After 14th of February 2023, new perpetual license purchases do not include any feature updates (16.x)
This means that any updates containing new features and functionality will not be included in your license purchase. However, major bug fixes and optimizations will be included (16.x.x) until a new paid version is released (16.x).
As a subscription always provides you with access to the latest version, subscribers are not affected by these changes.
How does it affect you?
Please select from the following:
- I have a subscription to Capture One Pro
- I have a license for Capture One Pro 23 purchased before February 14, 2023
- I have a license for Capture One Pro 23 purchased after February 14, 2023
- I have a license for Capture One Pro 22 or an older version
- I have a multi-user license
- I have an enterprise license
- Frequently Asked Questions
"I have a subscription to Capture One Pro"
The changes outlined here have no impact on Capture One subscriptions.
Subscribers will continue to receive all updates including new features, improvements, and new camera & lens support for as long as their subscriptions are maintained.
If you are unsure on the type of license that you have, check the 'Plans & services management' section of your Capture One profile.
"I have a license for Capture One Pro 23 purchased before February 14th, 2023"
You receive free updates until September 30th, 2023.
If you wish to get a new version of Capture One Pro after September 30th, 2023, you need to buy a new license. Find out what discount you can receive in compliance with our Loyalty Program.
"I have a license for Capture One Pro 23 purchased after February 14, 2023"
You receive major bug fixes (16.x.x) up until a new paid version (16.x) is released. The service updates (16.xx) do not include feature updates.
If you wish to get a new version of Capture One Pro, you need to buy a new license (16.x) – which will contain new features and functionality. Find out what discount you can receive in compliance with our Loyalty Program.
"I have a license for Capture One Pro 22 or an older version"
Your license is perpetual and yours to keep, for as long as you can meet the minimum system requirements and run it on a compatible OS version. To check these details, please refer to our
Capture One system requirements and OS support article.
"I have a multi-user license"
Unless specified otherwise in the terms of your agreement, you will receive free feature updates (16.x) for 12 months when you purchase or upgrade a multi-user license
"I have an enterprise license"
Please check the terms of your agreement with Capture One.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are you getting rid of the perpetual license option?
A: No. The changes we are making allow us to shift to the latest software development practices without removing perpetual licenses altogether. While over half of our users are on a subscription and close to 80% of new users choose a subscription, we still understand that perpetual licenses are important for many of you. That’s why we’re committed to keeping the option open.
Q: I have a license for Capture One Pro 23 I purchased before February 14, 2023 and I will get free feature updates until September 30, 2023. After that date, what happens if I want to get the latest version of Capture One Pro?
A: You will need to buy a new copy of Capture One Pro to be covered under our new license model from October 1st 2023 onwards.
Q: I have a license for Capture One 22 or older. What are my options?
A: If you are happy on your current version of Capture One Pro, great! If you want the latest version of Capture One Pro, you will need to purchase a new software license.
Alternatively, if you’d like to receive all our updates as we release them, you may wish to try out one of our subscription plans.
Q: The current version used to be a year, but how long does a current version last now?
A: We are moving to a ‘release when ready’ model, which allows us to deliver new features and improvements as soon as they are ready. As such, the length of a version will vary based on the time it takes us to develop each feature.
Q: Will there be any change to iPad & Live Support?
A: No, we will continue to support the current (dot) version, plus the previous (dot) version.
For example:
- Current version = 16.0
- iPad & Live support = 16.0, 15.4
Q: Will the number of seats/activations change?
A: No. We are not making any changes to the number of activations you can make per license.
Capture One Pro (perpetual and subscription, and trial) allows up to 3 activations
Q: Why are you removing licenses?
A: We are not removing licenses.
We offer a perpetual license which contains exactly what is stated in the release notes at the time of purchase, and we will continue to do so. This license is yours to own and keep.
The change being implemented from February 14, 2023, will affect new customers and license holders of Capture One 22 and older who wish to purchase a license for the latest version.
These license holders and new customers will have the opportunity to stay on the license they have purchased for as long as they like at no additional cost.
