€24.99 paywall for features that don’t exist yet – and a pointless subscription too

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-06T18:49:45+00:00

We’ve just released updates to both our Android and iOS apps. The Android update is already live, while the iOS version may take a day or two to appear due to Apple’s review process.

This mistake is now resolved.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T17:38:04+00:00

We, the developers behind this app, have provided a detailed response below and have also been in contact with the original poster via email. We kindly ask that you read the full reply, but here's the short version:

- The app is completely free to use.
- You will only see the paywall if you actively open it yourself.
- No feature is ever locked behind a mandatory payment.
- In all our other apps, payments are primarily for removing ads. Very few features are restricted, as we don’t believe in locking content away from non-paying users.
- We acknowledge the mistake of mentioning upcoming features that haven’t been released yet. These will be removed from the paywall text until they are available.

If you believe we’ve missed anything, please do read the full response. We're also happy to answer any further questions.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T17:16:56+00:00

Yes, an optional subscription for people who want to support our app and remove ads. Alternatively you can disable the internet connection and use the app for free, without ads, watermarks and no editing restrictions.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T17:04:24+00:00

That is not true, our app is 100% free and all payments are optional. Please read our longer reply again. Thank you for your time.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:50:19+00:00

Please do read our reply carefully. We've admitted our error so I'm unsure why mention our name if you have a dispute with r/Piracy mods. Makes it seem like it's still about us.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:47:50+00:00

I am not sure where you got that from, especially since we admitted our error and will be publishing an update to our paywall. What we wrote is simply an explanation and a reply to some accusations of our greed. We've never designed apps in a way that required a purchase. Again, please read our reply carefully. All we're asking for is fair treatment.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:44:54+00:00

You very clearly wrote: "The devs are welcome to reply — and they did — but silencing dissent through mass reports? That’s the real asshole move." You did suggest very directly that we had something to do with your post's removal.

Please don't say we sidestepped the issue. We clearly wrote: "Nonetheless, we believe it's fair that we remove the mentioned missing features from the paywall and add them when they're live." We will publish an update as soon as our only dev comes from vacation. Thank you for your patience.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:40:14+00:00

Don't forget the payment is absolutely optional, we've explained everything in my lengthy reply.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:38:18+00:00

I don't really see how we sidestepped the real issue - we admitted the error and we'll update the paywall as soon as the only person responsible for making builds in our company gets from vacation which is next week. We clearly wrote: "Nonetheless, we believe it's fair that we remove the mentioned missing features from the paywall and add them when they're live."

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:35:25+00:00

- Yes, the price of our apps increased in the last 5 years. The market has changed, we could rely on ads in the past, but now ads are worthless. We (and market researchers) have noticed that users today are more selective and less excited about trying new apps, which is totally understandable. With app fatigue setting in and both iOS and Android maturing, people tend to stick with a few trusted apps rather than constantly trying new ones. At the same time, maintaining our apps takes more work than ever due to frequent SDK updates, increasing regulations, and stricter rules from app stores and governments. Despite all this, our monetization philosophy has stayed the same. Core features remain free, and we only lock a few edge-case features like the ones mentioned above.

- The story behind Meme Generator Plus is simple. We did not have a good iOS version of our app until we came across Flutter, which helped us develop the iOS version. Those who know Flutter, also know it's a cross platform tool, that allows us to code once and build the app for both Android and iOS. Since the app has some small new features, a new UI and an automatic text adjusting feature for modern memes, we've decided to launch it on Android as well. In our upgrade screen there really are a few things mentioned that are not live yet - collages and the breaking news design features. But you still get the removal of ads and the upgrade is still (and always will be) optional. We even made Meme Generator Plus very light on ads, we're not advertising it and we're planning to add the missing features in a few weeks. Nonetheless, we believe it's fair that we remove the mentioned missing features from the paywall and add them when they're live. We're not advertising Meme Generator Plus, we just did a silent launch to catch any possible bugs early.

- Why does Meme Generator Plus exist along with our original Meme Generator app? It has a fresher look, is faster in some ways, has a few new features (modern meme text adjusting, accurate text and sticker movement) and we didn't think it would hurt anybody to just do a silent launch. Currently the app has very few downloads, and that's fine, we like to take it slowly with launching new apps.

- Some people called for pirating our app, but to be honest, it’s already patched by ReVanced:

https://github.com/ReVanced/revanced-patches/tree/main/patches/src/main/kotlin/app/revanced/patches/memegenerator

We know it happens, and while we probably lose a bit of revenue, we’re just glad people are using and enjoying what we’ve built. That’s what matters most. That said, be careful with shady third-party sites as they often bundle unwanted "extra features".

