In an old blog post I shared different ways to save data on different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux and Android)
On Mac in particular, I had recommended TripMode 2. An application for less than $10 that can filter which application can connect to the internet.
With macOS Big Sur, many things changed under the hood and the old filtering technique had to be updated to work with Big Sur.
Now, TripMode could have decided to release a free update to add support for Big Sur. I mean, macOS Big Sur, an entire operating system, was a free upgrade too.
Instead, TripMode decided to release a new version, TripMode 3, which has to be purchased again. Not only that, but now they’re asking for $15, which is a 50% increase. For existing customers, this is like being flipped off.
Now, if you do a bit of research, you can request an “upgrade offer” by email that will give you a 50% discount, but that’s still $7.50 and almost the price you already paid. Furthermore, that upgrade offer needs to be requested until the end of November (Big Sur came out yesterday, on the 12th of November). So, they are trying to use time pressure to get users to pay again.
Most people will likely not upgrade to macOS Big Sur immediately, as it’s advised to wait for about a month until critical bugs could be fixed and the system gets more stable. So for most users, they’d simply be surprised in December, with a request for an upgrade at full price.
I should note that on the TripMode upgrade site they claim people should have gotten an upgrade offer by email automatically. I never got such an email.
On another note, we’re in the midst of a pandemic. People are mostly staying home instead of traveling. Asking for money again, and at a 50% increase of what customers already paid, is perhaps not the best timing. On top of that, TripMode can no longer filter system traffic (this means that updates and other heavy traffic by Apple will still pass). While admittedly this is because of how Apple controls the filtering API, this still does reduce the overall worth of this application.
I don’t mind paying for good software, but they really put you into a corner here and are forcing you to pay again for the product to continue working which is not a fair practice by any means.
In conclusion, I would not trust this company with my money again. I regret having supported them in the past.
I will not upgrade. Have a good day.
That is unacceptable. I paid money to get lifetime pass and now they decided not to update TripMode 2, and instead created a new app called TripMode 3 just so that we have to pay again? How are we going to know that you won’t charge us again for TripMode 4 next year?
I have no alternative at the moment but I will not pay a cent to this company anymore. You became TripMode because of your loyal users and now you just abandon them, well done.
I found this thread when trying to find an upgrade price for TripMode, I do think they would get more loyal/happy customers if they had some kind of discount for old customers, but it is their decision. I do appreciate how much work has gone into creating the new version with support for the new OS.
According to the TripMode FAQ the problem with Apple Traffic not being filtered was a bug in macOS and fixed in 11.2..
Hi,
I am in the same boat as a TripMode 2 customer. I indeed feel flipped off to pay again for the same product, for which I have purchased a not time-limited license.
I also will stop recommending TripMode to any other users. Instead, I will recommend to never purchase anything from TripMode or Paddle.com again
Hi. I’ve read your arguments and I have a different opinion. May I suggest an alternate view?
First: You said “… macOS Big Sur, an entire operating system, was a free upgrade too.”. Depending how you look at that, its shortsighted. Mac OS and its upgrades were way back in past not free. Then something changed – and it’s not that Apple became a charity. They put the money for the upgrades in the price of the hardware you and I bought. Thats part of the apple premium, imho. Until they don’t (when a model is deemed too old), then you have two more years until your computer will stop recieving security upgrades.
Second: Big Sur is OS 11, after a long period of ten, I mean X. With 11 come fundamental changes in the core (debatable if for good or bad) AND completly new hardware (M1) on the side. Now, the more “surficial” some software was in my experience, the less you have to be concerned that you need to change a lot on OS X. But Little Snitch , TripMode and others are more “deep”. And this is where my opinion differs: I understand that it can’t be free, since these have to adapt more.
When it comes to the communication and the pricepoint I see your point and think: It is what it is: Either its still worth or it is not. Since I am still Mojave, I have another year till I have to pay up. Or change to Linux for good. I’ll see.