Developer interview · Part 11 of 12Why it works this way
Is Data2Dao free? Weekly, annual or lifetime: which plan to choose
Data2Dao has no free mode. There are three plans: an annual subscription (with a 7-day free trial), a weekly subscription and a lifetime purchase. This post covers how the three plans differ, why the developer charges, which one he recommends, and what to try during the 7-day trial.
Short answer
It is paid. Data2Dao has no free mode, and you can't use it fully without subscribing. There are three plans: an annual subscription, with a 7-day free trial; a weekly subscription, with no trial; and a lifetime purchase. The developer recommends the annual subscription, and he hopes you can finish one chapter during the 7 days of the trial. For exact prices, the in-app purchase screen is authoritative.
Key points
| Plan | Trial | What the developer says |
|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription | 7-day free trial | His top recommendation: "grow together with the app" |
| Weekly subscription | Not included | For people who want to try it first |
| Lifetime purchase | Not included | For people who really like it and trust that it will keep being updated |
- Free version: there isn't one.
- Price: varies by region; the in-app purchase screen is authoritative.
- How to cancel: cancel in Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions on your iPhone.
- The developer's three reasons for a subscription: you grow together with the app and it keeps being updated; paying is a commitment to your own health, like buying an annual gym membership; and you can open it and practice right away.
Why it charges
Free tutorials are everywhere online. Why charge at all?
The core is that you actually use it. It uses gamification to guide you to do this every day. Every kind of training resource is available online, so why doesn't everyone have eight-pack abs? Because they can't stick with it. That is exactly what it helps with.
How to choose among the three plans
If I want to subscribe now, how many options are there?
Three. The weekly subscription suits people who want to try it first. The annual subscription comes with a 7-day free trial. And there is the lifetime purchase, for people who really like it and trust that it will keep being updated.
Speaking of updates, look at my previous app, The Great Me: it has been iterated on continuously since launch, from being a bit laggy at the start to being much smoother and more mature now. I'll keep working on Data2Dao the same way, and when there's feedback I'll make changes as quickly as I can.
The lifetime purchase is a very good deal for users, and it hurts my heart a little. I'd rather people use the annual subscription and grow together with it.
If you had to pick, which one do you recommend?
The annual subscription. It gives a feeling of growing and iterating together with the app.
Data2Dao holds many years of my agonized thinking and my dreams. I wanted to polish it to a very good level before bringing it out, so it is quite a bit better than the ten-plus, maybe twenty apps I've made before. Even so, it still has flaws, and I'll keep fixing them.
For users, it's like buying an annual gym membership: it's a commitment, and buying it amounts to making a pledge to yourself: I'm going to move a little every day. It is much cheaper than an annual gym fee and also more flexible, since you can practice at home every day. In the future it may also be combined with gyms and with the equipment you have at home for deeper training; that depends on everyone's feedback.
During the 7-day free trial, what do you most want people to experience?
Open the Battle tab right away, the button in the middle of the bottom bar, and finish one chapter. You'll feel what makes it fun as a game.
FAQ
Does Data2Dao have a free version?
No. You can't use it fully without subscribing. The annual subscription comes with a 7-day free trial.
If I don't want to continue after the trial, how do I cancel?
Cancel in Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions on your iPhone.
How do I choose between the annual subscription and the lifetime purchase?
The developer recommends the annual subscription, on the grounds that you keep up with the app as it updates. The lifetime purchase suits people who already like it a lot and plan to use it long term; he himself also says the lifetime purchase is the better deal for users.
What should I do first during the 7-day trial?
Tap the Battle button in the middle of the bottom bar and finish one chapter. This is what the developer most wants you to experience during the trial.
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Prop your iPhone up and follow the cat for a few moves. Free to download; the annual plan includes a 7-day free trial.