Flickr takes a big gamble, makes popular Auto-Uploadr a paid feature

Flickr has recently made changes to their feature set and locked the "Auto-Uploadr" feature behind its paid "Pro" service.

The desktop Auto-Uploadr tool allows you to automatically upload photos from your hard drive to Flickr, a feature that set Flickr apart from other free competitors. However, with this new move, Flickr is taking a risk that their users are going to be willing to pay for the feature rather than look for an alternative free service.

Less than a year after introducing the Auto-Uploadr, Flickr is taking it away from non-paying users. Perhaps it is unsurprising that Flickr is trying to entice more users to pay for their service as they had been offering a lot for free since its overhaul last year. It will be interesting to see how this latest move by Flickr affects their number of users and how people utilize their services.

 

Auto-Uploadr is no longer going to be available for regular Flickr users. Auto-Uploadr will now be a "Pro" feature. A Pro subscription costs $49.99 per year, although it is currently available for $34.99 using a coupon code (FLICKRPRO30).

In a move to encourage free users to upgrade, Flickr is offering a 30% discount on their annual Flickr Pro membership (coupon code: FLICKRPRO30). Pro users get 1000GB of storage, Auto-Uploadr, and more for $34.99 per year ($49.99 without coupon code).

(Seen via The Verge)