“Release Date” when in April?

I hear you and I get why it feels like a lame excuse. From your perspective, it looks like you already paid and now you’re being asked to pay again for something new. That’s frustrating.

You’re also right that this is an upsell. We’re not trying to pretend it’s not.

The reason it’s handled this way is because features like Restore AI have ongoing costs (cloud processing, infrastructure, etc.) every time they’re used. Those costs don’t exist with most traditional features, and they’ve gotten more expensive not cheaper. So instead of raising the price for everyone, we made it optional for people who want it.

That said, I understand why that doesn’t feel great if you just want one feature without upgrading. It’s fair feedback, and we are listening.

Sounds like a lame excuse. The RAW MAX guys are in the same situation, Nothing is being taken away from what they purchased but they get this free extra. The ONLY way I can get it is to upgrade at ADDITIONAL COST to RAW MAX for stuff I don’t need or want. 99.99% of users would consider it an upsell, rather than a update. Come clean now, and make it available to all your full product paying/paid customers.

This would be my preference.

Totally understand where you’re coming from, and it’s fair feedback. Just to clarify, nothing is being taken away from what you’ve already purchased. Photo RAW 2026 remains a complete product, and you’ll continue to get free 2026.x updates. Photo RAW MAX is optional. It’s simply a higher-tier bundle for photographers who want additional tools (restore AI), especially ones that rely on ongoing cloud infrastructure. Our goal isn’t to force upgrades, it’s to give photographers choice—own it outright, or opt into more if it makes sense for your workflow. And you’re right on the communication—we should be more active here. We do care, and we’re listening.