Dear Mendix,
Have you considered creating Mendix plans for small business or for developers to showcase their skill?
Many developers enjoy tinkering around with their platform of choice, which can result in a huge boon of creativity; the maximum potential of an app is much sooner found in such cases. Moreover, apps like these could be used to showcase the full Mendix potential. I myself have a couple of ideas that may potentially even improve the world (who knows ;-)).
Unfortunately, hosting such a developed app can only be done using licenses which are nowhere near affordable for the average developer to host personally, or based of of his/her own independent business (ZZP). Nor is it possible for a small shop or small business to host such a plan.
I think this is a shame, as Mendix is beautiful. Why not try to garner some small business clients? It seems that the training app that is developed in learning paths is actually a more fit example for small business, which seems to contrast its current use: big business and corporations.
Or how about use for research purposes? Research grants do not usually include budgets for platforms; it’s all open stuff – shame, ‘cause Mendix would be great to use in that field as well.
Concluding, I think that the Mendix community might be able to thrive on the next level if there were more options/plans for research purposes, but especially for small business.
Should you want some more input in this matter, I would be happy to think along about this topic ;-).
Best regards,
Wouter Penris
Edit 29/4/20 – thanks for the replies so far. I think if we can show Mendix that this idea has value, they might act on it. Feel free to share the link to this post ;-)
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Mendix can mark this idea as resolved since Mendix has cracked this with the introduction of the ‘Basic’ plan for only 600 euro’s yearly. Well done Mendix!
If Mendix finds a good solution for this, there will be a big, big market for it. For several customers I cannot use Mendix, because they cannot afford the monthly license. It makes no sense that I have to consider high-coding or other low-code platforms because of Mendix silly license structure.
I think this is a great idea, and I’m sure there is a solution for the support issue. Plenty of other tech companies manage to offer SaaS/PaaS licenses to smaller businesses or individuals, without killing themselves on the support costs.
I agree. mendix could be perfect for small businesses but they just can’t afford it.
If the cost of support are indeed a hazard, why not take account for that in the Service Level Agreement? (low cost → low support).
As for research licenses: that could definitely impose a nice boost in Mendix adoption for both, developers and clients, once graduating students enter the job market and introduce Mendix at their future employers.
To all people here: thanks for voting and commenting! Don’t forget to share the comment within your personal communication groups if possible ;-) Let’s get this post noticed and endorsed as much as possible to show Mendix that there is a valid need for this ;-) thanks again! Thanks
Yes exactly! And perhaps use for research could be free or against minimal cost, only available to schools and universities.
Also agree – IMO there should definitively be a mini node. Companies first get smaller nodes and grow it with their needs and digitized business development. Profits all the way
I agree with Tim, I think for a lot of companies a “sandbox-pro” would even be enough.
are there examples of how other platforms scale?
something like unity?
“Eligibility: Revenue or funding less than $100K in the last 12 months”
https://store.unity.com/#plans-individual
Totally agree. We are on a Single-App licence and actually need another Instance for public use but can’t afford. Since we are a small company. So that cuts a huge part of our potential in becoming a larger (Mendix ideal) company.
Would be much appreciated and it seems a small step from the Sandbox that is currently available. Sandbox is good enough for hobby project, the local sportsclub and other lowbudget organizations. And as soon as someone/company starts getting revenue out of it, a fee would only be fair. But who is to make the first investment?
And again, that could be solved easily enough with setting SLA levels at non-existent for that group. I would be fine with that ;-).
Something I have been telling them for 8 years or so. Yes, the big money is with the big clients and Mendix has done well on that side. But a lot of small licenses can also make a big splash. For now the standpoint is that the cost of support outweight the benefits. At least that was what I was told. Hope this changes some day.
Completely agree, there should be a viable pay per use option for small businesses that makes sense and wont compete with the corporate licences.
completly agree.
The best way to show off your platform is to have a low point of entry, currently that’s not the case.
also I think a lot of projects that could be done in MX are done in react/php or some other language purely due to the liscence costs of mendix.
this is def true for startups, hobby projects, student projects or “help our a family member” projects.