A message from Alistair, Founder of Drawboard:
Today we are announcing that anyone who made a ~$10 purchase of Drawboard PDF when it was available (2013 through to May 2020), will be able to receive the last available version of Drawboard PDF under this payment scheme.
We understand that the evolving app's history has been unpopular amongst some of those who had previously made this once off ~$10 payment.
Since Drawboard PDF's first release in 2013, the app has followed a single version structure. If Drawboard PDF had instead followed a *milestone* release pattern, it would have released version numbers such as 'Drawboard PDF 2013', Drawboard PDF 2014'… 'Drawboard PDF 2024', etc. or 'Drawboard PDF 1', 'Drawboard PDF 2', 'Drawboard PDF 15' etc.
For example, if the app was purchased in 2016, it would have been titled 'Drawboard PDF 4' while the newest release in 2024 would be 8 milestone releases later. As you may be aware, updates are provided for not only features and enhancements, but also for bug fixes, security and fixes for breaking changes from the operating system and other frameworks. At multiple points over its history, the app would have ceased working without updates.
Because Drawboard has always followed a single version structure, we have priced accordingly. There are costs involved in having multiple versions of software in the market. Drawboard is committed to ensure that our software is continuously maintained, usable and secure and that user support needs are met. These are non-trivial costs with multiple versions, and for an app that offers as much as Drawboard PDF does, a ~$10 once-off fee has been under cost, and would not have been sufficient to sustain the business under any kind of milestone version delivery.
Given that Drawboard PDF follows a single version delivery, and the $10 fee allowed the business to get going at the start from 2013, we introduced a Pro subscription for advanced tools in 2016 with the idea that the Pro tier would replace the need for the once off payments. In early 2020 we did just this, and removed the $10 once-off fee. Since 2020 (and even beforehand too), the app has received significant enhancements and upgrades. We recognize that some premium features have been included in our Basic (previously known as Essentials) tier. Both inking and the favorites toolbar, for example, have received significant feature upgrades in the last few years. To better align our offerings, we moved pressure sensitive ink and the unlimited toolbar to the Pro tier in March 2023.
Given this, understanding that the last time someone had purchased the Basic tier for ~$10 was up until early 2020, and that both inking and the favorites toolbar have received significant feature upgrades (along with many other functionality in Basic), the feature mix between tiers needs to be balanced correctly.
We understand that not everyone will understand, or be satisfied with, our reasoning for changing our pricing model, and so we have decided to allow those who have purchased the app any time between 2013 and May 2020 to receive the app as it was available in early 2020, with adjustments to ensure its working condition. We must make it clear that we will not support any issues related to this version.
To further extend our gratitude to those who were adopters of our software before May 2020, we will provide an indefinite ‘Legacy’ subscription which will work on the latest version of Drawboard PDF. This will provide features such as pressure inking and unlimited favourites, plus more.
Please follow the instructions in this page
You can expect the UI and functionality from the last available version of Drawboard PDF under the ~$10 purchase payment scheme from early 2020. This includes pressure sensitive ink, unlimited toolbar and unlimited signatures.
All additions and enhancements made to the Basic (formerly Essentials) app after the 2020 version are not included in the 2020 version of the app. These include, but are not limited to:
- The dashboard - the ability to view, sort and search for documents in a list or thumbnail view
- The ability to multi-select documents and bulk delete documents
- Tags - the ability to organize and categorize documents
- Snap to annotations - snap annotations to common angles or to align with each other
- Manually set the precise angle of annotations
- Text styling, alignment and fonts
- Partial erase
- Tool previews - the ability to preview your annotation before applying it to the page
- Integrations - Syncing with Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive and Dropbox
- Drawboard AI - Summarize, lengthen, shorten or rephrase text, define words, translate documents and fix grammar
- Easy-to-select annotation grippers for resizing and adjusting annotations
- Automatic grouping of ink annotations
- Cloud documents
- Multi-device access
- Live syncing and collaboration
- Additional features and UX enhancements made after May 2020
No. This version includes all the updates and enhancements that have been made from 2013 until 2020. For versions with further updates and improvements, please download our app from our website.
No, it was for Essentials (now called Basic). Pro was released in 2016 and has always been a subscription on top of Essentials/Basic.
In the first half of 2020, Drawboard PDF stopped charging new users for the Essentials tier and started calling it the Basic tier.
In 2023 Drawboard PDF restructured our plans to further invest in the quality of the platform for our users. Through this change, we endeavored to cater to the needs of the majority of our users while rolling out subscription pricing that would enable us to sustain the business and continuously maintain and improve our software.
Drawboard PDF Pro has always been available through an in-app subscription. Therefore, if you made a $10 purchase between 2013 and May 2020, you only received the basic version of the app, which did not include the Pro features available through the subscription. If you want to access the latest Pro features, you will need to upgrade to the current version and subscribe to our pro licenses. You can download our app via this link
A message from Alistair, Founder of Drawboard:
Today we are announcing that anyone who made a ~$10 purchase of Drawboard PDF when it was available (2013 through to May 2020), will be able to receive the last available version of Drawboard PDF under this payment scheme.
We understand that the evolving app's history has been unpopular amongst some of those who had previously made this once off ~$10 payment.
