Mr. Maker is a stern but fair reviewer, and that makes this assessment pretty damning:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/01/strava-raises-prices-doubling.html
Ray highlighted the inconsistencies in fee bumps, which I did not see noted elsewhere.
I looked at a few accounts (with the help of account owners) thinking that fee increases have something to do with age of account, or type of account, or how payments made (through iTunes, or directly), but in a small sample set I came to the same conclusion he did: opaque and random.
Bicycling also noted this hidden (?) increase in subscription.
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a42465640/strava-layoffs-price-increases/
And the same was raised on Reddit a few weeks back.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Strava/comments/z3qgzk/subscription_cost_hike/
N=1: my annual fee did not go up and will not go up when it renews. For the cost of one pint of domestic beer per month, I feel it’s a good value (and now you know my thoughts on Strava and also dry January).
you have to check after 2/2/23 if you are a US account holder. Mine still says 59… but lets see on 2/3/23 if it still says 59?
Just checked - mine says $79.99 for renewal
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you have to check after 2/2/23 if you are a US account holder. Mine still says 59… but lets see on 2/3/23 if it still says 59?
Same here and still showing it it will renew for 59 in July.
This mess makes me really appreciate how Nate handled the TrainerRoad increase.
Mr. Maker is a stern but fair reviewer, and that makes this assessment pretty damning:
No one knows the ins/outs of this business better than Ray.
For me - full disclosure - I’m still using the Free Strava subscription - https://www.strava.com/athletes/21488408 . The advanced features of paid version really do nothing for me. They keep pushing the Training features, but I get all of that and more from my Polar Flow Account. I lost the yearly summary data ( that now only comes with a paid account), and the ability to brag about that - but trust me, my yearly numbers are not worth bragging about! 
I noticed that over the past month I was getting hit up FREQUENTLY to sign up for the paid version of Strava with some generous offers!
I’m a bit flabbergasted regarding the ability for Strava to get partnerships with key brands. I see great opportunities with things like “Challenges”. There are some things going on on that front - but it seems VERY limited. If you have a paid subscription do you have more and better access and deals to the monthly “Challenges”? I would have though this a no-brainer for brands to get involved.
Like most Social Media - I enjoy the social interaction, with other athletes commenting on their rides, xc-skiing or activities, and them commenting on mine! FWIW - A recent report found that giving/receiving Kudos was a helpful motivator https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/new-study-says-strava-kudos-motivate-you-to-run-more/?fbclid=IwAR0NyngeUjADu99XMLBV7GRgLr51BlAl2aX1z2_6GOVj7PmL02UyqZhfF9g
In January exercise, I go through everything that we as a household have a subscription to - and cancel the ones that I feel we are just not getting value from. For now anyway, Strava is still not something that I see myself paying, according to Ray’s article $100 CAN/year for. Just being honest!
Why do y’all keep buying premium?
Why do y’all keep buying premium?
i use private segments to analyze and plan intervals.
Wow, thanks for the link. Two things jump out at me:
-
The blatant disrespect for the subscriber. Intentionally waiting to communicate a price increase only shortly before an automatic renewal is a calculated effort to screw your customer. There’s literally no other way that can be perceived.
-
The whole value of the app is based upon the large numbers of people that use it, ride the routes and populate it. While it’s perfectly reasonable to raise pricing, a non-gradual increase will likely reduce membership, which reduces enjoyment and utility for the membership as a whole.
Mr. Maker is a stern but fair reviewer, and that makes this assessment pretty damning:
No one knows the ins/outs of this business better than Ray.
For me - full disclosure - I’m still using the Free Strava subscription - https://www.strava.com/athletes/21488408 . The advanced features of paid version really do nothing for me. They keep pushing the Training features, but I get all of that and more from my Polar Flow Account. I lost the yearly summary data ( that now only comes with a paid account), and the ability to brag about that - but trust me, my yearly numbers are not worth bragging about!
I noticed that over the past month I was getting hit up FREQUENTLY to sign up for the paid version of Strava with some generous offers!
I’m a bit flabbergasted regarding the ability for Strava to get partnerships with key brands. I see great opportunities with things like “Challenges”. There are some things going on on that front - but it seems VERY limited. If you have a paid subscription do you have more and better access and deals to the monthly “Challenges”? I would have though this a no-brainer for brands to get involved.
Like most Social Media - I enjoy the social interaction, with other athletes commenting on their rides, xc-skiing or activities, and them commenting on mine! FWIW - A recent report found that giving/receiving Kudos was a helpful motivator https://runningmagazine.ca/...6GOVj7PmL02UyqZhfF9g
In January exercise, I go through everything that we as a household have a subscription to - and cancel the ones that I feel we are just not getting value from. For now anyway, Strava is still not something that I see myself paying, according to Ray’s article $100 CAN/year for. Just being honest!
