“Free forever” sparks two reactions at once: interest, and suspicion. Both are healthy. This article is written by a vendor whose core product genuinely is free — which is exactly why we know the questions that should be asked of offers like this. Including of us.
Why “free” deserves an interrogation
Software costs money to stay alive: servers, development, support. If you’re not paying, something else is covering it — and you deserve to know what. The possibilities are few: a paid tier subsidizing it (healthy freemium), ads or data selling (beware), investors awaiting monetization (can flip anytime), or a side project its owner may abandon (most dangerous for your data).
So the first question to any free vendor isn’t “is it really free?” — it’s: “where does the money come from?” A clear, plausible answer = proceed. A circular one = your shop’s data is the stake.
The checklist before trusting a free service with shop data
1. Are the limits written, or floating? Healthy free tiers state their boundaries plainly: which features, up to where, and what paid adds. Unwritten limits can change anytime — usually right after you’ve become dependent.
2. Are the correction features free too — or exactly what’s locked? The most damaging trick: the smooth path free, while returns/edits/reports — the things that test a real system — sit behind the paywall. A busy shop will inevitably need them, and by then you’re locked in.
3. Can the data leave? For a free service, the data ownership question is promoted to question one: self-service backups, exports, and the data’s fate if the service closes.
4. Is there a clear upgrade path? Good free tiers are the entrance to the same system — leveling up means unlocking modules, not switching apps and re-typing.
5. Is the product alive? Check update dates, changelogs, its user community. Free software that stopped evolving is a countdown.
Our answers to the same checklist
Only fair that we fill in our own form. Where’s the money from? The Pro subscription subsidizes Lite — ordinary freemium, written openly. Lite vs Pro limits? Documented on the pricing page, including what happens to long-dormant accounts. Correction features? The core repair workflow — including the un-smooth parts — lives on the free tier, because that’s precisely how we demonstrate quality. Data? A standalone database per shop, backups, exports. The path up? Modular, same app.
We write this not to win our own article, but because the bar really must sit that high — for anyone who asks for your shop’s data.
The takeaway you can hold
Free isn’t a red flag; free without explanation is. A service honest about its business model, limits, and exit doors deserves a try — and try it armed with the demo questions that expose weak apps, not with hope.