Would it be possible to release a 'use-forever' iOS version of the app (lite-version)? In a stand-alone version all I want to do is just import a character list from a textfile that I have created and practice writing with Skritter.

By comparison, I can do something similar with Pleco by buying the flashcards and stroke order modules ($20 total cost), albeit limited to writing on a blank pad with no comparison to the original character. Skritter's interface seem's much more suitable for writing practice, which is why I am interested in it; I'd be willing to pay, say $30 for a stand-alone app. Adding new/extra functionality could come through in-app modules (which generates income from users whose already bought the app, assuming that Skritter keeps innovating).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cheapskate, I've bought every single add-on module and dictionary that Pleco has come out with precisely because I know that I "own" the software. I'd buy skritter in a heart-beat if a 'use-forever' version is available. As it is right now, I'm still leaning towards getting by with Pleco's limitations instead of a spending $120 on software that I cannot effectively use after two years without paying more money.

yeah in the world of apps, seems like u should be the permanent owner after paying $120.

Not sure if you already knew this, but you can use Skritter for free if all you're doing is reviews. That is, if you don't want to add (add as in word adding in Skritter) new words and just review the ones already added, then it's not necessary to pay the monthly fee.

But yeah I agree, Skritter may be an excellent program but the $10 dollar monthly fee is very steep. Whenever I introduce Skritter to my friends, the idea of a monthly fee is an immediate turnoff to them and they just say that they're fine with Pleco or Anki. Then again, for the amount of time you can invest in Skritter, it can definitely be made worth it.

$10 monthly to learn possible the worlds most important language is a bargain

In a similar way to Chinese pod, Skritter is a good deal if you're very committed to learning Chinese. Otherwise it's too expensive.

I showed the new app to a colleague at work, and he was blown away by it, but thought the prices were outrageous - and he's already shelled out a fair amount on Pleco.

Most people hate monthly fees.

I think it would be great to offer a 'word' bundle, made up of HSK lists or the like, so people would feel they owned something after paying x amount.

By the way, the app is fantastic :-) I already love it and can't live without it - so I'll certainly be getting a long subscription. Its just other people I worry about...

How much will you pay to learn a language?
How much is the ability to interact in Chinese worth? How much are you willing to spend to reduce the time needed to learn a language? If you put what you get out of skritter in this context $10/month is a bargain.

Rather than thinking about how much skritter costs, think about how much you'll gain. People psychologically want to keep what they got rather than invest so that they can make more.

One year of skritter costs a lot less than 1 year of Chinese classes. I learned and retained many many times more characters over the past year using skritter vs the many years I spent taking Chinese classes. My personal goal is to get to 5000 characters and retain it and do it as fast as my limited time allows me. What is the value to me - priceless.

If you purely want to look at it from a dollar point of view, if I can get one deal done that I otherwise couldn't because I can read Chinese then just that one deal will pay back many more times vs what I paid skritter.

Good points all. If I compare this with the price of a chinese class, it's a great deal. I spent about the same amount on a local Chinese writing class about 5 years ago, and it was the only class I ever dropped out of in my life (didn't like the teaching method).

I just signed up for a 2-year subscription.

A few reasons why I think Skritter is right with regards to it's pricing:

1. Skritter is a niche product, for serious Chinese learners so it's market is limited. The majority of non tech savy / non language learning enthusiasts don't realize how powerful SRS learning is. Indeed in the beginning SRS can seem somewhat of a bore. It is in the long run that it really pays off. From my experience with friends, even those studying Chinese academically, is that only a few people have the dedication to skritter everyday (if you only review vocabulary the night before a test than yes no point paying $10 a month for skritter).

Ever notice how outrageously priced specialist sports equipment or hobby equipment can appear to be? It can appear outrageous to an outsider because they do not realise how much value that extra few meters more on their drive means to a serious golfer. As always at the top end of the market will seem expensive but will be worth the price for those who are dedicated to that particular field. I think the same applies to Skritter.