Slowman may bump up the price of the already outrageous ST premium accounts around here!!!
Don’t go giving the new owners any bad ideas !
I am not renewing and will go with the free account starting in September when my membership expires . I just don’t see the value for what they are charging. I will use the savings to pay for the increase in TrainerRoad which brings allot of value.
- The blatant disrespect for the subscriber.
Stun the customers with C-suite business bro babble language: “….we are consistently investing in the value of our subscription experience to deliver a best-in-class digital experience…giving you a unique experience for a holistic view of your active lifestyle”
Not sure Strava actually makes any money so they may be trying to keep things going until someone buys them out. Garmin would be the most logical, but given the launch of the Apple Watch Ultra, maybe Apple?
I pay for Premium not excited to pay more, but I use Strava way more than anything else. I did cancel Zwift finally after being in to since the Beta.
Wow, thanks for the link. Two things jump out at me:
-
The blatant disrespect for the subscriber. Intentionally waiting to communicate a price increase only shortly before an automatic renewal is a calculated effort to screw your customer. There’s literally no other way that can be perceived.
-
The whole value of the app is based upon the large numbers of people that use it, ride the routes and populate it. While it’s perfectly reasonable to raise pricing, a non-gradual increase will likely reduce membership, which reduces enjoyment and utility for the membership as a whole.
Sounds like ESPN, Disney+, Netflix etc should take notes on how to do this…also noticed my anti-virus subscription was 250 bucks on renewal and was like wtf…erstwhile McAfee is selling the same package for 90 bucks. So Wondering wtf.
I’ve been a Strava free member since 2013. I have never seen a need to pay for any of the features they offer beyond the paywall.
-Route building is all done in garmin, free and connects to my device for turn by turn
-Strava leaderboards are all garbage fake activities anyway so why do I care if I’m x number out of thousands. Same for challenges
-local legend isn’t interesting to me as I enjoy doing new routes each time and not the same run consistently. Same goes for the analysis of if I’m getting faster on a route
-training log is free in garmin
-heart rate analysis and workout analysis free in garmin
- heat maps are free on various websites
It feels like it’s burning money to subscribe. They once got me on a deal for like $50/yr and two days later I returned it and got my money back.
The only thing I could see is people like the concept of social media Strava and don’t mind throwing them a few bucks as charity/thanks
This was a good reminder to cancel my premium subscription as well. No much utility over the basic account, although I will say that my greatest Strava accomplishment was a few years ago when I was able to use the FlyBys feature to identify a cyclist who had assaulted someone on a bike trail in Virginia. The whole incident garnered some broad attention and the police department made sure to take full credit for it! haha
https://slate.com/technology/2018/05/virginia-police-used-strava-to-catch-an-assault-suspect.html
I’ve been a Strava free member since 2013. I have never seen a need to pay for any of the features they offer beyond the paywall.
-Route building is all done in garmin, free and connects to my device for turn by turn
-Strava leaderboards are all garbage fake activities anyway so why do I care if I’m x number out of thousands. Same for challenges
-local legend isn’t interesting to me as I enjoy doing new routes each time and not the same run consistently. Same goes for the analysis of if I’m getting faster on a route
-training log is free in garmin
-heart rate analysis and workout analysis free in garmin
- heat maps are free on various websites
It feels like it’s burning money to subscribe. They once got me on a deal for like $50/yr and two days later I returned it and got my money back.
The only thing I could see is people like the concept of social media Strava and don’t mind throwing them a few bucks as charity/thanks
pretty much exactly the same for me. to the extent that i “analyze” at all, i do that through garmin connect. i’m indifferent to the paid social aspects like leaderboards etc., and really can’t see wanting to pay for them.
i do pay for zwift. originally that was a leap for me, because i’m a cheapskate. i’m especially a cheapskate about subscriptions, which i generally avoid like the plague. (i’m still on a prepaid phone, for what it’s worth.) but with zwift i see the value and enjoy it - it’s made riding indoor much easier and more engaging. with strava it’s mostly convenience - i occasionally need to get routes from people i ride with, and i get a bit of a kick out of seeing what some friends are up to.
Why do y’all keep buying premium?
track chain miles and other parts on the bike. Shoe miles… Training intervals. Group ride meetups… and KOMs.
they really need to work out what niche they are looking to fill.
i have garmin and training peaks, both of which i pay for in one way or another, plus any number of free tools available. any one of these (even free TP) gives me better training analysis than strava does so why do i want to pay for strava to develop their training analysis? maybe return to the days of being able to choose what premium features you get?
interesting parallel to the outside/CT thread - many companies are trying to increase their revenue and in doing so risking losing it all