Micro.blog does a lot. We have a handful of companion mobile apps because some things are just easier in a more focused app. That allows us to keep the main official blogging app as uncluttered as possible.
Over the next few months, I’m planning to take the next step with this approach and spin off some of the bookmark archiving, web page highlights, and related features into our app Strata. Strata is primarily about notes sync, and it can be useful even if you don’t use Micro.blog much for blogging.
By moving a few lesser-used features out of Micro.blog into their own app, it will streamline the core Micro.blog user experience. Bookmarks will be simpler. If you’re just blogging, nothing else will get in your way. But if you want the full suite of apps, each app will work together. (For example, sharing a private note to your blog.)
You may remember that earlier this year I ran a survey to gauge interest in this kind of change. I blogged about the results here. As I wrote in that post:
I asked this question because these features are great and I use them every day, but they tend to get lost in the blog-focused interface we have today. I always worry about clutter in the UI. I think moving them into a separate “product” could help with both marketing and user experience.
This is an opportunity to both simplify and expand our subscription plans. As an early heads-up, Strata is going to get its own set of pricing tiers. When the dust settles, this is how the monthly plans will look:
- Micro.blog: $5
- Micro.blog Premium: $10
- Micro.blog Family: $15
- Strata: $5
- Strata Premium: $10 (secret unannounced features)
You can also imagine there will be a bundle that includes both Micro.blog Premium and Strata Premium with a discount.
For existing customers who are already using notes sync or bookmark archiving, you’ll get the Strata subscription included automatically for no extra charge. These plan changes will mostly be for new customers who join later.
There’s nothing new to announce for our other mobile apps: Epilogue, Sunlit, and Wavelength. They remain products in our lineup. They will always be free.
I’m still proud that while everything else in the world has gotten more expensive, the standard blog hosting plan in Micro.blog has stuck with $5/month. Having separate pricing tiers like this lets us keep the basics as inexpensive as possible, with more options to pay for additional features so Micro.blog can be a sustainable business. Thanks everyone!