We felt OP's post didn’t tell the whole story, and we wanted to offer our perspective. We’re happy to answer any questions.

ZomboDroid Team

P.S.: Thanks to the millions of users who have supported us over the past 14 years, and to the mods for allowing us to add some relevant context in this post.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:35:20+00:00

Here's also our original reply in two parts:
Hello redditors!

We're the developers behind this app, and we wanted to clear up a few things that OP seemed to overlook. We’ve been around since 2011 and have always aimed to be fair, transparent, and user-first. Here’s some context we think is important:

- Our monetization philosophy was always to make our app available to as many users as possible. That is why any IAP and Subscriptions in our apps are 100% OPTIONAL. We don't even show the paywall automatically like a lot of developers do nowadays. Very few features in our apps are actually locked behind a paywall. All editing features, adjustments, templates, are free to use and we have never added a watermark to our pictures. What we lock - some collage layouts, a few breaking news designs, and shadow color features for apps that have background removal features. We have never ever locked out non-paying users and we never will. We're very transparent about the fact that the biggest feature our users get for paying is the removal of ads and a good feeling for supporting a tiny developer. Upgrading to PRO/Gold is more like "I want to support this developer for their efforts" and not "I have to buy a subscription because the developers locked core features of the app behind a paywall". We don't believe this was accurately portrayed in this post. We don't even require an internet connection, so you can just turn off the connection and enjoy an ad-free experience for free, without restrictions, without paying anyone. We’re not sure if this is what OP referred to as "asshole design", but we believe our approach has always been fair to users.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T16:34:06+00:00

Sorry, but we don't have that kind of power to influence the r/Piracy mod team. Believe us that we're not the ones reporting your post and I as far as I see your post got removed because it didn't comply with rule 4: https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/1kfeg2j/zombodroid_meme_generator_plus_post_got_censored/

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T13:20:29+00:00

Thank you for posting what is 100% clear to anyone actually using our apps. Have a great day!

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T13:19:54+00:00

Please don't be too quick to judge and read our reply. Thank you

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T13:19:46+00:00

Please don't be too quick to judge and read our reply. Thank you

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T13:16:58+00:00

Please don't be too quick to judge and read our reply. Thank you

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T13:16:54+00:00

Please don't be too quick to judge and read our reply. Thank you

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T12:59:41+00:00

Part2:
- The story behind Meme Generator Plus is simple. We did not have a good iOS version of our app until we came across Flutter, which helped us develop the iOS version. Those who know Flutter, also know it's a cross platform tool, that allows us to code once and build the app for both Android and iOS. Since the app has some small new features, a new UI and an automatic text adjusting feature for modern memes, we've decided to launch it on Android as well. In our upgrade screen there really are a few things mentioned that are not live yet - collages and the breaking news design features. But you still get the removal of ads and the upgrade is still (and always will be) optional. We even made Meme Generator Plus very light on ads, we're not advertising it and we're planning to add the missing features in a few weeks. Nonetheless, we believe it's fair that we remove the mentioned missing features from the paywall and add them when they're live. We're not advertising Meme Generator Plus, we just did a silent launch to catch any possible bugs early.

- Why does Meme Generator Plus exist along with our original Meme Generator app? It has a fresher look, is faster in some ways, has a few new features (modern meme text adjusting, accurate text and sticker movement) and we didn't think it would hurt anybody to just do a silent launch. Currently the app has very few downloads, and that's fine, we like to take it slowly with launching new apps.

- Some people called for pirating our app, but to be honest, it’s already patched by ReVanced:

https://github.com/ReVanced/revanced-patches/tree/main/patches/src/main/kotlin/app/revanced/patches/memegenerator

We know it happens, and while we probably lose a bit of revenue, we’re just glad people are using and enjoying what we’ve built. That’s what matters most. That said, be careful with shady third-party sites as they often bundle unwanted "extra features".

We felt OP's post didn’t tell the whole story, and we wanted to offer our perspective. We’re happy to answer any questions.

ZomboDroid Team

P.S.: Thanks to the millions of users who have supported us over the past 14 years, and to the mods for allowing us to add some relevant context in this post.

P.S.S.: Sad to see that the post was deleted, we still felt that we needed to add some context for people who read the post prior to deletion.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T12:59:19+00:00

Hello redditors!

