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
@Christopher Dubea
I agree. The catalogue system must be one of the greatest limitations of Capture One, and presumably the cause of its recurrent unresponsiveness when searching/filtering, editing keywords, etc.
When searching for a file name, Capture One becomes unresponsive for 12-14 seconds; when filtering by keywords it's 45-50 seconds. In Lightroom, searching/filtering takes less than a second, with no unresponsiveness.
While Capture One has its advantages, they can hardly be said to justify a subscription price almost two and a half times that of the Lightroom+Photoshop package.
Article on best photo editing softwares:
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-photo-editing-software#:~:text=Photo%20Editing-,The%20Best%20Photo%20Editing%20Software%20for%202022,-Whether%20you%27re%20a
La più Grande LADRATA del secolo. Congratulation
ove Capture One have stated the following:
After 1st February 2023, new perpetual license purchases will 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, bug fixes and optimizations will be included(16.x.x) until a new paid version is released (16.x).
Finally as a subscription always provides you with access to the latest version, subscribers will also not be affected by these changes.
EU law as of January 2022 states the following:
"In January 2022, a new EU law came into effect, enforcing a two-year warranty period on digital goods (such as games and software). Directive (EU) 2019/771, EU Member States is now fully in effect and is challenging digital goods producers to improve and maintain quality and security in the interest of consumers. Significantly, the new rules explicitly state that providers should include bug and vulnerability fixes for at least two years after purchase."
So why are they not following the law, are they above it?
We all agree law is mandatory, but customer support is more than this.
Serif released an update for Affinity Photo V1 few days ago, after launching V2. I bought that SW some years ago and I'm still receiving support on the forum. They answer quickly with technical suggestions.
When I asked for support to CO (poor sharpening at fit to screen zoom) it took about two months to be suggested to upgrade to the newest release. And they marked it as "solved".
I bought CO 23 but I have the same issue.
That's my experience. I don't think I'll receive better support as perpetual license owner as soon as new license policy changes.
It's time to say goodbye. I have never used Lightroom & Co. and will not do so in the future. I've been using CaptureOne since version 5 and have thrown a ton of money at the company. It wasn't a mistake, I felt good about it - it was quite familiar - and the product got better and better. From v19 onwards, however, C1 started to put more and more emphasis on making a quick buck than on long-term customer loyalty.
So I am grateful for this new move by PhaseOne, which makes it easier for me to finally say "Tschuess".
Since v20 I have started to look private at free raw developers. In the end, I chose DARKTABLE as my private raw developer. My employer will have to make a similar decision in September '23, and I will be happy to offer my FOSS expertise.
By the way, BLACKMAGIC DESIGN is also a hardware & software manufacturer. However, they have taken an entirely different path. I think they will be more successful in the end. Their hardware prices are very well granulated and the most important software, DAVINCI RESOLVE, is available as a free version and as a paid studio version - the latter with a lifetime licence.
Francesco Terracciano:
This is my experience too. Most other software companies offer reasonably quick support and answer questions in their forums too. Not so with Capture One (see this thread). Apart from being slow to respond – due most likely to being understaffed – Capture One's support department often give the impression of trying to brush you off with copy and paste replies.
Given this and other shortcomings on the part of Capture One, the company and the software, it's difficult to see how a subscription price almost two and a half times that of the Lightroom+Photoshop package can be justified.
I see a lot of potential in the C1 software itself. Only the deteriorating purchase options, exorbitant pricing and miserable customer communication and customer support make the product unattractive in its entirety. On a positive note, however, the regular webinars with David Grocer and Ambassador Paul Reiffer are very helpful for an optimal use of C1, at least for me.
info:
Well, yes. But the software itself does have its shortcomings, such as the extraordinarily sluggish catalogue/database system – see Christopher Dubea's comment here and mine here.
Avalanche as a converter from C1 to other RAW converters seem to have a version for Windows to:
https://pcmacstore.com/en/app/1479552484/avalanche-unlimited
But I had no time to check out till now.
