In this guide, you’ll discover which payment option might be best for you based on how you plan to use our software.
Subscription or Perpetual License?
Find out the differences between our payment options and the cost of ownership for you.
A subscription is for you if:
You always want to have the latest version of Capture One Pro and get all new features and updates as soon as we release them. If you choose our annual payment option, it will be the cheapest option for you.
When you stop your subscription, you will lose access to the software. However, our subscriber Loyalty Program allows you to purchase a perpetual license with a 20% discount for each year you have been a subscriber (yes, that means after 5 years you can get it for free). That way even if you stop your subscription, you will always have a version of Capture One Pro to keep and that supports your catalogs and sessions.
Read more about how our Loyalty Program works here.
A perpetual license is for you if:
You don’t need new features and improvements and don’t plan to invest in new camera hardware any time soon. The copy of Capture One Pro you have will continue to work as long as your hardware and operating system support it. You are happy to buy a new copy of the software if you want to get the latest version.
You own the software outright and it will continue to work as long as your hardware and operating system support it. You are happy to buy a new copy of the software if you want to be on the latest version.
Please note that our Loyalty Program allows you to purchase a perpetual license at a discount if you stop a subscription. You’ll get 20% off for each year you have been a subscriber (yes, that means after 5 years you can get it for free). That way you will always have a version of Capture One Pro that you own and supports your catalog.
Read more about how our Loyalty Program works here.
Which option is best for me?
I want new features and updates as soon as they’re ready
An annual subscription is always the cheapest option for you.
I want new features and updates as soon as they’re ready, and have access to my catalog after I stop my subscription
The cheapest option for you is to get an annual subscription, and then get a perpetual license through our Loyalty Program when you want to stop the subscription.
I don’t need new features right away and I don’t buy new camera gear often
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If you would like to get new features and updates more than once a year, it will always be cheaper for you to have an annual subscription and then buy a perpetual license through our loyalty program when you stop your subscription.
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If you would like to get new features and updates once a year and plan to use Capture One Pro for at least three years, it will be cheaper for you to have an annual subscription and then buy a perpetual license through our loyalty program when you stop your subscription.
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If you would like to get new features and updates once every 2 or more years, a perpetual license is the cheapest option for you.
I don’t want a subscription
A perpetual license is the best option for you.
What are the differences in the cost of ownership?
For those of you that want to dive into the details, we’ve done the work for you. Here is a breakdown of how much it will cost you over 6 years, including the difference after changes to our perpetual licenses coming on 14 February, 2023.
Annual Prepaid subscription vs. Perpetual License
Prices are in USD and are indicative. Prices may vary in your local currency set by our payment provider. Prices are excluding sales tax / VAT. If you have a business number this charge will be removed on checkout.
Annual Prepaid subscription, then move to a Perpetual License vs. Perpetual License
Prices are in USD and are indicative. Prices may vary in your local currency set by our payment provider. Prices are excluding sales tax / VAT. If you have a business number this charge will be removed on checkout.
The Terms and Conditions of your license purchases (made via our web store) are always accessible from your Capture One account under the 'Plans & Services Management' section:
Comments
220 comments
I can't understand anything about it. Having to interpret the Excel table to find out which license to buy is deleterious.
Adobe will appreciate this. 9,99 per month for Lightroom AND Photoshop? See you there!
Really? It's like trying to work out your electricity bill.
tbh not many USEFULL things in last 2 versions to even think about subscription or thinking about more upgrades then once per 2 years. And yes. agree with Marco ... 15USD/month for Capture One or 10 for photoshop and lightroom ? :)
So will Affinity!! I have used some of their software for a little while now, mostly Publisher, after I ditched Adobe years ago to go back to Quark Express. But now that you guys are trying the "Adobe trick" of subscription coercion, I will go to figure out Affinity Photo a bit more and how it really competes with Capture1 workflow. It seems you guys are as hellbent to piss off small customers as Adobe were a few years ago.
I did stop evaluating C1 at "Buy a new perpetual license for Capture One Pro: Use that version of Capture One Pro for as long as you like. You will receive bug fixes until a new version is released, but you will not receive free updates with new features." It almost seems like I should be grateful that you are selling it to me.
These are great news for Adobe, unquestioningly! And all the tables and clarifications are a big mess. It's almost impossible to understand the amounts involved in each option and what they really mean in practical terms. C1 is seriously trying to commit suicide.
Those price comparison tables for the Perpetual License are dishonest.
They imply that the new Loyalty Scheme is cheaper than the Upgrade Program it is replacing. It isn't.
There were 30% discounts on the previous upgrade price. I am currently being offered, up to the end of this month, an upgrade for £199. Under the new scheme the price is £239.
This article is just marketing way to say - cmoon guys, we will milk you even more... So, no. If you go this way, 23 will be most probably last capture one i buy.
I have used Capture One since v3. Almost 20 years now. And you reward this loyalty like this. This is very confusing and terms are getting worse and worse every year. Greedy. In long Run you won’t benefit this at all. There are other options on the market.
>Those price comparison tables for the Perpetual License are dishonest.
Also table tells nothing about features you get. Previously if you upgraded once per year, you basically had latest features all the time. Now, if you upgrade once a year you only have what you originally purchased plus some period of bug fixes (not a year as new version with feature updates will come sooner - which was their reason (sorry, I meant excuse) for this change). In worst case scenario you may need to upgrade couple of times in one year if your bugs are fixed together with new feature version.
