We are changing the project support model

The Valentina project exists thanks to the community. But in order to develop further, we need more. An increase in the number of users does not always mean an increase in support. To ensure stable development, updates, user support, and the creation of additional materials, we are changing our funding model. Instead of scattered purchases and donations, we are moving to a transparent, fair, and effective subscription model that will allow each user to contribute to the future of the project.

Our philosophy — helping through quality

This project began as a response to a need. First our own, and then others’.
We wanted a tool that worked simply, reliably, and without unnecessary frills.
We didn’t promise magic. We just did our job — and you responded.

Now the project has grown. It is used by hundreds (and possibly thousands) of people in small businesses, community initiatives, and private ventures. We see how our product helps people earn money, grow, and save time and nerves.

And we are ready to go further — together with you.

Challenges: honestly about what is not visible

There is a lot of work under the hood. And it is not decreasing.
Updates, answering questions, support, documentation, new features, infrastructure, security. It takes time, focus, and responsibility.

But most importantly, it’s the price of stability. A project that becomes the foundation for others cannot rely on volunteer enthusiasm. It needs support. Human and financial.

We kept everything open and free for a long time, as long as it was honest.
But now, it’s a compromise with the future.

Cross-platform compatibility

One of the key values of the project is cross-platform compatibility.
We want you to be able to work wherever you feel comfortable: on Linux, Windows, or MacOS. After all, we are all different — in our habits, approaches, and tools. And we respect that choice.

But every year, this task becomes more and more difficult.

🐧 Linux: stable base

Linux is the easiest to support. The community here is more technically savvy, and the distribution process itself is less regulated. We encounter almost no barriers, except for time and keeping the builds up to date.

🪟 Windows: popularity with obstacles

Windows is the most popular OS among our users. But with popularity come challenges. The most pressing one is the need for code signing.

Microsoft blocks the launch of applications without a digital signature, warning the user about ‘unknown software’. Most inexperienced users do not understand what is going on and simply close the program, often suspecting it of being infected. This is detrimental to:

• trust in the project,
• our partners — for example, course authors who are afraid to recommend the latest versions,
• our reputation in general.

In addition, the signature is also a level of security that guarantees that we created this version. Without it, it is impossible to reliably verify the authenticity of the software.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to obtain a certificate for open source software for free.

🍏 MacOS: tighter restrictions

Apple requires not only a signature, but also mandatory verification (notarisation).
Previously, these steps could be bypassed by forcing the user to undergo additional verification in the system. But with the advent of new processors (Apple Silicon), launching without a signature is simply blocked.

The price of a signature for MacOS is $99 per year.
This is separate from the cost of a Windows certificate and other infrastructure components.

In addition, supporting MacOS requires more effort from our team. This platform often uses unique interfaces or technical approaches that are not found on other operating systems. This means additional development, testing, and debugging, which increases costs and time. But we continue to do so because we want Mac users to have convenient access to the project.

👉 If we cannot find a sustainable way to finance it, such strict requirements may force us to abandon support for this platform in the future. This is not our choice, but a consequence of Apple’s policy, which complicates the development of independent open source software.

🔑 How to solve these challenges?

There are two ways:

• Users can compile, sign, and distribute the program themselves. This is possible — but difficult and inconvenient, especially for beginners.
• Or — support us through a subscription. In this case, we take care of all the technical hassles, and the costs are shared among those who support the project.

It’s fair. It’s effective. It’s transparent.

🧱 Support for legacy operating systems

Another challenge facing the project is supporting older versions of operating systems that manufacturers no longer support. For us, this is an attempt to maintain maximum accessibility and not exclude users solely because of their older devices or preferred version of the system.

Each OS manufacturer determines when an OS version is considered obsolete. We try to strike a balance between technical feasibility and user freedom. When making decisions, we focus on three main criteria:

• how popular the version is among our users;
• whether it is supported by the minimum version of Qt;
• whether we can build it automatically in CI.

🐧 Linux

The most stable platform in this regard. Wide compatibility, independence from a single manufacturer, flexible ecosystem.

🪟 Windows

It has good backward compatibility. However, every year Microsoft is increasingly discontinuing versions, following Apple’s policy. This forces us to decide:

• support older versions, risking security and complicating development,
• follow the manufacturer’s policy and refuse support — even if some users are still active on this platform.

🍏 MacOS

Apple is the most aggressive player in this field. Not only do they quickly withdraw support from the OS, but they also encourage other developers (including Qt) to do the same. As a result, we are forced to:

• support several versions of Qt at the same time,
• add conditions to the code for older platforms,
• and spend more time on testing and support.

🔑 How to solve these challenges?

As with cross-platform compatibility, users can compile versions for their own operating systems. But without regular support from us, this option quickly becomes unreliable — the code breaks, tools change, and compilation becomes more complicated.

We offer an alternative. Support and distribution of builds for legacy platforms as part of a premium subscription. This will allow us to:

• distribute the load,
• guarantee stability for interested users,
• and maintain a reasonable balance between openness and the viability of the project.

