Why Most AppSumo Lifetime Deals Fail — And How to Spot the Winners
Buying a lifetime deal on AppSumo feels like a steal. Pay $49 once, get access forever. But here's the uncomfortable truth: not all lifetime deals survive. At LTD Atlas , we've been tracking 200+ AppSumo products to answer a simple question: what's the actual success rate of lifetime deals? The Numbers Don't Lie After analyzing our database, here's what we found: About 60-65% of products remain active and honor their lifetime deals Around 15-20% have pivoted to subscription models Roughly 15-20% have shut down completely That means if you buy 10 lifetime deals, statistically 2 of them will disappear entirely, and another 2 might force you into a subscription. Red Flags to Watch For Based on our data, here are warning signs that a lifetime deal might not last: Solo founder with no funding — Higher risk of burnout and shutdown Crowded market — Too much competition squeezes margins No organic growth — If the product only gets users from AppSumo, it'...