Updates were already very expensive. I really don't understand your table, except it will increase the cost. I had the pleasure of having different softwares and choose to update depending on my available budget. However from now I will keep only one as all publishers want a suscription that I cannot afford anymore. Best regards.
I understand that you guys want to sell the C1 at a high price.
Don't get confused by complicated prices. Reward your customers with simple and affordable prices.
Customers are much colder than you think.
In addition, all the tables in $ .... I should then convert to euros to really understand how much I spend. More taxes of course ....
I suggest showing this to university students as an example on how to ruin a business and customer trust.
I chose Capture One years ago to escape Adobe subscription rip-off and because it was better. Now it is becoming a greater rip-off than Adobe. All that your so-called ‘loyalty scheme’ does for me is to seriously diminish any feeling of loyalty that I previously felt towards the company.
Well, I used to love and respect your software, but unfortunately the only thing I have to add, is that I agree to all previous commentaries that have been made...
Tables aren't clear at all. I only upgrade when there is something worthwhile in the new version - nothing in 23 over 22 for my use. I also only upgrade when a discount is offered - if no discounts are going to be offered in the future then may be Lightroom, or one of the others, here I come, or I would put off upgrade for 3 years thereby keeping cost down to £100 pa. I am retired so can't afford major costs every year.
Subscriptions need to be more competitive with Lightroom/Photoshop, if they were I might then switch to subscription. I am sure many users use CO because of the perpetual licence, so don't change it! Why would I spend £1074 over 6 years when Lightroom/Photoshop would only cost me £720? Why is it that US pricing $179 per year is so much cheaper than UK pricing at £179?
just to the "299 USD upgrade"
Guys, just read the first sentence of your article again, and then start scratching your head. Completely transparent looks VERY different.
Endless confusing tables with weird prices (the upgrade once per year was NEVER 299), selling bug fixes separate from features, what the hell?
Just look at the comments you are getting for it and someone come to reason over there. You have been notoriously bad in admitting when you get it wrong, so I don't have much hope, but come on, read the room.
I am POCP and I'm thinking of jumping ship because you make it such a mess.
Just be honest and say we are getting more expensive. Or save money by letting go the people that come up with this complicated mess and just stay on reasonable prices.
I have had Capture One Pro for the best part of 20 years. I have always used it in preference to Photoshop or Lightroom (which I also had but stopped at CS6 when Adobe went to subscription)
I stopped at C1P at 22 as for me there was little if any benefit for C1P 23 and at a relatively high price.
The fees I have paid for Perpetual since e.g. Jan 2017 INCLUDING VAT (sales tax) are:
£143.10 date 31-10-2021 ypgrade to 22
£111.30 date 28-11-2020 upgrade to 21
£134.00 date 13-02-2020 upgrade to 20
£111.75 datre 15-04-2019 upgrade 11 to 12
£142.80 date 13-12-2017 upgrade 10 to 11
£118.80 date 12-01-2017 upgrade 9 to 10
Am I attracted to any of the new prices and options? Not in a million years!
Is there a German version of the text? My english is not good enough to understand it …
Food for thought and time to think, I'll have to figure out the best road ahead.
But 2 or 3 things remain:
- cheapest costs will continue to be Lr+PS, or ON1 PhotoRaw. If (and for me it's a big if... you are comfortable with those GUI's
- Best results will continue to be CO1 or DxO Photolab. Not only in the results and speed but importantly, comfortable and flexible GUI's.
How each of us value these factors it's of course subjective and personal. There's also (while we are about figuring options on a cost/quality balance) the combo Photomechanic+ (for catalog and photo management) with Affinity Suite (for editing, publishing) which is also a very complete and sustainable workflow, with no subscription whatsoever.
Plenty of choices today, but that can can get more difficult, expensive or limited if the dominant players get even more dominant and competition gets smaller or stops. Exposure X7 is an example of this. And we know very well that a dominant or monopolistic position in a sector allows them to sell stuff cheaper for a period of time, until the others go down or are acquired (Aldus with Pagemaker comes to mind, Lotus 123 or Wordperfect also).
So thumbs up for an open, diverse and dynamic market, let's hope it stays that way. We all benefit from that in the long run.
Cheers, have a great time shooting with the 3 or 4 brands still around... we used to have more options a few years ago.
That's pretty much what I paid. So yeah, time to call this what it is.
This is just bewildering. I’ve never seen a more confusing way of explaining a so called loyalty plan.
I’ve had C1 for many years. I’ve resisted moving to subscription, and this just seems like a slimy way to push the holdouts onto subscription.
Last few years the annual upgrade has hardly felt worth it in terms of upgrades either.
This smacks of bad business. You already duped me into paying for an upgrade early before it was even released. Is the business in trouble?
I’m sure it’s hard to compete in this market. I’d rather just pay more and get upgrades by version. You’re just milking the promise of upgrades in advance now and that doesn’t sit well for me.
I’m now going to change from only C1 to seeing what else I can use. Please reconsider. This is madness.
Then let's hope that the bill works out for you after all the cows that don't want to be milked like that have jumped off. Sitting on a high horse can also be dangerous. Fortunately, there are still alternatives.
You have a perpetual license for an older version of Capture One Pro. You have 3 options before February 14, 2023.
Jake, you gave me no choice :), I have to choose 1... and learn Lightroom or Affinity Photo in the meanwhile
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