I bought a Lifetime License of ACF Pro B-E-C-A-U-S-E it was a good deal back then. Otherwise, I would have sticked to the alternatives.
I have only built one site with ACF, and decided that Meta Box or even Toolset work better for me, as I need also Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies. I prefer a complete solution that covers all my metadata needs.

But nevertheless, ACF is probably a fantastic plugin in its field. However, when I use a plugin for dynamic data what is also important for me is its long-term stability and the lack of drama around the plugin. You can easily switch from one caching plugin to another, or replace a social sharing plugin. But migrating custom fields and other metadata from one such plugin to another can be stressful and a lot of hassle. Especially, if you must do it on multiple sites that you have built over the years. That’s why I value the company’s track record and don’t like such stunts.

The two stunts related to LTLs by Delicious Brains have created a very bad impression. I think they should work on their PR skills.

If they had a healthy stream of subscribers, then making the same updates available to LTL holders would not incur additional costs. Support, of course, is different, but how many LTL holders still use the support? Therefore, I think the underlying issue is that their new subscription sales are disappointing or not as expected. However, guilting the early adopters – LTL holders will not help them.

How about analyzing the market and the competitors? Maybe the price is too high, or the competitors offer products which are more attractive to potential customers? I can only speak of myself…

Imagine you bought something during a Black Friday sale a few years ago. And then, after several years, the seller starts suggesting to you that, since it’s such a great product, you pay now the difference between the price you paid and the current price, adjusted for inflation and multiplied several times. Facepalm, right?

I really wish Delicious Brains a lot of success with subscription sales. And I’m saying that as a Meta Box / Toolset user. Good luck! Competition is great for users and I really want ACF to grow and be successful.

Cheers!