2. Skritter is more than just an app. They run servers to handle all our vocabulary lists. The team has dedicated thousands of hours into the service, much more than the average app. I trust they will continue to do so while all the time interacting with subscribers here in the forums to find out what people want improving

3. Skritter is innovative. If the skritter iOS app was just another calendar app or plants and zombies remake then it would need to be priced accordingly. But as of yet I have found no service that can compare with skritter in terms of how effective it is for helping me learn vocabulary. In the past I used anki along with it's $20 iOS app but I had spend half of my study time just managing and creating flashcards time and of course it had none of the character writing and tone prompts that make skritter excellent. Of course we would all like something for less but at the end of the day I think the skritter team deserves our $10 dollars a month for such an innovative service that we can now take for granted.

4. The monthly subscription is a more sustainable business model. It means the skritter team will have a stable flow of income with which to continue to develop the service.

I don't think skritter needs to price itself into the "throw away" app category just to attract more users since I doubt many of those users will have the patience or motivation to use skritter in the long term.

However I do believe there are people out there who would greatly enjoy the service but are put off by the $10 dollars a month. These are people who are serious about learning Chinese(or Japanese) but do not realise how valuable skritter will be to them. In fact I wasn't sure at first but glad I made the leap.

So I think what skritter needs to do is not lower it's price but to more effectively show it's value to new users so that they understand why $10 is in fact a bargain. A longer trial period (one week is not enough to get the feel for SRS) without requiring payement details would be one good option IMHO.

Apologies this post ended up being so long.

Well put julianep! I wholeheartedly agree.

Would like to support the point about the trail period. Especially about not asking for credit card details before you get access to the trail.

I have shown Skritter to a couple of friend and they always get unwilling at that point. Even I was not to happy about it, when I signed up.

If Skritter don't catch them in the trail period what is the use of getting their details?

I too was put off at that point the first time too. I had actually come across skritter long before I finally signed up but at the time I was a student in China and $10 dollars which was over 60rmb and felt like a lot of money back then (or at least it could buy me a lot of beers). I knew i was likely to forget to cancel and anyway for a one week trial it just didn't seem worth it.

It's a shame since had there been a one month trial I may have realised at that time how many hours skritter could save me and would have grudgingly parted with my 60rmb.

In the end I only signed up in desperation much later when after a year of not studying Chinese I realised I was unable write the most basic of characters.

I think Skritter would having nothing to lose from offering a one month trial and it may be just what is needed to attract those users who are not so sure if they need such a service. If new users can sign up for the trial right from the iOS app then even better.

Also unlike some other service Skritter is less susceptible to people abusing the trials by signing up multiple times with different email addresses as they will lose their progress.

As for the payement details I totally agree with you aharlekyn. It's not much use if it puts people off. I know it is common practice for subscription based services but I think skritter would do no harm in breaking the mold here. They should have faith in the quality of ther service and that after one month people will be impressed and willing to pay to keep using. In the long run I think the returns will be higher than making an extra $10 here and there when trial users forget to cancel right away.

I felt exactly the same when I joined as I'm a penniless student, so I just signed up for prepay, avoiding having to add credit card details until you want to pay. So you get a week or two with no commitment, then you can add you details if you want to continue.
I wonder why they do take details at the start. I'm sure there is (or was) a reason.

The first couple of months at $5 was a real incentive for me, and now I understand its value I'm happy to pay more (got 2 years now). It's hard to tell how many potential customers would be more keen if they had that offer to get them hooked.

We've tried a one-month trial before, actually. There was no difference in signup conversion rates! It surprised us, too.

The iOS app, by the way, does not require payment info up front, so if you sign up and then don't use it, nothing happens.

I remember too seeing a Skritter ad several times before in the corner of my eye, and although I did see it was about writing Chinese I think I also saw a price, and automatically ignored the ad. Kind of silly really.. people just don't expect Skritter to be what it really is, many other Chinese programs and websites are not that enhanced so there is an expectation problem as well.