When Adobe moved to the licensing model, I said goodbye LR and moved to C1. Obviously, this "improvement" initiative by Capture One intends to push C1 users into a licensing model.
Time to say goodbye to C1!
I just purchased DxO PhotoLab under their Xmas offer (30% discount), as DxO promises not to move to a licensing model anytime in the foreseeable future.
"bug fixes and optimizations will be included(16.x.x) until a new paid version is released (16.x). "
Does this mean that if you are on 16.4 and 2 months later 16.5 is released you no longer receive bug fixes for serious issues?
This sounds unacceptable to me. Not getting new features is fine, but with the current state of releases (often buggy) this sounds like a big step back. To me it feels like you're trying to frustrate your customers with enough small downsides so they'll want to move to a subscription; a form of negative nudging. The reaction to that is clearly visible by now. Perhaps you could make your subscription more appealing instead; positive nudging.
Your current license model gave ~a year of fixes which already is on the low end. Normally in the software world (and by some consumer laws) major versions or 'point versions' as you call them (15.x, 16.x) receive at least 2 years of support.
"Update 8th of December:
We have read through all your comments and identified some common misunderstandings, that we will clarify here:
We are keeping perpetual licenses, and you can still buy them anytime, after February 1st, 2023 or even after September 30th, 2023.
When we state,"There will not be a Capture One 24", it only means we are changing the product's naming. We will continue to release versions of Capture One Pro, that can be purchased as a perpetual license."
What a load of nonsense, if nothing but a name changes, why communicate this. I'm out, I recommend (cyme.io) Avalanche (MacOs) to convert your catalogs to Lightroom (59 euros, lightning fast)
If anyone wants to see the 2019 audited financials before the Phase One - Capture One split this makes for some interesting reading:
https://api.lassox.com/data/cvr/report?id=99698871/amNsb3VkczovLzAzL2I4L2JjL2UxLzE4LzY5NDctNDhlZi1hM2Y5LWQyNDNiYWVlYmJkNQ.pdf
" "I have a license for Capture One Pro 23 purchased before February 1st, 2023"
You will receive free updates until September 30th, 2023.
If you wish to get a new version of Capture One Pro after September 30th, 2023, you will need to buy a new license."
And if I don't want a new licence? Can I keep on using C23????
Maarten, you should be able to keep using Capture One 23 forever (at least as long it's supported by your OS and CO doesn't disable its activation servers). However you probably won't be receiving any bug fixes after a feature release (similar to the old Capture One versions, but violating EU laws).
I think, most users understood what C1 has stated here. But communication keeps unclear if you keep your "loyalty program" secret. Of course your customers start worrying about the future of C1 if you keep these essential questions not answered.
You intend to speed up the release of new features. This means, that main releases such as 16.x will come more often. As soon you have released 16.x customers of perpetual licences won't get any updates (bug fixes, lens profiles, etc.) anymore. They simply have to buy a new perpetual release, but not for the upgrade price but for the full price. This could mean, my perpetual license will be only supported with bug fixes (16.x.x) for a few months or even weeks. It depends how often you release feature updates 16.x. It is a huge step backwards for perpetual license holders. And I think the majority of your customers have perpetual licenses.
In your communication is too much room for rumor and misunderstanding. That's why you get so many critical reactions. In my opinion this is unprofessional and leads to loss of trust in your company.
Thanks Capture One, you disappointed me!
I bought Capture One 23 and it will be my LAST version of your software!
I liked your software but I will not be your cow that you can milk! And be assured...my word of mouth marketing will not be positive! It is so sad that you go this route, but our paths will separate with version 23.
And please take your decision like a man and do not BS around 'Over the past few years many of you have told us you want access to new tools and improvements sooner, rather than have them all in one ‘major’ version of Capture One Pro at the end of each year.'
You made a decision....now live with it and do not blame your customers.
Good bye C1
@ernst.w I followed the link but can't find the actual download.