Since Drawboard PDF's first release in 2013, the app has followed a single version structure. If Drawboard PDF had instead followed a *milestone* release pattern, it would have released version numbers such as 'Drawboard PDF 2013', Drawboard PDF 2014'… 'Drawboard PDF 2024', etc. or 'Drawboard PDF 1', 'Drawboard PDF 2', 'Drawboard PDF 15' etc.
For example, if the app was purchased in 2016, it would have been titled 'Drawboard PDF 4' while the newest release in 2024 would be 8 milestone releases later. As you may be aware, updates are provided for not only features and enhancements, but also for bug fixes, security and fixes for breaking changes from the operating system and other frameworks. At multiple points over its history, the app would have ceased working without updates.
Because Drawboard has always followed a single version structure, we have priced accordingly. There are costs involved in having multiple versions of software in the market. Drawboard is committed to ensure that our software is continuously maintained, usable and secure and that user support needs are met. These are non-trivial costs with multiple versions, and for an app that offers as much as Drawboard PDF does, a ~$10 once-off fee has been under cost, and would not have been sufficient to sustain the business under any kind of milestone version delivery.
Given that Drawboard PDF follows a single version delivery, and the $10 fee allowed the business to get going at the start from 2013, we introduced a Pro subscription for advanced tools in 2016 with the idea that the Pro tier would replace the need for the once off payments. In early 2020 we did just this, and removed the $10 once-off fee. Since 2020 (and even beforehand too), the app has received significant enhancements and upgrades. We recognize that some premium features have been included in our Basic (previously known as Essentials) tier. Both inking and the favorites toolbar, for example, have received significant feature upgrades in the last few years. To better align our offerings, we moved pressure sensitive ink and the unlimited toolbar to the Pro tier in March 2023.
Given this, understanding that the last time someone had purchased the Basic tier for ~$10 was up until early 2020, and that both inking and the favorites toolbar have received significant feature upgrades (along with many other functionality in Basic), the feature mix between tiers needs to be balanced correctly.
We understand that not everyone will understand, or be satisfied with, our reasoning for changing our pricing model, and so we have decided to allow those who have purchased the app any time between 2013 and May 2020 to receive the app as it was available in early 2020, with adjustments to ensure its working condition. We must make it clear that we will not support any issues related to this version.
To further extend our gratitude to those who were adopters of our software before May 2020, we will provide an indefinite ‘Legacy’ subscription which will work on the latest version of Drawboard PDF. This will provide features such as pressure inking and unlimited favourites, plus more.
Please follow the instructions in this page
You can expect the UI and functionality from the last available version of Drawboard PDF under the ~$10 purchase payment scheme from early 2020. This includes pressure sensitive ink, unlimited toolbar and unlimited signatures.
All additions and enhancements made to the Basic (formerly Essentials) app after the 2020 version are not included in the 2020 version of the app. These include, but are not limited to:
- The dashboard - the ability to view, sort and search for documents in a list or thumbnail view
- The ability to multi-select documents and bulk delete documents
- Tags - the ability to organize and categorize documents
- Snap to annotations - snap annotations to common angles or to align with each other
- Manually set the precise angle of annotations
- Text styling, alignment and fonts
- Partial erase
- Tool previews - the ability to preview your annotation before applying it to the page
- Integrations - Syncing with Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive and Dropbox
- Drawboard AI - Summarize, lengthen, shorten or rephrase text, define words, translate documents and fix grammar
- Easy-to-select annotation grippers for resizing and adjusting annotations
- Automatic grouping of ink annotations
- Cloud documents
- Multi-device access
- Live syncing and collaboration
- Additional features and UX enhancements made after May 2020
No. This version includes all the updates and enhancements that have been made from 2013 until 2020. For versions with further updates and improvements, please download our app from our website.
No, it was for Essentials (now called Basic). Pro was released in 2016 and has always been a subscription on top of Essentials/Basic.
In the first half of 2020, Drawboard PDF stopped charging new users for the Essentials tier and started calling it the Basic tier.
In 2023 Drawboard PDF restructured our plans to further invest in the quality of the platform for our users. Through this change, we endeavored to cater to the needs of the majority of our users while rolling out subscription pricing that would enable us to sustain the business and continuously maintain and improve our software.
Drawboard PDF Pro has always been available through an in-app subscription. Therefore, if you made a $10 purchase between 2013 and May 2020, you only received the basic version of the app, which did not include the Pro features available through the subscription. If you want to access the latest Pro features, you will need to upgrade to the current version and subscribe to our pro licenses. You can download our app via this link
We are a PDF and collaboration company. We believe that creating more effective connections between people reduces waste.
Our best work has been overtaken by busywork. That’s why we’ve created ways to help people get back to working wonders without any paper in sight.
Drawboard PDF lets you mark up and share with ease, and Drawboard Projects brings collaborative design review to architecture and engineering teams.
At Drawboard, we work our magic so our customers can get back to working theirs.
We are a PDF and collaboration company. We believe that creating more effective connections between people reduces waste.
Our best work has been overtaken by busywork. That’s why we’ve created ways to help people get back to working wonders without any paper in sight.
Drawboard PDF lets you mark up and share with ease, and Drawboard Projects brings collaborative design review to architecture and engineering teams.
At Drawboard, we work our magic so our customers can get back to working theirs.
