Has the product line and price structure changed recently ?

[Clairvaux]

I cannot find Soft Maker Office Standard anymore.

Previously, you had 3 feature sets (free, standard, professional) available in 2 licensing models (one-time payment, subscription). It seems Soft Maker Office Professional is the only product with one-time payment now. Is this correct ?

[martin-k]

We are not even shipping SoftMaker Office 2021 yet. Standard will be available.

[Clairvaux]

Sorry, I still don't understand. Suppose I'm interested in buying Soft Maker Office right now. I go to Soft Maker site :

https://www.softmaker.com/en

There, I am greeted by a huge banner : "Soft Maker Office 2021, public beta test, read more, free beta". Scrolling down, I find no mention of Soft Maker Office 2018, except for a discreet link to "Updates". I go there, but it's obviously only for those who have already bought the program :

https://www.softmaker.com/en/servicepacks

I don't want a free beta -- which might, or might not work properly. I want to BUY the stable program. A nobody on the Internet (say Clairvaux -- true story) has recommended it to me. So I click on "Read more" on the home page, the only option left.

https://www.softmaker.com/en/softmaker-office

Again, a huge banner : "Get the public beta, Soft Maker Office 2021". Scrolling down, I only find subscription versions, until I reach Soft Maker Professional, 100 €. I'm offered either a "free beta" (again), or "order now" (which seems a bit contradictory to me). So I Order Now.

Then I get a box "SoftMaker Office Professional 2018". It's 2018 all right, but it's Professional, and I get an offer to "purchase" it for 100 €. I'm also warned that it "includes a free upgrade to SoftMaker Office Professional 2021 upon its release".

All right, so I go back, and "read on" starting from the Text Maker blurb :

https://www.softmaker.com/en/shop-softmaker-office

Now I'm told I can "purchase SoftMaker Office 2018", it's not Professional, and it's 80 €, one-time purchase (I remember a price of 70 € for Standard, but never mind). I click on "show products", and now it's again "SoftMaker Office Professional 2018", and the price has gone up to 100 €, with the same "free upgrade to SoftMaker Office Professional 2021 upon its release".

So what's afoot ? Where can I get a current, stable version of Soft Maker Office Standard right now, with one-time payment ? Or is my only option (a fine one, admittedly), the free Free Office ? And will you keep the 3-level feature points multiplied by the 2-type licence when Soft Maker Office 2021 comes out of beta ?

[LaurelValley]

Clairvaux:

I certainly understand your frustration and concern. And, everything you stated so well in your post is correct.

Here is what I can tell you.
1. I bought the SoftMaker Office 2018 Standard product on May 5th and looked at the web site on May 6th to see exactly what you are seeing. I was as confused as you are.
2. I downloaded and started using the SoftMaker Office Professional beta version. The beta version is working very well in my opinion and it does have a couple of upgrades that I like.
3. Several of the SoftMaker employees have stated, in the regular forum and the beta forum, that the Standard version will be available when the product does go into production soon.
4. Given the fact that the beta version is working well and the Standard version will be available for purchase in the future, I suggest you download the beta Professional version and use it now for free. After the beta finishes, you can buy the 2021 Standard version.

[martin-k]

1. SoftMaker Office 2021 is not shipping yet, so you cannot buy it.

2. It is in public beta which you can download for free. If you don't want to use a beta, then skip that. However, the beta is really stable and reliable, and we are using it every day.

3. If you purchase SoftMaker Office right now, we offer SoftMaker Office Professional 2018 with a free upgrade to SoftMaker Office Professional 2021 when that ships. It's 99.95 Euro, or 59.95 for the upgrade.

4. During the beta period, we do not offer SoftMaker Office Standard 2018. We will offer Office Standard again when 2021 ships. There are internal, technical reasons for not offering Standard 2018 during the transition period.

5. Separate from that are our two subscription offers, NX Home and NX Universal, which currently come with the 2018 software, and, as subscriptions go, with a free upgrade to the 2021 version.