There has been some discussions about the cost of the the new Pro Tools 12.6 HD Standalone software at $2499 or to be able to rent it for $999 per year, so I thought it would be helpful to do some analysis over 3, and 5 years to see how the costs plan out.

A Comparison Of Rental With Perpetual & Upgrade Plan Over 3 Years

A Comparison Of Rental With Perpetual & Upgrade Plan Over 5 Years

Observations

After 3 years it is still cheaper to rent the Pro Tools HD Software rather than buy a perpetual license with an ongoing upgrade plan saving $8.33 per month.

After 5 years the scales tip the other way and it becomes cheaper to buy the perpetual license with an upgrade/support plan, as you save $15 per month.

But that isn't the only criteria.  Rental is good for shorter periods and with the rental option you do know exactly where you are and it is the same amount every month, with the Perpetual/upgrade plan option you have a larger outlay at the start - $2499 and then payments of $399 at the start of each subsequent year. But you can plan for either model and build those into your cashflow projections. 

Which Way Will You Go?

If you are considering taking advantage of the Pro Tools 12.6 HD Software Only option when it is released later this month, do share your thoughts about which way you are planning to go and why.