Why can't AdGuard Premium for Android be free?

[Gowtham]

This is a question that I have since some days. Why can't Adguard premium for android be free in order to ban piracy?

When I googled for adguard premium, the first link I have found was onhax.me (a mod apk site). So, if any one wants to block ads, why don't they go for it and download it for free? They would simply search for adguard premium on google and get to it. The adguard website link seems to appear nowhere.

Moreover, Adguard has a beta testing license, which it gives for any one who wants to test beta. That sounds good, but should be renewed every year. Hardly anyone can do this when they are getting premium version for free. (Additionally, I have found that apk on onhax.me seems to be free from malware when scanned, though I didn't use it, since I already have a beta-testing license which is valid upto an year).

The Adguard Premium lifetime license costs Rs. 1600 (INR) which is actually 20% of the phone cost that a typical Indian use. So, who would care to buy it (atleast in a country like India?)
Only if people are extremely good so much so that they don't want to use pirated software and respect the work of the development team, they would buy it. I think such people are very few. They straight away go to onhax website and check if the apk contains virus (if they are tech-savvy) and if it doesn't they directly download and use it.

So, in order to ban piracy, why can't Adguard Android App move to community and accept donations instead of selling adguard, just like the Mozilla foundation.

I don't know how many people are buying Adguard Premium but I 'think' a Donate button on the Adguard Android app would bring in enough (if not more) bucks than by selling it to continue its development.

I don't know if this can be posted here, and whether there is anyone who is concerned to respond to this (since I think that the forum contains the Development team rather than Business team).

 

[Gowtham]

If anyone thinks that this is too much then I don't mind if the admin deletes this post. Since it came to my mind, I have posted it.

 

[avatar]

Frankly, I don't believe in the donations model. We could never make enough money to support the same development quality as we can now.

The Adguard Premium lifetime license costs Rs. 1600 (INR) which is actually 20% of the phone cost that a typical Indian use. So, who would care to buy it (atleast in a country like India?)

Huh, that's our bad, really. We should provide lower prices for India, just like we already do for Russia, Poland and a couple more countries.

So, in order to ban piracy, why can't Adguard Android App move to community and accept donations instead of selling adguard, just like the Mozilla foundation.

For the most part, Mozilla's source of income is contracts with the search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc). I doubt individual donations are more than 0.1%.

 

[Gowtham]

Frankly, I don't believe in the donations model. We could never make enough money to support the same development quality as we can now.

But are not people using cracked apk more than buying it? Apart from this, you also offer beta testing and also affiliate program!
You may try putting the Donate button somewhere in the app try it for few months.

Donation is an act of helping nature, people have it more than buying things., especially when they are coming for free in sites like onhax, they steal it!

Frankly, I don't believe in the donations model. We could never make enough money to support the same development quality as we can now.



Huh, that's our bad, really. We should provide lower prices for India, just like we already do for Russia, Poland and a couple more countries.



For the most part, Mozilla's source of income is contracts with the search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc). I doubt individual donations are more than 0.1%.

I think Adguard's major source of income could be its apps other than the Android app (like Windows, macOS, iOS etc) ! Am I right?

 

[Blaz]

This is a question that I have since some days. Why can't Adguard premium for android be free in order to ban piracy?

When I googled for adguard premium, the first link I have found was onhax.me (a mod apk site). So, if any one wants to block ads, why don't they go for it and download it for free? They would simply search for adguard premium on google and get to it. The adguard website link seems to appear nowhere.

If we would use that logic, then every software should be free as nearly every software is available as an illegal version.

 

[Gowtham]

If we would use that logic, then every software should be free as nearly every software is available as an illegal version.

Yes only those pirated software that is free from malware, people would download them and also that software which can be downloaded without surveys and nonsense.

But Adguard Android app (I think) doesn't generate much revenue since it is available as cracked version, however other apps (for Win,mac etc) would do, and they would be enough to continue the development of the Android app also (according to me)

Additionally, the Donate button on Android app would add to some benefit.