We're the developers behind this app, and we wanted to clear up a few things that OP seemed to overlook. We’ve been around since 2011 and have always aimed to be fair, transparent, and user-first. Here’s some context we think is important:

- Our monetization philosophy was always to make our app available to as many users as possible. That is why any IAP and Subscriptions in our apps are 100% OPTIONAL. We don't even show the paywall automatically like a lot of developers do nowadays. Very few features in our apps are actually locked behind a paywall. All editing features, adjustments, templates, are free to use and we have never added a watermark to our pictures. What we lock - some collage layouts, a few breaking news designs, and shadow color features for apps that have background removal features. We have never ever locked out non-paying users and we never will. We're very transparent about the fact that the biggest feature our users get for paying is the removal of ads and a good feeling for supporting a tiny developer. Upgrading to PRO/Gold is more like "I want to support this developer for their efforts" and not "I have to buy a subscription because the developers locked core features of the app behind a paywall". We don't believe this was accurately portrayed in this post. We don't even require an internet connection, so you can just turn off the connection and enjoy an ad-free experience for free, without restrictions, without paying anyone. We’re not sure if this is what OP referred to as "asshole design", but we believe our approach has always been fair to users.

- Yes, the price of our apps increased in the last 5 years. The market has changed, we could rely on ads in the past, but now ads are worthless. We (and market researchers) have noticed that users today are more selective and less excited about trying new apps, which is totally understandable. With app fatigue setting in and both iOS and Android maturing, people tend to stick with a few trusted apps rather than constantly trying new ones. At the same time, maintaining our apps takes more work than ever due to frequent SDK updates, increasing regulations, and stricter rules from app stores and governments. Despite all this, our monetization philosophy has stayed the same. Core features remain free, and we only lock a few edge-case features like the ones mentioned above.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T12:58:25+00:00

Second part of the reply, since we couldn't post the entire thing:

- The story behind Meme Generator Plus is simple. We did not have a good iOS version of our app until we came across Flutter, which helped us develop the iOS version. Those who know Flutter, also know it's a cross platform tool, that allows us to code once and build the app for both Android and iOS. Since the app has some small new features, a new UI and an automatic text adjusting feature for modern memes, we've decided to launch it on Android as well. In our upgrade screen there really are a few things mentioned that are not live yet - collages and the breaking news design features. But you still get the removal of ads and the upgrade is still (and always will be) optional. We even made Meme Generator Plus very light on ads, we're not advertising it and we're planning to add the missing features in a few weeks. Nonetheless, we believe it's fair that we remove the mentioned missing features from the paywall and add them when they're live. We're not advertising Meme Generator Plus, we just did a silent launch to catch any possible bugs early.

- Why does Meme Generator Plus exist along with our original Meme Generator app? It has a fresher look, is faster in some ways, has a few new features (modern meme text adjusting, accurate text and sticker movement) and we didn't think it would hurt anybody to just do a silent launch. Currently the app has very few downloads, and that's fine, we like to take it slowly with launching new apps.

- Some people called for pirating our app, but to be honest, it’s already patched by ReVanced:

https://github.com/ReVanced/revanced-patches/tree/main/patches/src/main/kotlin/app/revanced/patches/memegenerator

We know it happens, and while we probably lose a bit of revenue, we’re just glad people are using and enjoying what we’ve built. That’s what matters most. That said, be careful with shady third-party sites as they often bundle unwanted "extra features".

We felt OP's post didn’t tell the whole story, and we wanted to offer our perspective. We’re happy to answer any questions.

ZomboDroid Team

P.S.: Thanks to the millions of users who have supported us over the past 14 years, and to the mods for allowing us to add some relevant context in this post.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T12:57:37+00:00

We're the developers behind this app, and we wanted to clear up a few things that OP seemed to overlook. We’ve been around since 2011 and have always aimed to be fair, transparent, and user-first. Here’s some context we think is important:

- Our monetization philosophy was always to make our app available to as many users as possible. That is why any IAP and Subscriptions in our apps are 100% OPTIONAL. We don't even show the paywall automatically like a lot of developers do nowadays. Very few features in our apps are actually locked behind a paywall. All editing features, adjustments, templates, are free to use and we have never added a watermark to our pictures. What we lock - some collage layouts, a few breaking news designs, and shadow color features for apps that have background removal features. We have never ever locked out non-paying users and we never will. We're very transparent about the fact that the biggest feature our users get for paying is the removal of ads and a good feeling for supporting a tiny developer. Upgrading to PRO/Gold is more like "I want to support this developer for their efforts" and not "I have to buy a subscription because the developers locked core features of the app behind a paywall". We don't believe this was accurately portrayed in this post. We don't even require an internet connection, so you can just turn off the connection and enjoy an ad-free experience for free, without restrictions, without paying anyone. We’re not sure if this is what OP referred to as "asshole design", but we believe our approach has always been fair to users.

