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Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

swiftmail.io

41–50 of 104 posts

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#41

This looks good, but I'm not clear why it's a subscription. I'm happy to pay for upgrades when a new version with new features is offered; and I'm happy to not pay if the new version isn't compelling enough. (Sometimes support for major OS upgrades is enough of a feature.) I'm increasingly disinclined to feed the subscription-based software economy, especially for the personal tools I use.

Most macOS email apps do subscription pricing these days. Airmail, Spark, Mimestream… I wonder why that is.

Lots of money

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#42

It is very interesting, but there are plenty of stoppers for me: 1. Subscription model. I will be willing to pay even $250 for a good email client, that is superior to the native macOS client. If it really adds more features that I need. Meaning, I can use mostly all the email related features offered by Fastmail. But I am not willing to support subscription models. 2. No iOS client. I use email on macOS and iOS. Not…

Actually, spoke too soon. There is a trial. 7 days trial for annual subscription, 3 days trial for monthly. But I was right about that being MVP/Alpha product:

1. No reply button to email. You can only compose a new mail message.

2. I have received new mail, got notification, but don't see it in the list (inbox). You need to restart the mail client to do so.

3. No images are displayed in the message body.

4. The interface is very not-intuitive in some parts yet. Like in the Threads - to expand the message you need to click a tiny button on the right, clicking on the message or on the body does not do anything.

Anyway, I am excited about this email client. But I don't see how I can justify paying for it yet. It is good maybe for read-only mode, but if I don't replace mail app, I don't see how it is much different from me just opening fast mail in the browser.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#43

This looks good, but I'm not clear why it's a subscription. I'm happy to pay for upgrades when a new version with new features is offered; and I'm happy to not pay if the new version isn't compelling enough. (Sometimes support for major OS upgrades is enough of a feature.) I'm increasingly disinclined to feed the subscription-based software economy, especially for the personal tools I use.

Most macOS email apps do subscription pricing these days. Airmail, Spark, Mimestream… I wonder why that is.

Apple encourages it heavily and even hosts workshops about how to do subscription apps.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#44
post #2

Over all, I like how it looks, but the price seems high. $3 a month is almost as much as I pay for email service. Plus it seems weird to double drip. I’m already subscribed to you for the email service and you want me to almost double that price for a client to use it? Will the existing Fastmail app be deprecated to force folks to the new subscription app?

Is this actually made by Fastmail? It doesn't look like it.

I honestly think removing Fastmail from the title would be waaay better for everyone.

Some people even wondered if an email account is included in the price... (because of, ... Fastmail in the title).

Anyway, they only refer to JMAP which was created apparently by Fastmail. It has nothing to do with the company, besides using their open email API protocol.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#45

This looks good, but I'm not clear why it's a subscription. I'm happy to pay for upgrades when a new version with new features is offered; and I'm happy to not pay if the new version isn't compelling enough. (Sometimes support for major OS upgrades is enough of a feature.) I'm increasingly disinclined to feed the subscription-based software economy, especially for the personal tools I use.

Same! I like Sketch's and other app's approach. Keep the version forever, 1 year free upgrades. Great work! Will def. try it out

Unfortunately that’s not supported by Apple on the App Store. Luckily Mac apps aren’t super reliant on the App Store but it’s still a huge issue.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this isn't a first-party app for Fastmail, at least afaict. I had the same initial reaction before realizing this. (I still have the same reaction to the pricing... but at least it's not double dipping by Fastmail themselves)

Could be worse, it's half the price of Mimestream...

Which is a fraction of Superhuman.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$3/month? Seriously? Does nobody here see the irony of being a community of people who make their income working in software that refuses to pay even $3/month for software? Ditto for the universal hatred of ad-based business models. This is why the consumer market for software is basically non-existent. Consumers value their time at $0 so they get free tools subsidized by intrusive ads or expensive hardware. Business…

Subscription models are cancer. Sell me a license for a flat cost and stop wasting my time.

Quite simplistic view of the world. Of course when the company or guy selling the stuff has a rough sales period, he exits and your software that you love is over.

Or you can pay subscription, stable revenues, everyone is happy.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#48
So much criticism.

People, have fun developing stuff for free or for little to no money while having to support a shitload of OS versions and possibly multi-device, multiple framework versions, bugs, people sinking your app on the App Store if you don't react or whatever.

3 dollars per month are nothing IF the app is useful. Email is literally the thing you use the most. Why 3 and not 1 or 5? Maybe 3 dollars are just enough to keep people who just criticize you out of your customer base, which is maybe more worth, considering that nobody installs an app with 1 or 2 stars.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Subscription models are cancer. Sell me a license for a flat cost and stop wasting my time.

Where do you work? How does the business that pays your salary make its money? Do they pay you for your efforts on a subscription based model or a one time-payment + ownership model?

I bought my house. I bought my car. I bought my laptop. I bought my servers. I don’t need to pay for them every month.

In broad terms I am tired of having to make a paycheck every month and having a long list of companies wanting to take a slice from it for “making my life magically better”. Hidden price hikes, dark patterns to cancel, etc.

Re: Show HN: Swift Mail. Fastmail's modern mail standard delivered natively on macOS

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$3/month? Seriously? Does nobody here see the irony of being a community of people who make their income working in software that refuses to pay even $3/month for software? Ditto for the universal hatred of ad-based business models. This is why the consumer market for software is basically non-existent. Consumers value their time at $0 so they get free tools subsidized by intrusive ads or expensive hardware. Business…

Subscription models are cancer. Sell me a license for a flat cost and stop wasting my time.

Which scenario would you rather have?

A: $3/mo

B: $72 with a year of free upgrades

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