 

[anajames]

If we would use that logic, then every software should be free as nearly every software is available as an illegal version.

I would definitely agree to this. And as the saying goes never do something for free that you are good at.

 

[Gass]

This is a question that I have since some days. Why can't Adguard premium for android be free in order to ban piracy?

Would not just getting rid of the web/internet serve a better purpose?
As the internet grows into more main stream usage of countries all over the world - there's going to be more piracy of anything and everything found on it.

What decent principles govern your temple? Are you to consider yourself an honorable person? Do you help out without being asked or take an reward if offered for that help? Same areas to your understanding of your principles, honor, and good nature should to be governing your online attitude and activities, or your fooling no one but yourself.
Just because many find gray areas to influence them - should you be subdued too by their actions or make a stand for yourself to the right way in decently/decentness.
Who is doing the most piracy, young or old - rich or poor - sport versus necessary.
All these are questions to ask of ones selves, as to which countries regard piracy a fundamental right.

Say someday only .0002 % help pay for Adguard's development and to helping sustain it's future - if that ever be the case, then no new development will be offered and all pirates will move on to something else then to offer something they feel of value to them for nothing.

I think stronger app/program License checking can only aid this piracy situation somewhat, it boils down to if you want it's development to be offered and in future updates to being as a useful program continued, where as buying it leads to this results.

What I'm more shocked at, is that the best Adguard Lifetime License deal is not found on the https://adguard.com site
Example:
From Adguard's own site - 1+1 (1 computer 1 android device) = $59.95 right now.
Another site offering a Deal - 2+2 (2 Android devices + 2 computers - 4 total) = $29.99 right now

Why this isn't the case that Adguard's own website can't be the best deal found for a License purchase or at the least to reflect these other sites short term sale prices offered - is beyond me.
That alone as I see it of a way to combat Piracy to a degree for those who have higher principles and scruples to lesser individuals.

Gass

 

[Boo Berry]

I just don't get why people would want to pirate Adguard's products at all in the first place, when you can sign up on the forums and follow the blog post's instructions and apply to become a beta tester, which includes a beta tester license for free. Maybe people are just lazy or something?

 

[Gass]

I just don't get why people would want to pirate Adguard's products at all in the first place, when you can sign up on the forums and follow the blog post's instructions and apply to become a beta tester, which includes a beta tester license for free. Maybe people are just lazy or something?

Should be considered as a viable free license - but - as it may require of them to contribute to furthering Adguard, which of a license purchased does too help support Adguard.
Adguard is in a high risk market for being pirated, as it's benefits of use is to an everyday or every online use, where some pirated software may only be used one or two times a month or year for that matter. Depends on popularly and how often a software benefits a users usage.
Lazy or something then I'd have to agree.

I say lock down Adguard to where it checks on the hour, every hour to a License validity. . .

Just like Adguard has block lists of phishing sites and updates to it's filters - use a License black lists.
Bind the License to not only a device, but make it proven that a purchase was made as well as the email the license was sent to or used in the purchase, invoice number, anything to aid from piracy then.
Regular license holders who would have purchased it only need to do this once or yearly if a lifetime license was purchased and would understand the need to be enforced.

 

[avatar]

You may try putting the Donate button somewhere in the app try it for few months.

Just look at the others who were living on donations money and what they became:

Adblock Plus -- created the Acceptable Ads program.
AdBlock -- was sold, then immediately took part in the Acceptable Ads program.
Disconnect -- switched to the paid model.

Not to mention that all three still accept donations.

That's not what I want for Adguard. Selling software is the most straightforward and honest model I know.

 

[avatar]

On the other hand, I admit that the price should be right, and the right price highly depends on the country.

Piracy is not a thing in most of the western countries, while in India, for instance, the piracy rate is very high.

