JAM Software is telling some TreeSize customers that keeping support and updates for their perpetual licenses now means buying a subscription. For people who bought the Windows disk-usage tool expecting the usual old-school software bargain, pay once and use it indefinitely, the fine print is doing a lot of work.
The dispute centers on what JAM Software considers part of ownership. Customers with perpetual TreeSize licenses can keep using the version they bought after maintenance expires, according to product manager Hendrik Christ, who spoke with Ars Technica. But access to updates, support, older installers, and license downloads is tied to an active support period or subscription.
JAM Software has been moving most TreeSize editions toward subscriptions since 2025. Its current pricing still lists perpetual licenses for TreeSize Personal, which include 12 months of updates, support, downloads of older versions, and access to the customer’s license. Christ told Ars Technica the company has “no plans to discontinue” perpetual sales for TreeSize Personal.
That does not help customers whose maintenance period is ending on older perpetual licenses. A Reddit user posted an email from JAM Software saying support for their perpetual license would end in September and that updates and support would be available only through a subscription after that date.
The installer problem
The angriest reaction is not only about missing future updates. It is about whether a paying customer can retrieve the software they already bought.
According to Christ, JAM Software has long declined to keep every old installer and license key available after a customer’s support window ends, even before the subscription shift. He told Ars Technica the company sees indefinite public access to old versions as a customer risk because older releases may include bugs or security vulnerabilities, particularly in business environments. He also cited the work required to maintain old downloads and associated keys.
That policy lands poorly with users who treat a perpetual license as a durable purchase rather than a rental with a download deadline. The Reddit user who posted the notice said it felt unfair to deny buyers access to an installer for a version they had paid for.
Christ said JAM Software emails customers before maintenance expires so they can save their installer and license key. He described that notice as a way to prevent customers from losing access to software they purchased.
Subscriptions for a disk analyzer
TreeSize is a utility for finding what is consuming storage. That makes the subscription pitch a harder sell for some users, especially because free alternatives such as WinDirStat exist.
JAM Software offers a free TreeSize edition, but it omits features available in paid versions. According to the company’s product information cited by Ars Technica, missing capabilities include duplicate-file search, deduplication of redundant files, and comparisons of disk usage over time. The free version is also not licensed for business use.
Christ acknowledged to Ars Technica that the move has frustrated some customers. Asked about refund demands appearing online, he said JAM Software does not view refunds as justified because customers received indefinite use of the version they purchased.
JAM Software’s explanation is the familiar subscription-software argument: recurring payments make product development and support easier to plan. Christ said the company wants to keep TreeSize maintained over the long term and that the current economy is tougher than it was a few years ago. He told Ars Technica subscriptions give the company predictability that one-time purchases do not.
For customers, the practical lesson is less grand than the business-model sermon. A perpetual TreeSize license still means the right to run a bought version. It does not necessarily mean JAM Software will keep handing over installers, keys, updates, or support once the maintenance clock runs out.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.
