TreeSize users face subscription requirement for renewed support
JAM Software says most TreeSize support and update renewals now require subscriptions, drawing complaints from perpetual-license holders.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
JAM Software is pushing most TreeSize customers toward subscriptions when their maintenance periods end, Ars Technica reported, leaving some perpetual-license buyers unable to renew updates and support without changing plans. The shift matters because it tests what users expect from software sold as a one-time purchase.
TreeSize is a disk space analysis tool, and JAM Software has been moving most editions to subscription pricing since 2025, according to Ars. The company still sells perpetual licenses for personal use, which include 12 months of updates, support, access to older downloads and the customer’s license information, plus an option to extend the support term.
Hendrik Christ, TreeSize product manager at JAM Software, told Ars the company has “no plans” to stop selling perpetual licenses for TreeSize Personal. But for customers whose existing maintenance is expiring, Ars reported, continued updates and support generally now mean buying a subscription.
User complaints focus on downloads and license keys
The issue drew attention after a Reddit user posted an email saying support for a perpetual TreeSize license would end in September, according to Ars. The message said updates and support would no longer be available after that because they are offered only through the subscription, Ars reported.
Christ told Ars that economic conditions made the change necessary so JAM Software could keep developing and supporting TreeSize over the long term. He said the company is placing more weight on predictability in development and support, and that subscriptions provide that in a way one-time purchases do not.
Some users are also upset that JAM Software does not keep giving unsupported perpetual-license holders access to backup installers or license keys, Ars reported. The email seen on Reddit urged the customer to save copies before support expired.
Christ told Ars that JAM Software had the same general approach before TreeSize subscriptions were sold. He said the company does not make every old installer and key available indefinitely because older software can include known defects or security issues, and because maintaining old versions and their keys creates technical and organizational work.
JAM Software sends emails before maintenance ends so customers can back up their installer and license key, Christ told Ars. He said the goal is to prevent customers from losing access to the version they already bought.
Perpetual use, limited ongoing service
Ars reported that the dispute reflects a gap between what many buyers assume a perpetual license includes and what software vendors may provide once a maintenance window closes. In JAM Software’s view, Christ told Ars, customers still receive what they purchased: ongoing use of the TreeSize version covered by the license.
Asked by Ars about refund requests, Christ said JAM Software does not see refunds as warranted because customers retain indefinite use of the purchased version. He acknowledged to Ars that the change has frustrated some customers.
TreeSize has a free version, according to Ars, but it does not include some paid features, such as duplicate-file search, deduplication of redundant files and comparisons of disk space use over time. Ars reported that the free version is not licensed for business use.
Ars also pointed to free alternatives such as WinDirStat as part of the debate over whether a disk space analyzer is a natural fit for subscription pricing. JAM Software, through Christ, said it wants to keep TreeSize relevant and maintained for customers over the long term.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.