Note: These FAQs were originally linked to from the old .NET Reflector website. They've been copied here with some minor amendments to reflect the launch of the new website. You can also read the open letter to the .NET community
EDIT: An additional two questions have been
answered belowWhy has Red Gate decided to charge for .NET Reflector?
For the past two and a half years, we've tried to maintain .NET Reflector as a free tool for the community. Unfortunately, we could not make the free model work. None of the various models we tried or considered would provide the financial support we need to keep .NET Reflector moving forward as a vital tool for the developer community. We apologize for changing our initial decision.
Why didn't you make Reflector available as an open-source program?
This was one of the options we investigated, but it didn't make sense for us as a commercial company.
Aren't you breaking a promise you made when you purchased .NET Reflector?
This has been a wrenching decision to make. Red Gate is a commercial enterprise and we need to be able to subsidize the cost of dedicating a team of experienced developers to keep Reflector up-to-date and responsive to changes in technology and the marketplace.
This might be fine for Red Gate, but what about the community?
Although this might be hard to swallow for some people, we think ultimately this decision will be good for the community. Without Red Gate subsidizing ongoing development, Reflector could perish. Instead, we think we can make it an even more useful tool in the future. We also think we can expose a lot more people to Reflector, which will lead to much more widespread use and greater productivity for .NET developers.
How can you make this work for $35? Are you going to come back a year from now and raise the price?
We think there is a huge potential for Reflector that has not been tapped and that we can make up for low pricing by volume sales. Could we be wrong? Yes, certainly, but Red Gate has a good track record of offering tools that deliver major benefits at low prices.
How much longer will I be able to obtain and use a free version of .NET Reflector?
A free version was available for download until the release of Version 7. When Version 7 was released, the free version was withdrawn from download. The free version will continue working until May 30, 2011.
Will the "forced update" policy from Red Gate stay in effect for Version 7?
Actually the forced update has been part of Reflector since its inception. But, it will go away as of Version 7. .NET Reflector V7 will provide a perpetual license, with no time bomb or forced updates.
I've heard that there will be other, more expensive, versions of .NET Reflector V7. What's the difference between them and the $35 version?
.NET Reflector remains a standalone tool, while the other editions allow developers to utilize the power of Reflector from inside Visual Studio. The VS Pro version also offers features such as the ability to debug assemblies without source code. Please see
this blog post for more details.
Does that make the $35 version the equivalent of .NET Reflector Lite?
Absolutely not. .NET Reflector V7 will be an upgrade to the previous version. Please see
this blog post for more details.
I am currently a paid customer of .NET Reflector Pro. What happens to me?
First off, thanks for being an early supporter of .NET Reflector Pro. You should have received an e-mail regarding our plans. We will be in touch again around the release of V7 with details of a free upgrade to the new .NET Reflector VS Pro version, including three years of free support on top of your current support term.
Will I be able to try out Version 7 before committing to a purchase?
Yes, a free 14-day trial will be available for all versions of V7.
Please see the following links for more information:
EDIT: An additional two questions have been answered below
Why has Red Gate decided to charge for .NET Reflector?
For the past two and a half years, we've tried to maintain .NET Reflector as a free tool for the community. Unfortunately, we could not make the free model work. None of the various models we tried or considered would provide the financial support we need to keep .NET Reflector moving forward as a vital tool for the developer community. We apologize for changing our initial decision.
Why didn't you make Reflector available as an open-source program?
This was one of the options we investigated, but it didn't make sense for us as a commercial company.
Aren't you breaking a promise you made when you purchased .NET Reflector?
This has been a wrenching decision to make. Red Gate is a commercial enterprise and we need to be able to subsidize the cost of dedicating a team of experienced developers to keep Reflector up-to-date and responsive to changes in technology and the marketplace.
This might be fine for Red Gate, but what about the community?
Although this might be hard to swallow for some people, we think ultimately this decision will be good for the community. Without Red Gate subsidizing ongoing development, Reflector could perish. Instead, we think we can make it an even more useful tool in the future. We also think we can expose a lot more people to Reflector, which will lead to much more widespread use and greater productivity for .NET developers.
How can you make this work for $35? Are you going to come back a year from now and raise the price?
We think there is a huge potential for Reflector that has not been tapped and that we can make up for low pricing by volume sales. Could we be wrong? Yes, certainly, but Red Gate has a good track record of offering tools that deliver major benefits at low prices.
How much longer will I be able to obtain and use a free version of .NET Reflector?
A free version was available for download until the release of Version 7. When Version 7 was released, the free version was withdrawn from download. The free version will continue working until May 30, 2011.
Will the "forced update" policy from Red Gate stay in effect for Version 7?
Actually the forced update has been part of Reflector since its inception. But, it will go away as of Version 7. .NET Reflector V7 will provide a perpetual license, with no time bomb or forced updates.
I've heard that there will be other, more expensive, versions of .NET Reflector V7. What's the difference between them and the $35 version?
.NET Reflector remains a standalone tool, while the other editions allow developers to utilize the power of Reflector from inside Visual Studio. The VS Pro version also offers features such as the ability to debug assemblies without source code. Please see this blog post for more details.
Does that make the $35 version the equivalent of .NET Reflector Lite?
Absolutely not. .NET Reflector V7 will be an upgrade to the previous version. Please see this blog post for more details.
I am currently a paid customer of .NET Reflector Pro. What happens to me?
First off, thanks for being an early supporter of .NET Reflector Pro. You should have received an e-mail regarding our plans. We will be in touch again around the release of V7 with details of a free upgrade to the new .NET Reflector VS Pro version, including three years of free support on top of your current support term.
Will I be able to try out Version 7 before committing to a purchase?
Yes, a free 14-day trial will be available for all versions of V7.