QLC+ Raspberry Pi image pricing update

What's happening?

Since the QLC+ Raspberry Pi image was first launched 11 years ago, we've kept the price steady at 15€. The mission has always been to make lighting control accessible and affordable for everyone. The Pi image is a huge part of that.

However, after years of absorbing increasing costs and investing countless hours into maintenance, updates, and improvements, we’ve reached a point where a change is necessary. I'm not complaining about the work as I know it is important, we'll get to the reasons in a bit.

This post is to announce that April will be the last month for the 15€ price tag. Starting on the 1st of May, the price of the Raspberry Pi image will increase to 20€.

Why the price increase?

I want to be as upfront as possible, so here’s what’s behind the change:

  • Inflation: Like everything else, costs have gone up. Server hosting, domain renewals, and other infrastructure expenses have increased over the years.
  • Development time: The Pi image isn’t just a one-off project; it requires constant maintenance to keep up with QLC+ releases, new Pi hardware, and user feedback.
  • Support & Community: We spend a lot of time helping users troubleshoot, improve performance, and make the most of the system.

We’ve held off on this as long as we could, but we want to ensure this project remains sustainable and continues to serve you well. What does this mean for you?

What does this mean for you?

If you’ve already purchased the image, nothing changes and you’ll continue to have access. If you’ve considered buying the image, you can still get it for 15€ until the 30th of April.

After that, the new price will take effect. We hope the community understands our decision to do this, it hasn't been taken lightly.

A positive note

There have been quite a few users who have struggled with the PayPal donation method. Others have asked for an invoice so they can tax-deduct the fee. We are pleased to say that a trial of putting the image on the QLC+ store has gone really well. This is now a permanent option and you can check it out here: Raspberry Pi Image on the QLC+ store

Your support, whether financial, technical, or just spreading the word is what keeps QLC+ going. We deeply appreciate it, and we’re committed to keeping the Pi image an incredible tool for lighting enthusiasts everywhere.

Cheers,

Massimo and the QLC+ development team

Image from SparkFun Electronics, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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