YTSaver downgraded my lifetime license years later — documenting a bait-and-switch

Posting this for documentation and consumer awareness.

Around three years ago, I purchased a lifetime, one-time license for YTSaver, primarily to download audio and video from platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud. These platforms were fully supported at the time of purchase and remained functional for years. They were the core reason I bought the software and recommended it to others.

In late December 2025, after updating to the latest version of YTSaver, downloads from YouTube and SoundCloud were suddenly disabled and moved behind a new paid “Pro” tier. There was no advance notice, no opt-out, and no grandfathering for lifetime license holders.

When I contacted support, I was told that these features were part of a previously “unlimited free standard version trial.” This explanation does not align with how the product was marketed when I purchased a lifetime license, nor with how it functioned for several years afterward.

I specifically asked whether upgrading to the new paid tier came with any assurance that the same thing wouldn’t happen again in the future. That question was never answered.

As a temporary workaround, YTSaver support provided a Google Drive link to an older version of the software, implicitly acknowledging that the current version no longer honors the original license terms. This is obviously not a viable long-term solution.

To be fair, the software itself works reasonably well when allowed to function. That makes this situation more frustrating — not less. Retroactively removing core functionality from a lifetime license and reframing it as a temporary trial feels like a classic bait-and-switch.

I’m not posting this to harass the company, but to leave a public record. If you’re considering purchasing a “lifetime” license from YTSaver, be aware that core features may be reclassified and paywalled later.

If anyone else has dealt with similar lifetime license downgrades (with YTSaver or other software), I’d be interested in hearing how you handled it.