Price changes
In the coming weeks, GoTrack will transition to a subscription pricing model. All new and existing users will need to subscribe to use the app.
Why now?
When I first created GoTrack back in 2017, I was a student commuting into Toronto every day for class. I kept a paper schedule for my GO Train line in my wallet and wondered why there was no quick, digital way to figure out when my next train was departing. I didn’t know much about code, but I endeavoured to make an app that would solve this problem, even if my iPhone 5S was the only device to ever host it.
Six years later, GoTrack has grown exponentionally. Thousands of GO Train commuters rely on it every day as the fastest and most convenient way to stay on time for work and school. The service is now managed by a team that has spent hundreds of hours of development loading it with new features like delays and platform indicators and tweaking the service behind the scenes to improve its speed and reliability.
The result is that GoTrack is a much more valuable service now than it was six years ago. However, software development is expensive and time-consuming, and the modest income that this app has generated is not enough to cover the burden of its continued maintenance and growth.
While we thank those of you who purchased the app, the majority of GoTrack’s users have never paid for their use of the service. This move to a subscription pricing model is intended to represent a neglible difference in travel costs for a regular GO Train commuter while ensuring a reliable stream of recurring income for our team in order to cover development costs for years to come.
The details
Beginning on June 17, an active subscription will be required in order to use GoTrack. Subscription plans will be offered through the App Store in the following arrangements:
- $2.99 per month.
- $17.99 per year.
The annual subscription costs about the same as one return trip between Pickering and Union stations and offers a 50% savings over the monthly subscription over a twelve-month period.
Both monthly and annual subscriptions support Apple’s family sharing feature, so you can share one GoTrack subscription with anyone in your family plan.
Once subscribed, your service will continue as usual. There are no limitations or alternate subscription tiers.
As always, thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please reach out to us via email at any time.