Just saw this. It’s been almost exactly 8 years since Sketch was available on the App Store. What does this mean? New relationship with Apple? Recommitting to Annual Subscription model? If so, do you lose access after a year, or retain existing version access like before (the GREAT semi-subscription)? Perhaps this is part of the segue to Version 100? What do you think?
Will Sketch ever return to the Mac App Store?
We know there are a great number of people at Apple who care deeply about the Mac, and if things change, we’re not ruling out a return in the longer term.
We’re back on the Mac App Store indeed, we were gone for too long.
But we figured it made sense to come back. As you mentioned “pay for a year of updates” model doesn’t work on the App Store, but since we now also offer a subscription model, we made that plan available via the App Store too. So customers can choose where they prefer to get their software.
So, on the App Store it’s a subscription in the traditional sense - after you stop paying you lose access too, whereas on our own store we still offer both models; the subscription that gives you workspace/collab/handoff/etc access and the great traditional Mac-only “pay for a year of updates” model.
We have no intention of stopping either plan on our own store. This is just a third way for potential customers to get Sketch.
Oh, and the 98.4 update was released to address a small app-store-only glitch in the app. The upcoming (and amazing) 99 update will be released through both channels simultaneously.
Happy to hear it! I look forward to seeing how the in-store app performs, and hope it doesn’t generate confusion regarding the additional payment model. Also, I hope Apple recognizes your team’s rather extraordinary commitment to remaining Apple-exclusive despite the pressure over recent years to go multi-platform. Some new awards would be nice…
