Even since the first iPhone jailbreak was released in 2007, the tools have historically been free for end users to download or use. Even though the jailbreak was free, jailbreak users were usually able to donate to the developers of the jailbreak if they wanted to express gratitude for the tireless work that went into making it.
Obviously, jailbreaking is not as popular today as it once was, and hence the size and frequency of the aforementioned donations have also decreased proportionately. You can only imagine what a small reward system does to motivate jailbreak developers who spend hours, days, weeks, and sometimes months developing these tools only to release them for free.
The idea of charging jailbreak fees has always been somewhat of a taboo because jailbreakers flinch at the thought of a “freedom fee”, but this idea can keep a jailbreak alive in the long run, especially since the rising cost of living has many developers forced to use their free programs. time to work other jobs instead of programming jailbreak tweaks and tools as a hobby or source of extra income.
Pandora’s box is open
Comments made by jailbreak titan CoolStar on Discord about the profitability of creating and selling modified drivers for ChromeOS, rather than jailbreaks for iOS and iPadOS, sparked discussions all over the Internet among those willing to pay for a faster release, and of course, not everyone got it. into this category.
The conversations have opened the community’s eyes to the very real fact that jailbreak developers are selling their time and talent to the highest bidder and deprioritizing free releases that bring little to no reward. In this case, it seems that CoolStar can make good money on its side of ChromeOS and make next to nothing from developing the Cheyote jailbreak tool. However, she hasn’t touched the project in over a month, hence the delays.
Although CoolStar later confirmed that Cheyote would be a free version, Pandora’s box is already open and many jailbreakers are now turning to sources such as /r/jailbreak and Discord servers to offer payments for jailbreak tools. Apparently, parts of the jailbreak community are now willing to provide compensation to motivate developers to release faster. But will they accept?
It remains to be seen what price would be considered fair for a jailbreak tool, assuming this trend picks up momentum. After all, since jailbreak tools have always been and are currently free, there is no set baseline. It’s also worth noting that Cheyote will most likely be the last public release of the CoolStar jailbreak, so it’s possible that other jailbreak developers will continue to release free jailbreaks despite these cash offers.
Jailbreak developers have been able to donate to jailbreak developers all along, however it goes without saying that when no payment is required, many people miss the opportunity to support our jailbreak developers and simply use the tool for free.
The Argument for Paid Jailbreak Releases
Under a paid release system, jailbreak developers may find themselves more motivated to work harder and complete projects faster, rather than prioritizing working on other hobbies over developing jailbreak tools.
It’s worth noting that jailbreak development is becoming more of a challenge as Apple tightens its grip on iOS and iPadOS in ways we’ve never seen before. In fact, this is the main reason why Cheyote will be a no-root jailbreak when it is launched.
It also seems that the pool of applicants who have demonstrated the talent needed to crack Apple’s enhanced security mechanisms is shrinking. This supply cap affects demand, creating an environment where jailbreak developers can technically charge whatever price they want.
Jailbreakers are divided on the idea
Users are certainly divided on this idea. While some have stated that they would be willing to support jailbreak development by purchasing a tool they didn’t have the ability to do on their own, others shared that they would not buy a jailbreak tool and would stop jailbreaking altogether if the community switched to a paid release system..
Another obvious problem is that when payment methods come into play for a high-demand product, so does piracy. The demand for pirated copies would, in theory, perpetuate the distribution of malware by attackers who might want to link it to a pirated jailbreak. This could potentially expose more users to the risk of infecting their devices that are already running older versions of iOS or iPadOS with known security flaws.
Even if one jailbreak developer released a paid jailbreak tool, it remains to be seen if rival jailbreak developers will follow suit. At the moment, no other developers or jailbreak teams have expressed interest in releasing paid jailbreaks.
Summarizing
Given the scarcity of jailbreaks these days, it seems like we may be reaching a key point in the jailbreak community where we may have to pay to play soon. It will be interesting to see what happens next, especially since the number of jailbreak tools is growing at the same rate as before.
Note. To be perfectly clear, all jailbreak tools to date, including iOS and iPadOS 14 and 15, are free. Do not pay for any current jailbreak tool. On the other hand, donations to jailbreak developers are always welcome.
Would you ever pay for jailbreak tools if they were released on a shorter timescale? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on this in the comments section below.