500px will no longer be offering free access to our API | Hacker News Reader

500px will no longer be offering free access to our API

support.500px.com

33 pointspmlnr14 comments

So I guess chromecasts won't have nice wallpapers anymore? Many were from 500px, which is how I even discovered 500px.

The linked webpage says this changed happened in Jan 2018. 2018, not 2019. No one even noticed the difference. So I don't think there were many chromecasts using it. I use chromecasts, they are still showing pretty pictures.

> If you have an existing API key, you will lose access on June 15th 2018. You can email sales@500px.com to discuss further usage of the API.

In any case, this is a stupid move. I would have never heard of them if it weren't for the free API.

I guess I'll be leaving 500px then...

I'll take a stab at this...

Hey, the company that acquired us isn't seeing the ROI they wished. We have struggled to grow the company correctly.

We're "shutting" down the API, but email sales and we'll continue to give you the same shutdown API just at a fee.

API access for a fee is ok, but email sales? Not even an approximation about fee online?

This is a vestige of the old business culture in the USA.

"We have to tailor the solution to your needs, there's no way we could give you an accurate price before you have a conversation with us!"

aka we're charging arbitrarily high prices

Generally speaking I agree, but there is still some legit cases where pre sales is needed. I.e. when you are a hybrid service/product company and good part of your value proposition is product customisation/integration.

I agree with you :) It's not too easy to scope every project properly when there's lot of human billable hours involved.

But I imagine this isn't one of those situations!

Has nothing to do with 'the USA', and price discrimination/negotiation is not 'arbitrary' - or at least any more arbitrary than negotiating a price at a flea market.

one of the most annoying things ever - recently I had to waddle through services offering VoIP solutions (phone support, IVR) and quite a lot of them had only 'contact sales' option... and most of the time they came up with astronomical prices...

I cannot wait for the day they either change their practices or go out of business.

Other stab: https://iso.500px.com/500px-getty-images-new-partnership/

The GettyImages licensing change involve some legal and backend changes.

Jaj VCG.....

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