I just did the math and Unity subscription model is a complete ripoff.
If you go perpetual you pay $1500 * 3 (w/ iOS and Android add-ons) = $4,500. Seems expensive right? If you’re a previous perpetual license holder you get the upgrade pricing at $750 * 3 = $2,250. Better.
But, if you subscribe here’s what you pay:
$75 * 3 * 12 = $2,700 (seems cheap, right?)
However, if you’re a previous perpetual license holder then moving to subscription makes NO sense as will you waste $450 doing so ($2700 - $2250 = $450). But it gets little worse when you understand that your subscription license remains active ONLY as long as you pay for it.
So …
If you understand that Unity 5.x came out in March 2015 and will end its life in March 2017 (2 years), you will pay $2700 * 2 = $5,400. Had you purchased a perpetual license instead, you would have saved yourself $900. $5400 - $4500 = $900 !
And of course, had you been a previous perpetual license holder you will have saved $3,150 paying the $2250 upgrade pricing ($5400 - $2250 = $3150).
It’s a shame Unity doesn’t adjust their subscription pricing to match what they charge for perpetual licenses, or (better) simply stop charging a subscription fee once the dollar value has matched a perpetual license.