Software & Subscription Decision Pack

Software & Subscription Decision Pack

Stop paying for software you don't use.

$273/month. That's what the average professional wastes on barely-used SaaS subscriptions.

This AI-powered framework helps you choose tools that actually fit your workflow—before you waste another dollar.

Why software decisions fail:

• Feature lists hide learning curves and workflow friction
• Monthly pricing disguises annual costs ($19/mo = $228/year you'll regret)
• Lock-in risk gets ignored until migration hurts
• Reviews reflect power users, not people who just need to get work done

This framework prevents all four mistakes.

What you get:

✓ Complete decision framework (PDF) with step-by-step AI prompts
✓ 3 example case studies showing real-world, actual decision reccomendations with trade-offs:

• Freelance designer: Figma vs. Affinity vs. Sketch (at bottom of this page)
• 5-person startup: HubSpot vs. Pipedrive vs. Streak (CRM)
• Solo consultant: Obsidian vs. Notion vs. Roam (notes)

✓ Copy-paste prompts for ChatGPT or Claude
✓ Decision templates you can reuse for any software choice

How it works:

1. Paste the prompt into ChatGPT or Claude
2. Define your hard constraints (budget, platform, must-haves)
3. AI generates candidate options without SEO bias
4. Score tools using mission-critical attributes (not feature counts)
5. See which options dominate—and what you're sacrificing
6. Get sensitivity analysis: "What if my priorities change?"

Time to decision: 15-30 minutes

Who this is for:

• Freelancers choosing core tools (design, project management, notes)
• Small teams evaluating SaaS platforms
• Anyone tired of paying for subscriptions they barely touch
• People who want "good enough" not "most powerful"

No technical background required.

What this is NOT:

❌ A "best software" listicle
❌ Affiliate recommendations
❌ Generic ChatGPT prompts
❌ Feature comparison spreadsheet

This is a decision methodology backed by systems analysis and real-world case studies.

Typical decisions this solves:

• Notion vs. Obsidian vs. Roam (note-taking)
• Figma vs. Affinity vs. Adobe (design)
• Slack vs. Teams vs. Discord (communication)
• HubSpot vs. Pipedrive vs. Salesforce (CRM)
• Claude vs. ChatGPT vs. Gemini (AI subscriptions)

Built from experience:

This framework comes from 10+ years applying decision analysis in high-stakes military and systems engineering contexts—now adapted for everyday software choices.

The result:

• Fewer tools
• Better workflow fit
• Lower long-term cost
• No subscription regret

Compatible with: ChatGPT (free or Plus), Claude (free or Plus), any AI chat interface

Format: Digital PDF, instant download, lifetime access

Bottom line:

This doesn't tell you what to buy. It ensures you don't choose the wrong thing.

$19 — Less than one month of a subscription you'll cancel.

This framework is the result of 10+ years applying decision analysis

in high-stakes military and systems engineering contexts. While the

methodology can be learned, the depth of real-world examples and

refinement comes from actual practice, not theory.

Example Decision: Freelance Designer Choosing Design Software (using Claude)

Decision Context - Output of this product is below. Can be run on ChatGPT, Claude, or LLM system of your choosing.

• Candidates: Figma, Affinity Designer, Sketch, Adobe Express
• Winner: Figma ($144/year) beat Affinity ($70 one-time) because client collaboration outweighed cost savings
• Key insight: When collaboration weight increased from 0.15 → 0.25, Figma's lead widened significantly
• What was sacrificed: Higher cost, cloud dependency

Who: Maya Chen, freelance brand designer (3 years experience) Need: Primary design tool for client work (logos, brand guides, web mockups) Current situation: Using Canva Pro ($120/year) but hitting limitations with client work Time horizon: 3+ years (needs stable, professional tool) Budget ceiling: $600/year maximum

Hard Constraints (Binary Gates)

✓ Must support: Vector editing, client file export (PDF, SVG), version control

✓ Must run on: MacBook Air M2 (16GB RAM)

✓ Must allow: Client handoff files in industry-standard formats

✓ Cannot require: Dedicated GPU, Windows-only operation

✓ Must offer: Month-to-month cancellation (no annual lock-in)

