How can I purchase Feature Set without subscription?

I am planning to build a library for my son. I already purchased some packages but he doesn’t have access to basic stuff like Greek/Hebrew word look up. How can I purchase this feature. He doesn’t need cloud based features and I am not looking for subscription

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John

You can no longer purchase any Logos software features. You can only subscribe.

if you would like to make a one time purchase, you will have to consider the other software options on the market.

Mark Smith

I'm afraid Logos stopped selling stand-alone feature sets when the subscription model came out.

The Premium (basic) subscription looks like it would give your son the basic tools he'd need. Over two years that would cost about $200 if you paid the subscription annually. After two years you might be able to cancel the subscription and keep all the offline tools that are in the subscription (if the Legacy Fallback License applies. I can't find info on that right now. It might have only been for users before the subscription model came out.)

IMO that would be a very good price for what you'd get. Back when we could buy feature sets the cost for what is now in the Premium subscription would have been more than that IIRC. I think you decision hinges on whether that fallback license would be available to you.

Mark Smith

Sorry, I found what I didn't see earlier about the Legacy Fallback License:

Who is eligible for the Legacy Fallback License?

If you’ve ever purchased a Logos 10 or earlier base package, you are eligible to earn the Legacy Fallback License after subscribing for 24 consecutive months.

This means that without the previous purchase of a Logos 10 base package, you cannot take advantage of the Legacy Fallback License.

I do understand not wanting to continuing to shell out for a subscription, especially of your son only uses Logos occasionally. That said, Logos isn't as useful without the feature sets, so it seems the only way to go.

$100 a year might be a good investment in your son's Bible exploration use, but only you can decide that.

Wild Eagle

I feel betrayed by Logos. We were explicitly told there would be options to purchase features. Logos later declared that cloud-based functionality would require ongoing subscriptions—and now there is no option to purchase those features at all

I have poured a substantial amount of money into this platform—over 19.4K books—and I feel misled and lied to. While I understand that I will not lose access to my existing library, that does not excuse the broken promises and shifting business practices.

Encouraging my son to invest in Logos was a mistake. He cannot even purchase basic functionality without being forced into subscriptions. This is not what was represented to customers.

At this point, it is hard to justify continued loyalty to Logos, and it may be time to look elsewhere.

DMB

Wild Eagle, I agree as regards your frustration. But AFAIK they didn't commit to selling features, developed in the past or future. Only to support sold features (which they are).

19k of books is unfortunate.

Wild Eagle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/160552/logos-now-and-faithlife-connect-the-why

“We also need to support the pure transactional model for people who want to 'buy it, own it, and not have to pay again.' That's what we've always offered, and what we plan to continue to offer.”

DMB

Good catch.

Steven MacDonald

Wild Eagle,

Thank you for sharing that link! I have never seen or read Bob's post but went through it this morning. I appreciate Bob's candid detailed response and it resonated with me. It's much better than any answers we've gotten recently. I totally understand your frustration and thanks for sharing the link. Yes, Bob did promise the ability to purchase would continue. The side-by-side option model of purchasing OR subscribing is exactly what many of us argued for. We weren't totally successful but at least Logos finally offered current Logos owners, or "Legacy" owners as they call us, a Legacy Fallback license where we will get to keep new non-AI and web-based features after two years of subscribing. You could subscribe to keep your owned version mostly current and then pass the ownership on to your son later.

An excellent quote from Bob regarding the "new features every six weeks" mantra:

"And trying to make a new feature every six weeks leads to smaller, less significant features just to 'check the box'. It hurts our ability to dedicate team energy to bigger features and changes that might take months to develop, but which deliver more value".

It's an unfortunate choice Logos made and I still hope they reconsider because I don't see it ending well in the long term.

Once the AI hoopla dies down, then what?

The simple solution is to offer a subscription and an option to purchase non-AI , non-Cloud features for to anyone. Not just legacy users.

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388841#Comment_1388841

Aaron Hamilton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388838#Comment_1388838

My understanding is that the purchase of any prior base package makes one eligible for the Legacy Fallback License. This means that if you have purchased a base package for your son in the past, his account would be eligible.

Receiving the Legacy Fallback License would be equivalent to buying a new base package that contains new offline features. The features you would own permanently after two years of subscription would vary depending on which subscription you choose. Imo, this option is worth exploring further.

Wild Eagle

With the help of Ai, here is the summary how Logos shifted their philosophy and moved away from the original model:

LOGOS FEATURE PURCHASE OPTION — TIMELINE (2018–2025)

2018 — Bob Pritchett establishes the “buy and keep” model
• Logos leadership publicly explains that Logos operates with two parallel models:
1. Subscription access
2. Purchase the new features and keep them permanently
• This framing explicitly presents feature ownership as a supported, legitimate alternative to subscription.
• Customers are reassured that purchasing features provides permanent access.

Impact:
Customers are explicitly taught that features are something you can buy and own, not merely rent.

⸻

2019–2021 — Model continues without warning
• Logos continues releasing versions where:
• Features are bundled into Feature Sets
• Feature Sets can be purchased outright
• No public statements indicate this model is temporary or at risk of removal.

Impact:
Long-term customers reasonably assume continuity.

⸻

2020 — Logos 9
• “Full Feature Set” is marketed, discussed, and sold as a stand-alone purchasable product.
• Customers upgrade specifically to own features, not merely access them.

Impact:
Purchase-based feature ownership is still the norm.