Q: Will I need to pay and upgrade multiple times a year?
A: It is always your decision when and how often to get the latest version of Capture One Pro.
If you always want to have the newest features as soon as they are released, a subscription plan is really the best option.
If you want to make sure that you get the latest version of Capture One Pro each year (as it works under the current model) and don’t need new features as soon as they are released, we want to make sure your cost of ownership does not go up.
Comments
1064 comments
And here we go again.
Well, I'm optimist. I've come to one really fair scheme. After October 1. 2023, I can either opt for subscription and get all the support and new features for one year. Or I can buy perpetual license for price of 1 year subscription, which will have the current features frozen and I will get only few bug fixes. I can stay on this version for 1 or 2 or 4 years and when I will see new must have feature, or buy new camera not supported in my version, I will buy again actual perpetual license for 1 year subscription price and stay with it as long as I want. As most of the perpetual license owners upgrade every other year, there will be no price increase in ownership and if the subscription will include iPad version and all styles and steady flow of new features, it will be definitely more appealing for many users. But as I stated, I'm a optimist :/
In my personal opinion they have shown their real face. Whatever they do now facing this feedback (abandon their plans or whatever "loyality program" they will install or marketing blabla they will spread) - they do it just as a mask to hide their real face (my personal opinion) - not because they care about needs of their customers but to maximize their profits. I do not trust this company anymore and put them on my personal "no buy"-list (together with Skylum/Luminar - because they did some similar some years ago and lied to their customers regarding cr3-Support in their products and abandoning some of their products).
I'll use my CO-License as long as it makes sense and switch then to another solution. CO will not get any money from me any more.
And of course I'll talk about my experience to other people
I was thinking about this all and I think that C1 just overgrown itself. It started as proprietary RAW developer for PhaseOne digital backs and the support of other cameras was just a sidekick. But great raw engine and color handling bring many loyal users, which appreciated the output quality more than gimmicks and features. But the user base got kick after Adobe switched to subscription and those new users want steady flow of new features and PhaseOne does not have the resources/developers/money to implement all the new AI stuff at the same rate as Adobe. And there is more and more other raw developers with lots of eye-catching features and C1 needs to keep up or fall back to it's small loyal base of studio/portrait/landscape niche. I still hope that all of this will eventually ends with happy end to us customers and C1 as company too.
PS: How do the AI features work in reality is other question, I've tried on1 recently and the AI features are just a gimmick, there was no single photo, where it won't create some more or less ugly artifacts, being painfully slow on my 8core i7 with 32GB RAM computer.
I looked at the 50% upgrade sale end of November and thought oh I can upgrade whenever. Had I known that just a week later I'd be forced to upgrade one last time forever I might have paid that upgrade. I feel cheated two ways!
I mostly use C1 for my Phase/Leaf digital backs, but not for any of the other cameras I use. Will CaptureOne still be free for owners of Phase and Leaf digital backs? If not then you may as well stop producing them!
I have spent a lot of money on your product over the years - more than for any other software product I use. The new licensing scheme seems like a naked attempt to get everyone to a subscription model. I am really unhappy with this decision. It's your business, and you can do what you want. That said, it may make me reconsider using Capture One going forward. I really don't understand why you want to turn me off as a customer.
One problem with C1 updates in the past is that they sometimes were broken at first. For that reason, I never upgraded to the latest version or installed the newest updates until I read that it was working okay. I'd wait until guys like Steve Hendrix or Doug Peterson posted to the forums that it was safe to install. There is no way that I want to go to a model where the updates are more frequent than they already are.
Hmmmm. So I keep my 21 22 or 23 licence for as long as I want. If 10 updates come out in 12 months, and if I pay a small charge for each new bit as it comes out I shouldn't be paying more than paying for a new licence, but I get the updates sooner. I could choose to buy them all together after a year or so which would be like buying a new licence currently. Provided that the incremental purchases don't come to more than a new licence I don't see the harm.
