LogMeIn kills free service with no warning, goes subscription only

Remote computer access software company LogMeIn has announced overnight that it will be cancelling its free service, effective immediately.

LogMeIn users who were using the software's free version will have just seven days from their next log-in to decide whether to upgrade to the subscriber version, LogMeIn Pro, or stop using the product entirely, according to a post on the company's blog that appeared overnight.

"After 10 years, LogMeIn's free remote access product, LogMeIn Free, is going away," wrote LogMeIn's Tara Haas. "We will be unifying our portfolio of free and premium remote access products into a single offering. This product will be a paid-only offering, and it will offer what we believe to be the best premium desktop, cloud and mobile access experience available on the market today."

The decision also affects LogMeIn Ignition, which was a paid app available on iOS for AU$139.99 and Android for AU$28.57. These apps have been removed from their respective marketplaces, and their users will no longer be able to use them for free. The company is making a peace offering in the form of discounts, but we imagine that will be cold comfort — to iOS users in particular.

While LogMeIn Central users will be unaffected, Free users will need to upgrade to Pro, starting at US$99 for individuals (up to two computers), US$249 for power users (up to five computers) and US$449 for small businesses (up to 10 computers).

In an FAQ it posted about the change, LogMeIn said that the move was "in order to address the changing needs of our customers". The company did not say why it had decided not to give its customers more notice.

Users of LogMeIn's other products, Cubby and join.me, will not be affected by the removal.