Lifetime deals are becoming a common strategy, especially for startups to get an influx of beta users.
The seller is willing to let this initial group of users get access for a one-time fee to get an immediate cash injection into their business that can often negate the need for venture capital.
The other benefit is the seller gets a motivated study group of users with valuable feedback to make their app better.
However, larger companies tend to be more hesitant to embrace the lifetime deal model but there are ways that it can become more appealing to them as a business.
First by getting more people on the waitlist and secondly by making adjustments to the terms of the lifetime deal that are considerate to both seller and buyers' long-term cashflow.
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So as you can see when it comes to software, the risks are quite low to you the buyer as long as you do your due diligence.