HOWEVER, I am really suspicious that this sounds like backdoor subscriptions. If so, C1 will be minus 1 customer
The new perpetual licensing scheme might not turn out so bad when:
Otherwise this new scheme could be a potential disaster for the company. For example: I updated to Capture One 23 for the not-yet-disclosed features in 2023, not for the features announced.
BTW - I have bought FinalCut once at least a decade ago. It has been upgraded an infinite number of times adding capabilities and compatibility. Apple is far from a perfect company, but in this instance, they treat me like they want me as a customer. I have loyally bought upgrades from you even when I didn't need them. This is bad, bad business.
I upgraded to 23 from 20 at a reasonable price due to significant discount. If in the future the only option is full price upgrade, C1 price will increase significantly . Adobe subscription plan could be better option to evaluate.
There won’t be a Capture One 24, LOL looks like there won’t be any Capture One in the future…haha
The writing was on the wall when Capture One did away with the discounted licences for Fuji, Sony and Nikon. It was done to maximise profits, pure and simple. It is exactly the same reason for the new strategy. I has nothing to do with: "Many of you have expressed a desire for us to make changes faster and to implement features more quickly".
As a working pro I use Capture One daily, but I will not be forced into an overpriced subscription model. LR and PS at $9.19 a month looks very attractive at this point in time (not to mention all the extras that you get with it).
I will use my current perpetual licence (23) until September 2023, and if the pricing remains ridiculous, Adobe will have a new customer.
Big disappointment... another software vendor goes to promote renting model - it is not a subscription, I use the subscription model in other software I use daily but it is 1. Buy full license -> 2 buy subscription of the upgrades (cheaper then the sole upgrades), but license is perpetual and if subscription is suspended the user has the last full licenense that was paid with the subscription. You can stop subscribing..and go back (paying surcharge but it is there and the upgrade price is never full price)
The only renting model I would go in would be renting for hours or lastly days.
The other software vendor went similar way as You, and it ended up that I did not upgrade for 3 years, before I was doing it yearly.
I quit using Adobe and switched to C1 to avoid renting model and reasonable upgrade prices. Ofc there were performance reasons too, but the upgrade model was important one.
There is a gossip that the renting "virus" inventor travels through software companies...started in Adobe, then moved to Autodesk... then Microsoft...maybe stepped by here too...
All good things come to an end.
So Capture One is now going down the same path as Lightroom (which made many people switch their photo editing software). Time for me to move on as well. What a shame. Have always been a supporter of C1. But obviously, the customer isn‘t king anymore.
If you had hoped an enthusiastic welcome for the new policy, the reactions expressed here may help you get more realistic. It would have been difficult to find a more effective way to shoot down the very positive image I had of Capture One.
Word for word, line by line EPIC !!!!
Ben for president ;-)
https://support.captureone.com/hc/en-us/articles/7998068628637/comments/8121055153309
Luckily I didn't opt for V23, yet...
...let's see what this "loyalty program" brings, but I consider C1P already very expensive for a hobbist...
...and, yes: I'm one of those many users who moved from LR to C1P because of the Adobe-licensing-politics... :-/
I read a lot of discomfort in the comments of this FAQ but very little in the social media were they might have a broader acknowledge #ColdHeartC1
Firstly, the way you can setup your work flow and the engine in Capture One are the greatest.
I was one if the people who didn’t upgrade to 23 after many years of upgrading each year because they didn’t look after their loyal customers.
I don’t need a raw converter with all the bells and whistles, I need one with all the bugs fixed.
It’s a sad day and I don’t know how Capture One are going to get out of this one.
I support most of the comments made.
I am very disappointed in this move. The company is dishonest when they say "many of you have told us you wantaccess to new tools and improvements sooner, rather than have them all in one". In reality, the company is looking for ways to increase revenues. Until now, customers had a choice, which will no longer exist in the future. To me it signals the beginning of the end of perpetual licenses.