Eliminated options: - Adobe Creative Cloud Complete ($60/mo) — Exceeds budget ceiling ($720/year) - CorelDRAW ($550/year + Windows only) — Violates OS constraint - Procreate ($13 one-time) — iPad-only, not suitable for vector client work

Candidate Set (7 options that passed constraints)

1. Figma — $12/month ($144/year)

2. Adobe Express — $10/month ($120/year)

3. Affinity Designer — $70 one-time (perpetual license)

4. Vectornator/Linearity — Free (freemium model)

5. Sketch — $99/year (Mac-only)

6. Lunacy — Free (Windows/Mac)

7. Gravit Designer — Free tier / $49/year Pro

Attributes & Weights

Based on mission criticality:

Attribute Weight Rationale

Client file compatibility 0.30 Must export clean PDFs/SVGs for client handoff

Learning curve 0.25 Needs to be productive quickly; can’t afford 2-month ramp-up

Exit cost 0.20 What happens if she outgrows it or needs to switch?

Collaboration features 0.15 Some clients want live feedback on designs

Long-term cost (3 years) 0.10 Budget matters but not primary driver

Performance on M2 0.00 All options run fine on M2 — not differentiating

Note: Weights sum to 1.00

Data Collection & Normalized Scores (0-10 scale)

Tool Client Files Learning Curve Exit Cost Collaboration 3-Year Cost Weighted Score

Figma 8 9 7 10 6 ($432) 8.15

Affinity 10 7 9 3 10 ($70) 7.90

Sketch 9 8 6 7 8 ($297) 7.85

Adobe Express 7 9 5 6 7 ($360) 7.05

Vectornator 7 8 8 4 10 ($0) 7.00

Lunacy 6 7 7 5 10 ($0) 6.75

Gravit 6 6 6 4 9 ($147) 6.00

Data sources: Manufacturer specs, independent reviews (Creative Bloq, Smashing Magazine)

Key assumption: “Client file compatibility” based on export format quality, not just availability

Scoring & Ranking

Top 3:

1. Figma (8.15) — Best collaboration, easy to learn, solid exports

2. Affinity Designer (7.90) — Best value, excellent exports, but weak collaboration

3. Sketch (7.85) — Mac-native, good balance, but Apple-ecosystem lock-in

Dominated alternatives: - Gravit Designer (6.00) — Affinity Designer beats it on all dimensions for similar learning curve - Lunacy (6.75) — Free is appealing but Vectornator is also free with better UX

Efficient Frontier (Price vs. Utility)

On the frontier: - Affinity Designer ($70 one-time) — Best value-for-utility

- Figma ($144/year) — Premium utility for moderate price

Off the frontier (dominated): - Adobe Express — Figma offers more utility for only $24/year more - Sketch — Similar utility to Figma but Mac-locked with weaker collaboration

Sensitivity Analysis

Most sensitive variable: Client file compatibility (30% weight)

If client export quality drops from 10→7 for Affinity: - Affinity score drops to 6.95 (falls below Sketch) - Figma remains #1

If collaboration weight increases from 0.15 → 0.25 (client demands real-time feedback): - Figma score rises to 8.65 - Affinity drops to 7.50 - Gap widens significantly

Key insight: If Maya’s clients start asking for “link to review designs live,” Figma becomes the clear winner despite higher cost.

Final Recommendation

Primary choice: Figma ($12/month)

Why it won: - Best collaboration (clients can comment directly on designs) - Fast learning curve (productive in Week 1) - Industry-standard (most clients have seen it) - Reasonable exit cost (designs export cleanly to SVG/PDF)

What was sacrificed: - Higher 3-year cost ($432 vs $70 for Affinity) - Requires internet connection (cloud-based) - Subscription vs. perpetual license

Budget alternative: Affinity Designer ($70 one-time) - Choose this if: No client collaboration needed, prefers perpetual license, wants lowest cost - Trade-off: Weak collaboration, steeper learning curve for some features

Key risks: - Figma’s pricing could increase (currently $12/mo, no guarantee) - If Maya goes offline frequently, cloud-based tool is limiting - Affinity doesn’t get feature updates without paying for v2, v3, etc.

What would change the recommendation: - If clients demand Adobe file compatibility → Adobe Express or bite bullet on full Creative Cloud - If budget drops below $100/year → Vectornator (free) becomes only option - If collaboration becomes critical (weight >0.25) → Figma is the only choice