💻 Equipment: another hidden but critical challenge

Stable operation and further development of the project are impossible without regular equipment upgrades. This is especially true in the context of constant changes in the processor and platform market.

MacOS — only on Mac

Previously, we used virtual machines with macOS on Intel hardware. This allowed us to save money and maintain the platform without additional investment.
However, with Apple’s transition to its own ARM processors, the situation has changed dramatically:

• Support for Intel platforms will be discontinued in the coming years.
• ARM versions of macOS do not run in virtual machines.
• A native Mac on ARM is required for development and testing.
  *

ARM Windows — another frontier

A similar situation is developing with the ARM version of Windows. It is gradually gaining popularity. And without access to the appropriate hardware (e.g., Qualcomm Snapdragon or similar platforms), we cannot guarantee support or adaptation of our software for new devices.

🔑 How to solve these challenges?

We could simply ignore these platforms. But we see a demand from the community — and we want to respond to it. To do this, we need access to physical hardware that:

• provides full support for ARM platforms;
• allows us to build, test, and debug releases;
• guarantees users that their system will not be neglected.

The subscription model is our tool for solving this problem. Thanks to you, we will be able to invest in technology and keep up with industry developments. Otherwise, we will be forced to abandon support for macOS and ARM Windows in the future.

📚 Additional materials: support that is no less important than code

In addition to developing the programme itself, we put a lot of effort into creating instructions, video tutorials, pattern templates, measurement tables, training examples and even our own fonts for drawing. All of this is work that requires time, expertise, coordination, and constant updating.

The time dilemma: code or content?

We are already selling some of these materials. But this model does not meet our needs, especially given the growing technical challenges. In addition, constantly choosing between code development and content creation is a necessary compromise that slows down both.

Competition for resources: the paradox of openness

Due to the open nature of the project, other market participants can create their own training materials, courses, videos, and charge for them. This is not a bad thing — we are happy that the project is becoming a platform for new opportunities. However:

• Often, such content producers do not contribute anything to the development of the project — neither financially nor technically.
• The financial benefits of the project brand are distributed unevenly: we invest — others earn.
• Even the growth in popularity of the project does not automatically lead to an increase in funding or the number of active contributors.

This creates a situation where a significant part of the work and responsibility for the project remains solely on us.

🔑 How to solve these challenges?

We decided to change our approach.
Instead of selling individual materials, we are introducing a subscription model for access to additional materials. This means:

• The higher the subscription level, the more useful resources you get.
• Regular support is a guarantee of relevance and quality.
• Your contribution directly supports not only the development of the application, but also the expansion of the educational ecosystem around it.

This is an honest and transparent model that will allow us to focus on creating experienced, coordinated, in-depth content, rather than constantly balancing between the technical and educational parts.

🔁 Releasing ready-made versions: more than just a ‘download’ button

Most users expect us to provide ready-made binary versions of the application that can be downloaded and run immediately. And that’s understandable: not everyone wants or is able to dive into building from source code.

But under the hood, things are more complicated.

Binary versions ≠ free

Yes, most projects do publish ready-made versions. However, this is not because it is easy or free — it is because they have the funding, resources, or paying users to make it happen.

For Linux, we can rely on the community: distributions often compile packages themselves, and we only monitor the quality of the source code. However, Windows and MacOS are more complicated: here, the responsibility lies entirely with us.

• Preparation, compilation, testing, signing, publication — all of this takes time and effort.
• Supporting multiple configurations and OS versions multiplies these efforts.
• And most importantly, the lack of financial return does not motivate us to release frequently.

As a result, we find ourselves in a situation where:

• either we spend time on regular releases, postponing the development of the program,
• or we postpone releases in order to move forward.

🔑 How to solve these challenges?

We are moving to a model where ready-made binary versions are provided through a subscription. This:

• encourages regularity and quality of releases,
• allows us to better plan the workload,
• and, most importantly, sends a direct signal that you value our work and are willing to invest in the future of the project.

For those who cannot or do not want to subscribe, the project remains open. You can always:

• build the version yourself,
• use packages from Linux distribution repositories,
• or contact the community that creates its own builds.

We are not closing the door — we are simply trying to make the path to a quality result fairer and more stable.

🤝 Support: a resource we can no longer ignore

We are proud of the quality of our support. We often use various open projects ourselves and see how rare prompt and personalised support is — something we strive to provide you with every day.

But the growth in the number of users has presented us with a challenge: support does not scale on its own.

Why is this a problem?

• Only a small portion of users help by responding to others — most are looking for answers but do not share their knowledge.
• The team does not grow in proportion to the number of requests.
• We spend time that could be invested in product development.

As a result, this leads to burnout, delays, and ultimately — loss of motivation.

🔑 How to solve these challenges?

To maintain the quality of support, we are moving to a model where technical support is provided only to subscribers. This means:

• You can count on us — if you support the project yourself.
• We reduce the workload and focus on development and improvement.
• The community remains an important resource — but honest reciprocity is a priority.

