Well, they already have a working money making scheme. Going opensource doesn't change that.

Threema has 3 sources of income AFAIK. A per install fee for regular users, a special client for enterprise users and the same for schools.

Not a money-printing machine but pretty sure a steady income.

To put it into numbers: they have approximately 8 million accounts [0]. A license costs 4€ now, but it used to be cheaper (2€), so using the older number and subtracting fees and taxes, gives us 11 million € of revenue in the past half decade. That's not a giant number, but enough to support development of an app like this.

[0]: https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/445619/umfrag...

Plus, the enterprise version is a subscription.

I very much hope that it works, and will continue to work!

If I remember correctly they also sell API access, e.g. for bots or service accounts, but that probably is not a big thing given the comparatively small current user base.

> A per install fee for regular users

It was hard enough to get my friends to use signal and that was free. While I really do like Threema, The fact that it cost money on iOS makes it hard for me to push on my friend group.

I have similar minded friends. They have no issue dropping a bunch of money on some cosmetics in a game or random garbage that gets thrown away immediately.

So i ended up just buying a bunch of licenses for threema and giving them away. I know that isn’t an option for everyone but it was how i was able to convert my friends over.

It isn’t a big issue for me to do that. Even with buying 10 licenses, it is a small enough amount that its easy to budget for. Plus, i like to support companies and developers who (at least to me) seem to care.

What bothers me is that on iOS you can‘t buy licenses for others unless you have a credit card on file. I prefer using iTunes prepaid cards.

Same here it's sad but I don't know a single person who would pay (and oh boy donate) for such an app. They are completely unaware/blind that developers need to eat too.

It's not even about the price: 50ct would be too much. In fact 99% of all my friends/family circle never payed for any app.

It's so weird. If you go to a bar with your friends you pay more for a single beer, and people spend so much time on these apps.

The problem is not with the cost.

If if it was the lowest possible amount on the Play store, people wouldn't buy it. It's the idea of paying for apps that is not so widely adopted.

I haven't even setup a payment method in the play store.

I haven't either. I don't even have the play store. I've bought it through their website with paypal.