I can't blame anyone that doesn't like "rental" software. I sit on both sides of the fence... For something like Photoshop that I use very infrequently the idea that I'd have to pay a subscription fee is a non starter for me. I guess you'd consider me a photoshop hobbyist, and they likely don't want my business anyway so I settle for little indie devs that make good alternatives for cheap, one time purchases.

For some of the software that I use to make money, the subscription fees to me are good. First, I don't have to lay down several thousand dollars up front, I can amortize that cost over a longer period of time. Also, some of the software subscriptions I have are really good about constant updates. I use some software that has major bug fixes and enhancements that come weekly. To me, that's much better than waiting years for an update. Most of the fees are so small compared to the cost of operating a machine that it only takes one job to more than pay for the subscription each month.

And for those that struggle during the slow times, many software companies let you pause the subscription whenever you want. I do agree on the free software. If you aren't paying, you're the product. When you're not paying, software vendors don't have fiduciary motivation to support you.

Also, let's not all forget that not all software companies are faceless corporations with ill intent. While people like us build stuff, there are plenty of people like is that make their living on making software. To make a living on software these days, with the demands of constantly running servers, support, and the demand for continual updates subscriptions often make a lot of business sense.

At the end of the day it's "to each their own" but remember buying software is just trading money for the ability to make more of it. Each of us can figure out what makes the most business sense when we make a software purchase.