Answer to Paul Reiffers Footage:
Paul - you have mentioned at the beginning of your video the comments here, that it is mad to discuss that perpetual license without "facts" and that those, who are complaining, do not make creative decisions.
But: The communication disaster has been started with the 6th of Dec. (after the black friday sale) announcement of C1, saying clearly, that there will be no price reduced upgrades for the perpetual users and that there "might" be an loyalty programme which will in detail only be communicated AFTER the doors are closed for the "normal" upgrade on 31st Jan. Even more - so it is to read for the common user - that after 1st Feb there might be even no updates or bug-fixes. That IS a fact and no speculation.
How can a company release such an announcement without ANY further information what will be included in the perpetual upgrades regarding new features, camera support, warranty and bugfixes (probably or likely against EU laws). We are not stupid, we are not mad and our complaints are not odd - they were caused in its full extend by C1 marketing dpt. And telling us that nothing has changed except the numbering and intervals of releases is less than helpful and only true for subscribers.
And your point, Paul, regarding the price of cameras, lenses and Filters - You forgot to take into account that we own the equipment entirely, we can sell it, use it up etc. That is completely different than the right to use software, there we own just the license and if C1 decides to disconnect the activation servers, we are done.
Certainly we all complaining here have fears - even on an emotional base. Photography is a business, but also has very emotional elements as well. Most of us love that creative work. We are simply angry and p**ssed. It was C1 who caught us when Adobe stopped perpetual licenses with a, at that time, very attractive piece of software for a fair price and upgrade policy, highlighting the perpetual license and praising themselves for that.
Yes Paul, i understood that C1 is not skipping the perpetual model. But they have started to make it obsolete because it will be completely unattractive.
The only reason that C1 has changed the release date of detailed information regarding the "Loyalty Scheme" from 1st Feb. to mid Jan. was that outrage from us, the loyal customers. And it is a pity that you as an ambassador do nothing more than explaining and supporting the C1 announcement in different wording and the help of grafic elements. Excuse me, imho you are ages better in explaining tricks and tipps in C1 and editing to enhance our creativity.
Telling us that these changes only apply to to subscription users is correct, but there are a lot of loyal customers who prefer for different and damn good reasons to be offline with their computers - a decision which should be accepted. Some have lousy internet connections or even non, do not like the automatic windows updates, hate viruses. Yes, Paul, and there are people who can live without netflix, amazon and twitter, they read old fashion books, listen to wonderful vinyls, communicate via landline or in their favourite pub and go out shopping. Old fashion ??? Come on.
Do C1 - and you as an ambassador - really think we only have waited for that bloody bad C1 communication to start to blame C1 in an unfair way? This is not a presidents election, and we are not on twitter here. We all writing here have definitely better and creative things to do.
It was great and i liked the fact, that C1 left us, the customers, the choice of going perpetual or subscription - to our own needs and demands. Some like the subscription model, and they are creative, productive and happy with that. Others like me like the perpetual license and they are not less creative or productive - it is (or was???) exactly the same piece of software. Just a tool!! A good tool. Your point "Value and Cost" therefore is a bit cruel.
Certainly it might be seen today as a bit of speculation: I think and it can not be denied, that the subscription model seems in the first place to be the better deal for C1. Because the subscribers have constantly to pay their fee, whereas the perpetual user can easily skip a version. As a result of C1s policy i have skipped V23 upgrade and will wait until i think C1 can be a good partner again.
C1: you have definitely a plan A and a plan B - otherwise you are - independent of your wages - overpayed.
The base of all decisions we can make are facts (right, Paul) to decide on. You, C1, have to deliver the full amount of facts and even plans to attract us to stay with you.
So again C1 and Paul (as an ambassador with connections into C1) - tell us details, otherwise as someone mentioned before - i do not ride a dead horse.
@bernhard sanders very well put. When one suspects one is about to get stuffed it is not a good idea to leave one's pants down.
