Thanks for the replies.
I see on the official blog they deny stating that there will any removal of features:
On a Reddit IAMA with the CEO “Alex Hawkingson”, he states:
"We’ve made the decision to not charge any monthly fees for all users (both Kickstarter backers and going forwards). From the very beginning charging a monthly fee felt like it would be an inhibitor to the spirit of the open platform. "
However, the terms of service (see link at bottom of page) state completely the opposite, that they may require payment for certain features:
“SmartThings reserves the right to require payment of fees for certain features of the Services. Should you elect to subscribe to such features, you shall pay all applicable fees, as described on the Services in connection with such features. SmartThings reserves the right to change its price list and to institute new charges at any time, upon ten (10) days prior notice to you, which may be sent by email or posted on the Services. Use of the Services by you following such notification constitutes your acceptance of any new or increased charges.”
Aside from having limited features without paying a subscription fee, SmartThings looks to be a good system. However, I don’t want to invest in an ecosystem that’s going to have crippled features unless I pay a monthly fee. Vera and Wink are both free, without limiting what features users can utilize.
I submitted an email request (I do not know if Smart Things reps look at the forum"), and haven’t gotten an official response yet. I’ll post it here if they respond.
Thanks.