I appreciate your feedback, although we have left a completely free tier for lower volume users
The simple fact is that running a service like QuickFile is complicated and expensive, we have managed to keep this service completely free for 5 years which was no easy task. The problem you mentioned regarding the file attachments from a couple of years back highlights some of the challenges of trying to do too much with too few resources. As @QFMathew mentions we have done a great deal since than to implement far more robust systems.
I still wholeheartedly believe that introducing a subscription was the only sensible way forward in terms of us sustaining and developing this product. The annual charge of £45 + vat per year is almost a 3rd of what our competitors charge for a similar service but it will allow us to focus on developing the product over the next 5-10 years. There’s also generous discounts available for charities and multi-users (see Affinity).
Comparing a hosted solution like QuickFile with a desktop application is not entirely fair given that there are ongoing costs involved in hosting client data. Furthermore users benefit from having the software updated almost on a daily basis, not to mention the support we provide here day in, day out, evenings, weekends etc.
I don’t think I can really add much more, other than what I’ve mentioned here and on the original thread stickied to our forum since August.
Nonetheless I appreciate your honesty!