Harvest Software Users Outraged by 1500% Price Hike Following Acquisition

Businesses are reacting with outrage after the invoicing software Harvest increased its prices by up to 1500% following its acquisition by Bending Spoons. The new owner has replaced flat-rate pricing with a complex usage-based model that many SMEs find unaffordable and unpredictable. As a result, many loyal customers are now abandoning the software in favor of less expensive alternatives.

Key Points

• Harvest users are reporting price increases as high as 1500% following the company's acquisition by Bending Spoons.
• The pricing structure has shifted from a flat per-user fee to a complex usage-based model including projects, clients, and revenue.
• Bending Spoons has a history of aggressive monetization and price hikes with other acquired companies like Evernote and WeTransfer.
• Small business owners describe the new costs as 'unaffordable' and 'daylight robbery,' leading to a mass migration to competitors.
• Experts criticize the lack of transparency in the new model, noting that customers cannot easily predict their monthly bills.

Sentiment

Predominantly negative and cynical, characterized by a deep distrust of private equity and the subscription-based software model.

In Agreement

• Bending Spoons has a documented history of 'enshittification' through aggressive price hikes and layoffs.
• The SaaS model is fundamentally flawed because it allows for 'rent extraction' and traps user data.
• Users should immediately migrate away from any vendor acquired by Bending Spoons to avoid being 'screwed over'.
• The 1500% increase is a sign of contempt for both customers and the original staff.

Opposed

• The original pricing of $130 for a 25-person firm was unsustainably low and not 'market pricing'.
• Companies sold to firms like Bending Spoons are usually failing, and price hikes are necessary for the business to survive.
• Software is not a life-essential commodity like medicine; companies have the right to raise prices and let the market decide their value.
• Private equity can sometimes improve service reliability and professionalize operations compared to struggling small businesses.