IMHO if ST did what it was supposed to do well and reliably from the start we wouldn’t have to pay extra for all the bug fixes, custom appps, etc. MY Alarm system works well and reliably for me. ST is a toy and I am about to pull the plug on it.
As this discussion has turned into a thread on SmartTiles I will pitch in with my $2/month. 
If the point is reasonable, with an annual discount or permanent license, I would definitely pay for it. I like the UI and the convenience of having a wall mounted control for my house. The added idea of having it local instead of hosted on the IDE site is frosting on the cake. (I think I read that somewhere.)
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I just started playing with SmartTiles today myself and while I like what I see, I wouldn’t want to move to a paid subscription service. Like another poster, I bought this back in its Kickstarter days and one of the draws was a one-time fee for the hub and devices it came with, and knowing I’d pay for any additional hardware but would not be paying a monthly or subscription fee.
For me, the needs are simple. I’m not looking to overly automate my home. I just want to be able to ensure things that should be off are off when I’m not there, to be able to turn things on when I’m not there (so it looks like I’m there) and to know when someone is coming or going from my home. While SmartTiles does a WAY better job of visually allowing me to do these things, especially when it comes to dimming lights to certain levels, I won’t go to a subscription service. I would happily pay a one-time fee but just like I resisted the cloud, kicking and screaming (and find myself using it more and more every darn day), I’m still kicking and screaming about monthly or annual paid services. Those things add up FAST and I’m getting tired of feeling nickeled and dimed. But please understand I DO appreciate the work that has been done. Note I’m not saying I wouldn’t be willing to pay for it. I just said I didn’t want to pay a repeating fee for it. The developers absolutely should receive something for all their hard work.
There are my 2 cents and then some.
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It is no longer hosted on SmartThings Cloud, but definitely not local. It still relies on SmartThings cloud for device control (SmartThings does not offer any APIs directly into the SmartThings Hub V2).
SmartTiles “V6” is also completely executed as a “web app”; which means that a connection to our cloud will be required for operation. Sorry… we can’t solve the “cloud dependency problem”.
Unfortunately, there’s no way for us to feasibly run SmartTiles on a non-subscription basis. The costs for the cloud resources, support, and – most significantly – ongoing continuous improvement (the demand for new features is endless, and changes to SmartThings’s platform requiring continuous bug-fixes is also endless).
Sure… if we charged upwards of $100 per license up-front then we might be able to run for a while – but who would want to pay that much?
How much do you spend on your monthly cell phone bill ($30 to $70 per month)? How about broadband internet ($30 to $80 per month)? Coffee ($3/day)? Car insurance ($2/day)? Rent? Taxes? Cable television?
While SmartTiles subscriptions won’t be a nickel or a dime … well, actually, on a per day basis, it is very likely to cost “pocket change”.
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I would be willing to pay a higher up-front licensing fee, one time. However, in my case SmartTiles isn’t working as smoothly as I’d like AND I had to spend a LOT of time setting it up. It isn’t without a lot of effort on the user…at least THIS user. And considering my basic needs maybe it’s more than what I really need. Is it nicer than SmartThings’ app? Yes. Do I NEED it? No…I’ve functioned fine without it since the beginning.
I spend less than $100 on cell, but it’s my landline, too. I spend around $100 on internet, but currently I’m unemployed so internet is looking for a job. Coffee is at home, and car insurance is a necessity if I want to drive to said future job. Rent (mortgage) is to have a place to live away from the elements. So these are apples to oranges. SmartTiles is a “nice to have” if it works flawlessly. So far it isn’t working flawlessly for me, required a LOT of work on my part and still not working flawlessly, AND I would be expected to pay a monthly fee for it. I’d be out.
I understand your overall point, but every time I turn around there’s a new app or service out there that would be great to have and then I find out it comes with a monthly price tag. So ding here…ding there…ding everywhere. The dings are adding up to more than “pocket change”…especially given my current financial situation.
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Paying one time vs monthly/yearly is often a hot topic. I can tell you that it is a growing trend for apps to begin charging monthly as they eventually reach a point where new users can’t pay the companies bills. They eventually do two thing…
1 - Trasition to a subscription, providing some sort of discount for existing paying users.
2 - Go out of business.
Tell tale signs that this transition is approaching are:
1 - The company tells you they will be transitioning, this is the case of SmartTiles.
2 - The company begins to provide poor service and poor products while they figure out how they are going to charge more money from their customers who are not expecting to pay a thing. I suspect this is what SmartThings is going through right now!
It is up to @tgauchat how he and his partner handle this. He has already begun publicly saying that SmartTIles will transition. He will need to do what is best for his company / family because if he doesn’t SmartThings will cease to exist.
I am also willing to bet, like other apps that have transitioned from FREE to subscription that he is planning on adding new features to the paid version to convince those of us who need convincing that it is worth the money.
@tgauchat V6 feature request, I’ll pay an extra $1 on top of your price if you change the name to something that doesn’t have the same initials as SmartThings.
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SmartTiles “V6” is completely new software. Essentially the same purpose, but many major drawbacks of v5 have been resolved.
We certainly don’t say that SmartTiles is a “necessity” to use SmartThings (though some of our users do find it indispensable and literally say it is the only tool that’s kept them from tossing their Hub in the trash…).
Regardless, we only want subscribers who genuinely find our service to be valuable and thus can justify the cost.
It’s no problem if you’re not among that group. We’re not here to sell you the mid-size upgrade or optional rental car insurance you don’t need.
###I hope folks don’t think I’ve “hijacked” this thread for SmartTiles discussion…
The Topic is “Why limited App options…”; and my answer is… the options aren’t as limited as you think. SmartTiles, Sharp Tools, SmartRules, and eventually more and more “Apps” will be available to supplement the main “SmartThings mobile App”.
SmartThings is designed to be a Platform, not just a stand-alone product. There isn’t just one “calculator App” on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, etc. … nor should there be just one “Thing view and control App” on SmartThings!
Nobody is obligated to buy any add on Android or iOS App: All phones come with plenty of basic functionality like a phone number dialer, contact list, calendar, text messages – but millions upon millions of add-on Apps are downloaded and sold every day.
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You’ve got a deal!!!
We’ve been working on coming up with a new name for a few months, actually, and are discussing ideas with the Beta group.
Branding is an extremely frustrating challenge (but a little fun too).
“SmartTiles” initials are only one of several problems… Including the unavailable “.com” domain.
Alex and I both have a couple favourite alternatives, but not yet one that we both agree upon! 
Suggestions are welcome, but beware that there are lots of ways to rule out names (SEO conflicts, domain, trademarks, etc.).
Didn’t really think that it would be “Local” as in hosted by the ST hub. I believe what struck me was getting off of the ST IDE server. Getting “token” login for my wall control would make the real difference to me. I really don’t like having my IDE login sitting there on the wall.
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I agree!!! (In trying to make things “better”, SmartThings only offered us a solution that was less secure!).
SmartTiles V6 has its own login for dashboards, and it is completely under our control and isolated from your SmartThings login. Login to SmartTiles is like logging into your Amazon Account to use Alexa/Echo … that Amazon login will only permit access to the authorized Things and abilities of Alexa, not adding/removing SmartApps etc.
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