If you do not wish to subscribe or renew your subscription, your main point of contact will be the community or course authors. We are not prohibiting anything — we are offering a transparent and fair approach where everyone knows what to expect and what they will receive in return.

🧑‍💻 Team: the main weakness of a niche project

Over the years, it has become clear that Valentina is a niche project. And it is this niche nature that shapes the specifics of all our challenges.

The open nature of the project should stimulate development, attract new participants, and distribute the workload. And although this works to some extent, we have not overcome the problem of a lack of human resources.

A successful project has no shortage of supporters. But a niche project almost always has a shortage of people who are ready to work systematically on code, documentation, materials, and support.

The problem — imbalance of exchange

In open projects, users should be not only consumers but also authors. If this balance is disturbed, the burden increases. Ultimately, this exhausts the core team, slows down development, and sometimes simply leads to burnout.

🔑 How to solve these challenges?

The civilised world has long offered a solution — paid work.

Additional funding allows us to:

• Expand the team.
• Delegate some tasks to specialists.
• Ensure the continuity and quality of development.

We do not receive funding from any organisation or corporation. The only source is you, our users. That is why a subscription is not just a way to support us, it is an investment in Valentina’s stable future.

New model: subscription as a form of responsibility

We are transitioning to a subscription-based support model.

This is not ‘monetisation.’ It is a mature form of cooperation.
We are not selling air. We are offering a tool that already works.
And we are asking for support in exchange for stability and development.

🧭 Three levels of participation

The model provides for three levels of access: Free, Basic and Premium. Each level is your way of interacting with the project and contributing to its existence.

🆓 Free level

• Access to archived versions of the program (no updates, no support).
• Open source code — you can compile the program yourself.
• Community support (forum, volunteers).

This level allows you to familiarise yourself with the project and understand whether it suits you.

💼 Basic level

• Everything from the free level.
• Access to current binary versions (Windows, Mac, Linux).
• Technical support from the team.
• Updated user manual with examples and new features.

This level is for those who want stability, convenience, and interaction with developers.

🌟 Premium level

• Everything from the basic level.
• Full access to all additional materials:
  • training videos;
  • instructions;
  • patterns;
  • singleline fonts;
  • multisize tables, etc.
• Extended opportunities to participate in development: voting, early access, influence on priorities.

This level is the choice of those who not only use the project, but also invest in its development.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can I subscribe for just one month?

Yes! You are free to choose. After the subscription period ends, access to the materials will be terminated.

What will happen to the materials I purchased before the subscription started?

They will remain available to you forever.

Is it safe to store card details?

We do not store the cards themselves. The bank issues a special token that does not contain your personal information.

Can I distribute the binary version I received through my subscription?

Yes, in accordance with the licence. However, support is only provided to subscribers. If you have transferred the file to another person, you are responsible for its use.

What should I do if I cannot pay for my subscription?

This happens. We consider each case individually. Depending on the reason, access to the program may be provided free of charge.
We also plan to cooperate with local integrators — people or organisations that will help you locally.

I want to become a local integrator. How?

You can start on your own — we do not restrict you in this. Competition is always beneficial for users.

If you are interested in official cooperation, we are open to dialogue.
We are particularly interested in regions where it is difficult for users to purchase a subscription directly — due to payment system restrictions or other barriers. Another important criterion is language accessibility: if your users do not speak the languages we support, you can become a bridge for them.

Official cooperation requires:

• trust,
• responsibility to your customers,
• and a desire to support the development of the project.

Why not collect donations?

We hear this question very often. And it is a fair question. However, there are a number of reasons why we do not choose this form of financing.

1. Technical complexity.
   Collecting donations directly is difficult. It requires a certain legal status, which we do not currently have. There are also difficulties with bank transfers to Ukraine, especially from abroad. Even popular payment systems sometimes block transactions or do not work with Ukrainian recipients at all.
2. Dependence on third-party platforms.
   Such platforms (such as Patreon and Ko-fi) partially solve the problems described above, but they charge a commission for this. And worst of all, they can restrict or block us at any time. Unfortunately, cases of Ukrainian authors being blocked are not uncommon.
3. Limited flexibility.
   Donations do not allow us to flexibly provide services in accordance with the contribution. Our own subscription system is much more effective: we can transparently allocate resources, automate access to materials, and provide support only to those who really support the project.
4. History shows that donations do not work.
   Almost all of our previous attempts to collect donations have had poor results. This approach depends on a few generous patrons, while the majority of users enjoy the results of our work without contributing anything. This is unfair and unsustainable in the long run.

We believe in a fair model: everyone contributes to the development of the project, not just a small group of enthusiasts.

🚀 Thank you for being with us

If you use the project, you are already our ally.
We invite you to join the new model — not as a ‘duty,’ but as a long-term joint effort.

Support is not charity. It is a choice: to invest in what works.
And we will do everything to make it work even better..