription to updates. After the year is over, updates stop - but you can still use the software. The subscription to software model is very rare for developer tools , although you may have good reasons for adopting it.
However this model does introduce a high level of uncertainty here because you have a relatively new piece of highly specialized software with a great deal of “enterprise” potential. It is unfortunately very common for this type of software to experience extreme levels of price inflation. In the case of established or generic software (like MS Office and so on), the subscription model may be annoying but it is not risky . But in the case of CUBA this is a very real risk and the only insurance is traditional licensing wherein one gets to keep the software even after the updates stop. I hope you’ll consider adding this this option in the future.
Hello, Maxim,
In fact, we use both models. You can continue using Add-ons without updates after your subscription has expired. This is important, as Add-ons are part of your application.
As we discussed, CUBA Studio is a complimentary tool to a Java IDE and the platform, so you are not bound to use it. This is why I believe the risk of price inflation is limited – you will always have the choice. Considering this, we have adopted the “subscription to software” for Studio for two reasons:
-to keep entry fees low
-to avoid promoting users staying with older versions of the platform
I hope this helps. Anyway, thank you for your feedback. Depending on further community inquiries, we might add the option you are proposing in the future.