Can anyone tell me definitively, what happens if you're using C1 on subscription and you cancel? I've looked, but haven't turned anything up.
I understand that with LR, you can continue to access your images, just not edit them. Is this the case for C1?
TIA
Shane
@Pip yep.
My experience over the past four years:
In addition to my earlier post: Certainly a subscription license would be my choice - if i were a pro making my living with photography. For 219€ / year C1 offers a great value ensuring you always get bugfixes and new extended features. A good base with a good tool. And i would have a powerful Mac (with probably better internet security features) as a tool replacing it with the newest model every 3 or 4 years. All these things are just tools.
As precious amateurs we want a great editing software to create great results. We do not have to live on that, we do notwork with photography on an every days base just enjoying photography and creativity. We don't rent cameras, we own them entirely and unlimited, we don't pay for updates or some fixed issues (If provided). We do not need every new feature, have a completely different workflow and can in doubt bypass some bugs. I.e. i do not use the database feature for some reasons but have a different DAM which is imho better for my own needs (Daminion Home Server).
The problem is, that the new perpetual license scheme is - not knowing now what loyalty programme means - by far too dear for us with 349 € if we, as most did, upgrade every year, which has been great so far also due to reasonable pricing in the last years.
And that is what you have communicated on the 6th of Dec.
Either Capture One plans to revolutionize the software industry, or they were really badly advised.
According to EU law, all buyers of a product have identical rights for having defects fixed - regardless when and where the product was purchased.
If Capture One moves to only one product in the future (let's assume it will be called "THE Capture One"), than any buyer of the software will have the same rights of getting bugs fixed.
I'm a lawyer and not a software engineer, so I can only imagine the effort it will take to maintain bug fixes for dozens of different versions of THE Capture One. Far more interesting will be to see all the many legal cases Capture One will have to deal with when buyers claim that a change of software represents a bug fix and not an enhancement of functionality.
There is a good reason why e.g. Microsoft sells licenses of Office 2017, 2019, etc. to owners of software, while there is only one Office 365 under the SAAS model (or why Adobe has LR4, LR5, LR6 versions, but never offered a CC version to one-time buyers).
I fear the main focus of Capture One will be on legal disputes in the future, rather than software development.
Geometricus wrote:
I am a software engineer. In modern software development it is not that difficult to implement most bug fixes in different product versions. You have to have decent 'DevOps' in place with good source control, release management and (automated) testing.
Maybe you could take a look at the current Software License Agreement and check if it's legal at all.
The good thing is that Capture One's marketing strategy and poor communication has made me look at the competition. After 3 days spent testing DxO's Photolab 6 on some 'difficult' RAW files, I must admit that this experience has been an eye opener for me. Although I am a Fuji guy, for which Capture One Pro has long been THE reference, I am amazed by the quality I am getting from the competition. This combined with an interesting price offering for Christmas makes DxO's solution very tempting: The competition is not any longer what it was when I moved to Capture One Pro 5 back in 2009!
So, in a sense, thank you Capture One for making me look outside and pushing me out of your world :)
Thanks for providing me with such a good tool in the past, and good luck to you!
I'm glad I haven't upgraded to 23 yet, now I can go somewhere else and find a better company if not the software... I'd just have to live with the drawbacks for now. Oh well, was fun till it lasted... goodbye.
Basically making the subscription look more attractive to slowly phase out perpetual. You will lose many customers in this process, just as adobe did when they went full subscription. They did succeed in the end.
However, capture one isn’t adobe. The adobe subscription gives you lightroom, photoshop and lightroom cc on the iPad. Whereas capture one makes you pay for iPad and has nothing like photoshop. A very bad deal indeed. There is no way you will survive with this model, unless you reduce prices.
It sucks. But it’s tough to justify supporting the company anymore. Last two updates offered very little. But to continue using iPad I will eventually have to update my desktop too. It’s just too confusing.
Simplify and go subscription only and make it reasonable. This will win people back.
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