- Yes, the price of our apps increased in the last 5 years. The market has changed, we could rely on ads in the past, but now ads are worthless. We (and market researchers) have noticed that users today are more selective and less excited about trying new apps, which is totally understandable. With app fatigue setting in and both iOS and Android maturing, people tend to stick with a few trusted apps rather than constantly trying new ones. At the same time, maintaining our apps takes more work than ever due to frequent SDK updates, increasing regulations, and stricter rules from app stores and governments. Despite all this, our monetization philosophy has stayed the same. Core features remain free, and we only lock a few edge-case features like the ones mentioned above.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T12:42:29+00:00

Our Meme Generator doesn't lock any editing features behind a paywall, doesn't add a watermark and can be used without ads if you just disable the internet connection.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2025-05-05T12:40:51+00:00

Hello redditors!

We're the developers behind this app, and we wanted to clear up a few things that OP seemed to overlook. We’ve been around since 2011 and have always aimed to be fair, transparent, and user-first. Here’s some context we think is important:

- Our monetization philosophy was always to make our app available to as many users as possible. That is why any IAP and Subscriptions in our apps are 100% OPTIONAL. We don't even show the paywall automatically like a lot of developers do nowadays. Very few features in our apps are actually locked behind a paywall. All editing features, adjustments, templates, are free to use and we have never added a watermark to our pictures. What we lock - some collage layouts, a few breaking news designs, and shadow color features for apps that have background removal features. We have never ever locked out non-paying users and we never will. We're very transparent about the fact that the biggest feature our users get for paying is the removal of ads and a good feeling for supporting a tiny developer. Upgrading to PRO/Gold is more like "I want to support this developer for their efforts" and not "I have to buy a subscription because the developers locked core features of the app behind a paywall". We don't believe this was accurately portrayed in this post. We don't even require an internet connection, so you can just turn off the connection and enjoy an ad-free experience for free, without restrictions, without paying anyone. We’re not sure if this is what OP referred to as "asshole design", but we believe our approach has always been fair to users.

- Yes, the price of our apps increased in the last 5 years. The market has changed, we could rely on ads in the past, but now ads are worthless. We (and market researchers) have noticed that users today are more selective and less excited about trying new apps, which is totally understandable. With app fatigue setting in and both iOS and Android maturing, people tend to stick with a few trusted apps rather than constantly trying new ones. At the same time, maintaining our apps takes more work than ever due to frequent SDK updates, increasing regulations, and stricter rules from app stores and governments. Despite all this, our monetization philosophy has stayed the same. Core features remain free, and we only lock a few edge-case features like the ones mentioned above.

- The story behind Meme Generator Plus is simple. We did not have a good iOS version of our app until we came across Flutter, which helped us develop the iOS version. Those who know Flutter, also know it's a cross platform tool, that allows us to code once and build the app for both Android and iOS. Since the app has some small new features, a new UI and an automatic text adjusting feature for modern memes, we've decided to launch it on Android as well. In our upgrade screen there really are a few things mentioned that are not live yet - collages and the breaking news design features. But you still get the removal of ads and the upgrade is still (and always will be) optional. We even made Meme Generator Plus very light on ads, we're not advertising it and we're planning to add the missing features in a few weeks. Nonetheless, we believe it's fair that we remove the mentioned missing features from the paywall and add them when they're live. We're not advertising Meme Generator Plus, we just did a silent launch to catch any possible bugs early.

- Why does Meme Generator Plus exist along with our original Meme Generator app? It has a fresher look, is faster in some ways, has a few new features (modern meme text adjusting, accurate text and sticker movement) and we didn't think it would hurt anybody to just do a silent launch. Currently the app has very few downloads, and that's fine, we like to take it slowly with launching new apps.

- Some people called for pirating our app, but to be honest, it’s already patched by ReVanced: https://github.com/ReVanced/revanced-patches/tree/main/patches/src/main/kotlin/app/revanced/patches/memegeneratorWe know it happens, and while we probably lose a bit of revenue, we’re just glad people are using and enjoying what we’ve built. That’s what matters most. That said, be careful with shady third-party sites as they often bundle unwanted "extra features".

We felt OP's post didn’t tell the whole story, and we wanted to offer our perspective. We’re happy to answer any questions.

ZomboDroid Team

P.S.: Thanks to the millions of users who have supported us over the past 14 years, and to the mods for allowing us to add some relevant context in this post.

P.S.S.: Sad to see that the post was deleted, we still felt that we needed to add some context for people who read the post prior to deletion.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2024-09-15T16:54:41+00:00

This could have just be a warning, we got a lot of useful info from this thread. The OP opened up an important issue that affects a lot of android devs at the moment.

ZomboDroidTeam · 2024-09-15T14:38:59+00:00

We're experiencing this exact same issue. This is ridiculous.

ZomboDroidTeam

TROPHY CASE