Rented software charges you again every month, for as long as you use it. Software you own is paid for once. Over five years the gap is large, and it grows with every person on your team.
The arithmetic
Subscription cost is simple: people × price per person per month × 12 × years. The table below uses a team of 8 and three example prices. These are illustrations to show how the cost grows, not quotes from any vendor. Replace them with what you actually pay.
| Subscription per person, per month | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | $2,400 | $7,200 | $12,000 |
| $49 | $4,704 | $14,112 | $23,520 |
| $79 | $7,584 | $22,752 | $37,920 |
Double the team and the table doubles. Add a second location, a kitchen display or an online ordering add-on that bills per month, and it grows again.
What owning costs
Owning has two costs: the licence, paid once, and the server you run it on. The licence does not depend on how many people use it.
- Stocky POS
- Regular $28, Extended $129One-time, source code and lifetime updates included.
- Resto
- Regular $21, Extended $129One-time, source code and lifetime updates included.
- Nexus
- Regular $24, Extended $129One-time, source code and lifetime updates included.
- Hosting
- A $10 a month hosting plan or VPS will do just fineThat is $600 over five years. See the server requirements for each product.
So the five-year cost of owning is the licence, plus about $600 of hosting, compared with $12,000 to $37,920 in the table above.
Getting it running is simpler than it sounds
You do not need a technical team to own your software. Most people choose one of these:
-
Set it up yourself
Install on a small hosting plan or VPS. Each product comes with an installation guide, and every licence includes 6 months of support.
-
Let us manage it
Our managed self-hosted service starts from $20 a month. We manage your installation, and the software and your data are still yours.
You keep the choice. You can start managed and move to your own server later, or the other way round.
What you also keep
- The source code. Full and unencrypted, yours for life.
- Every update. Free, for life.
- Your data. It sits in your own database. If you stop using the software, nothing is held back.
- Your price. No monthly fee that can rise next year.
Questions
Is the licence really a one-time payment?
Yes. You pay once. Source code access and updates are for life. Support is included for 6 months from purchase, and you can renew it by contacting us.
I am not technical. Can I still own it?
Yes. Our managed self-hosted service starts from $20 a month, and we manage your installation. Contact us and we will tell you how it works for your product.
Does the price change as my team grows?
The licence does not. It is not priced per person.
Which licence do I need?
Regular is for your own use. If clients or customers will pay for what you build, you need Extended. See which licence you need.
Run the numbers for your own team
Pick the product closest to what you pay for today and compare.