A few years back I left Adobe because of their change to a subscription model. But in reality over the years using C1, I have been shelling our more and more money for annual perpetual licenses, which in the end may have been more expensive than an Adobe subscription. While C1 upgrade prices went up over the years, the addition of new features got more and more incremental. I assume that fewer and fewer customers were willing to pay for expensive annual upgrades, while their value went down. Where are AI supported features like de-noise, sharpening, resizing etc? These would be valuable updates to charge money for. They would also eliminate the tedious round-tripping to third-party apps.
I assume CaptureOne's response to their lack of innovation is to gradually switch to a subscription model. I suspect that sooner or later, CaptureOne will abandon perpetual licenses completely, even if they tell us today that there will be periodic upgrades. The press release is very cryptic and confusing about that.
I am wondering if Capture One realizes that they drive customers right back into Adobe's arms or to alternatives such as DxO PL6 (until DxO moves to a subscription only model). C1 is a fantastic app. I love the rendering of Raw files. But LR or others are not a slouch. At this point, Adobe has become the better deal. S9.99/mo for LR plus PS. Two Adobe app subscriptions for an annual price of $120 vs. one C1 annual subscription for $179.
It is time to look for C1 alternatives. It's a shame.
Tomorrow should be exciting: Both Paul Reiffer with his Live Edition session and David Grocer with a Capture One Livestream will be live online. It would be the first opportunity for Capture One management to show a reaction to our comments via these channels. I am very curious to see if this will happen - or if all the comments will be hushed up. I have a very definite suspicion ...
Hello, I want to Switch from LR to C1 due to thé Adobe Licensing program, ans it is not honest to make such an announcement After paying the V23 upgrade. Please explain me how to download from V23 to V23 and receive mu money jack, your price policy is incorrect for all users, you ought to be ashamed.
Is there a link to this LIVE Session?
Paul Reiffer 16.00 CET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqj4O26xMUg
David Grocer 18.30 CET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54GIebhpDQE
Dirk Ziegler
If it does not show the links on this room (it says "Pending approval" to my post just now) have a look at YouTube for the the CaptureOne and the Paul Reiffer channel and there inside the Live category …
I found it...thank you...
https://youtu.be/Yqj4O26xMUg
"Q: I have purchased Capture One 23 and I feel cheated.
A:We are not making changes to your purchase of Capture One 23.
It is yours to keep and you will continue to receive updates until the final quarter of 2023.
You will not be receiving any ‘less’ than in previous years, as per the terms and conditions."
Ahem. In previous years one was able to upgrade WITHOUT HAVING TO PURCHASE A NEW LICENSE even if you skipped it once AND YOU GOT MORE THAN JUST BUGFIXES FOR A YEAR.
What about new camera support? Lens support? Nope.
That's definitely "LESS".
HOW ARE YOU NOT GETTING THIS?
This isn't "just" about CO23, this is about investing in this software. You knew these changes were going to come and you kept your mouth shut until now. This should have been made public before selling CO23 to willing customers. They bought it thinking about staying in the CaptureOne ecosystem for the next few years with future updates etc - and not being told "nope, sorry, end of the line, everybody out".
So yeah, you should offer people who bought CO23/upgrades their money back if they are not satisfied with the future developments you just announced. They didn't know this was going to happen and you still haven't told us the full extent of your "loyalty scheme".
First of all, bringing new features in major versions only is absolutely fine but I would expect that the version which I buy will be supported for at least one year. Saying support I mean adding new camera/lens support and making bug fixes. It would be at least fair.
Another thing is upgrades. I understand that you are changing your pricing/support model to get more money. It is reasonable for every business. Probably I am bad at finance but I think you loose lots of money only because your updates are too expensive. No one wants to pay such a crazy upgrade price to get a couple of new features and probably use only one of them. The price for the product has been increasing since years and now it looks premium. Maybe it is fine for the product itself because it is really convenient to use but it should not be relevant to upgrades.
And I would also like to mention what support we receive for this price. Many of us have asked to add support for some lenses used with cameras that don't write lens profiles to RAW files, and those requests have been waiting for years.
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