However, I have another example right in front of my eyes. When we started, piracy in Russia was on the verge, people didn't even think about buying software. So, we decided to make the price really low and see how it goes. It took some time, but after all, I still hear from people saying that Adguard was the very first program they decided to buy instead of stealing.

 

[Gass]

Just look at the others who were living on donations money and what they became:
Adblock Plus -- created the Acceptable Ads program.
AdBlock -- was sold, then immediately took part in the Acceptable Ads program.
Disconnect -- switched to the paid model.

Not to mention that all three still accept donations.
That's not what I want for Adguard. Selling software is the most straightforward and honest model I know.

Please don't go down that road either - see, listen, and learn from their mistakes and keep Adguard above the point of no return.

On the other hand, I admit that the price should be right, and the right price highly depends on the country.

Piracy is not a thing in most of the western countries, while in India, for instance, the piracy rate is very high.

However, I have another example right in front of my eyes. When we started, piracy in Russia was on the verge, people didn't even think about buying software. So, we decided to make the price really low and see how it goes. It took some time, but after all, I still hear from people saying that Adguard was the very first program they decided to buy instead of stealing.

I would think that Adguard could set a generic price on a years service term period. By generic, I'm meaning a flat price across all borders in all Countries, and in that way appeal to everyone with a single years pricing - to curb piracy.

Combating Piracy - well lets face it, not in todays World as there are some who devote their life's (or many years) to doing this. If you want to go after them - put a bounty up (lifetime license or something), so people will turn them in to you, so you can understand how their doing it (techniques) used to fool the license check, or by turning in the sites where the downloads are offered to getting take down orders filed on those sites. [smarter people than I can offer you more as I'm not a pirate or know the pirate ways].

Maybe like Adguard has Beta Testers it needs a department for Piracy of it's software, to follow up on what people turn in to it.
Offer a free license to piracy busters - wouldn't Adguard much rather reward people to stop the bleeding then to cause it, and I'm meaning by not having a pro-active piracy policy in place.

What are the real numbers here, for every 5 license Adguard sells it looses 50 copies to piracy of people using the software for free?
What if the price was best to see only 5 pirated copies and the money from more sales was increased, small but sustained to a future of Adguard's market. One answer is not enough and everybody that cares for Adguard needs to have an input here, together a meeting of the minds, to bring up things never considered yet and to prefect ideals on the table.

The real shame, harm and theft is not to only Adguard, but the people paying for a Adguard License as well. Money that should of been redeemed for a license and furthering Adguard's development has to go in to piracy prevention, or with projects scheduled for prime time release put on hold now. Causing Adguard to stagnate somewhat to it's full plans and developments of the software.

Everyone that buys a Adguard license - stands with Adguard and everyone who pirates a copy defeats all of us !

Adguard could be the first software in web history to enlist every Adguard purchaser to thwart off it's theft, as users search the web in daily actives and run across a site, download or of any clue to the piracy of it's software and report it, if a module within Adguard makes this simple - then please do include it. I'd look at the extensions module of the program and see if Adguard could add on one for it's own piracy reporting, then if that works out well - make the extension able to report other makers software suspected of being pirated as a revenue stream to help off set it's own piracy. Declare War on Piracy by starting with your own Adguard software first.

An extension module geared to reporting piracy, with the same non-user information generated as reporting a missed ad or blocking an element of a webpage, but maybe a code shown to redeem - if that user reporting wants to receive a bounty towards a further year of software use. Make friends with your users and keep an open dialog for users to understand this module and use it with confidence.

Adguard is one software program that's worth buying for everyone in their everyday use, if we were to think back to a web without Adguard and since Adguard hit the web stage, how much better that web experience really is for us. The web is ever changing and so to needs the ability of Adguard to change and by it's continuing future sales as this change will continue to happen. Not by Piracy. . .

Just my heart felt thoughts to a future with Adguard.
Gass