⸻

2021 — Faithlife Connect positioned as optional
• Subscription is marketed as convenience, not replacement.
• Buying features outright remains available.

Impact:
Subscription is framed as optional, not mandatory.

⸻

2022 — Logos 10 launch (critical year)
• Logos leadership (including Mark Barnes) explicitly confirms:
• Feature Sets can be purchased without books
• Subscription is an alternative, not the only path
• Customers are still actively encouraged to buy feature upgrades.

Impact:
As late as 2022, Logos leadership confirms the purchase option is real and valid.

⸻

2023 — No deprecation warning
• No clear, public statement warns customers that:
• Feature purchases will end
• Subscription will become mandatory
• Customers continue investing under the existing model.

Impact:
No informed consent for the coming change.

⸻

Early 2024 — Abrupt strategic shift
• Logos announces the next version will be subscription-based
• Feature Sets are described as being replaced, not supplemented
• Cloud/AI cost is cited as justification

Impact:
This is the first time customers are told the purchase model is ending.

⸻

Mid–Late 2024 — Purchase option explicitly removed
• Logos introduces Legacy Fallback License (LFL):
• Access granted only after continuous subscription
• Not all features included
• Logos leadership explicitly states:
• No plans to make features or fallback licenses purchasable

Impact:
Ownership is replaced with conditional access.

⸻

2025 — Current state
• New users cannot buy features
• Long-time customers cannot upgrade features without subscription
• Historical purchase model is fully discontinued

Impact:
A fundamental change to the product philosophy.

Wild Eagle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388853#Comment_1388853

No, I didn’t purchase any prior base packages, so fall back in not an option

Aaron Hamilton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388864#Comment_1388864

Apologies. I misunderstood what you meant when you said you had already purchased some packages for him.

Ronald Quick

Question: I know that some individuals sell their library on Facebook, Ebay, etc. If someone were to purchase a previously owned library, would they be eligible for the Fallback License?

Kiyah

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388876#Comment_1388876

No. The person would only be selling their books. The Fallback License is governed by prior purchases of a feature set.

Ronald Quick

Okay - Thanks. I thought that may be an option for Wild Eagle.

Wild Eagle

I found a partial workaround by purchasing and activating the legacy Libronix software, which restored the access to Greek and Hebrew tools.

However, to fellow Logos users, I would advise approaching Logos with a grain of salt. Based on my experience, Logos has not consistently stood by its word and has a documented history of reversing prior commitments. What was once presented as a stable purchase-and-own model has repeatedly shifted, leaving customers to absorb the consequences.

This pattern makes it difficult to place long-term trust in their stated direction.

Wild Eagle

Thank you all for the support and responses. I haven’t been around for a while, but it really means a lot to see how caring and supportive this community still is.

John

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388876#Comment_1388876

Yes, if they sell the entire library along with L10 feature set.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388886#Comment_1388886

Wow! Libby to the rescue. Yea, Libby!

But your Bob quote illustrates wording currently like 'foreseeable future', 'immediate future' and 'no current plans'. No commitments.

John

Bob doesn’t own it anymore, he cashed out.

Steven MacDonald

DMB, I would love to hear more about Libby. It must have been really good. I remember when we got a Libronix system for our school library and I saw its potential.

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388893?utm_source=community-share#Comment_1388893

Wild Eagle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388893#Comment_1388893

In other words, the message is clear: do not rely on us. This is the same uncertainty that now surrounds the very future of Logos itself because Bob used the same words

DAL

Or find someone who’d be willing to sell you their features.

Frank Sauer

To be fair to Logos… They were public with the information pertaining to the effect of the purchase of perpetual Feature Sets no longer being available. This was the announcement:

https://community.logos.com/discussion/224275/logos-10-last-chance-sale

There was a lot of debate on it - I don't recall if there was any form of walk back, as I already had the FFS, so I wasn't always paying full attention to it.

EastTN

I appreciate the history - it's clear that the business model has completely changed. Had they had the current model back in 2011, I would never have bought into the Logos ecosystem.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1388904#Comment_1388904

If I'm not misunderstanding your comment, Libby is Libronix … present tense. She'll likely outlast Logos (due to a simpler structure for installing and easier rights-management).

In my mind, she was the first user-oriented multi-indexed book/Bible platform. And even as recent as last night, as I struggled to get a resource to stick with one index on Logos43, it would have been simple on Libby. You could pick the index in use. She also had a display of which indices supported which books … something Logos has been missing for what … 16 years (but trickable; all is trickable in Logosland). FL similarly avoids letting customers know which datasets support which books … same mindset.

Libby's big failings were (1) she didn't protect ownership rights very well (nifty little rights file was very portable). And (2) she had a brittle development structure, heavily dependent on MS, I think. Each new 'search' refinement created more confusion … hmmm … like yesterday on Logos47.

Libby, Libby, Libby on the label, label, label! After battling the index last night, I refunded the book today. Done.

MJ. Smith

This discussion reminds me of my roof replacement. The company had been around for 50 years and provided a "lifetime" guarantee. The owner retired and sold the company to a long-time employee who maintained the "lifetime" guarantee. After a few years he became seriously ill and sold the company. Poof goes the "lifetime" guarantee with no legal recourse. Best business practices change over time especially in new industries such as software. Just remember that equanimity is a virtue.

DMB

Quote button is acting strange today.

@MJ. Smith FL's the same management (that reassures us, the PE is just sorted of 'there'). That also participated in earlier discussions. But yes, FL's similar to a roofing company … you find out when it rains!