About 2.0 and Bandbreite Pro
For over four years, Bandbreite has been offered completely free — built and maintained with love by a small team across three countries who met online through a shared passion for Apple Watch bands. What started as a side project turned into something much bigger: a powerful tool shaped by the enthusiasm of a growing community of band collectors and enthusiasts.Shortly after one major update, which allows users to log the bands they’re wearing, someone wrote, "It’s insane we’ve gotten to this point!" I couldn’t agree more. Looking back a few years ago, there was an idea, a single tweet, that set everything in motion. That’s where our story began. Today, we might not be the largest and fastest-growing app, but as an almost random group of people, we’ve created something unique — something we’re proud of, and that serves a growing community. A community we’re proud to be part of.
But like many things in life, change is inevitable. Our team has grown — not just in experience, but in life itself. With new jobs, new family members, and new responsibilities, there’s been less time to build the future we envision for Bandbreite. At the same time, the app has outgrown itself and needed to evolve to keep pace with changes in the operating system and underlying technologies.
While Bandbreite was never about money, continuing to develop and support it at the level it deserves requires more than passion alone. Until now, we relied entirely on an optional tip jar. Every contribution meant the world to us, but it wasn’t enough to sustain the kind of major improvements we’ve dreamed of — or to fairly support a team of dedicated people.
With an all-new design, completely rewritten code and 30+ new features and thoughtful details, Bandbreite v2 is a major leap forward. And to keep it running and evolving, it needs to become sustainable.
That’s why Bandbreite v2 now requires a one-time payment. It’s not a subscription. There are no paywalled features. Only a contribution to help cover costs for development, maintain the app, and bring you the features you’ve asked for.
Whether you’re just getting started or already have a growing collection as an existing user, everyone can enjoy full access to every feature — including the catalogue, wishlist, band trays, logbook, stats and insights, barcode scanner, sharing, and more. If your collection includes more than 5 bands — or grows beyond that — an upgrade to Bandbreite Pro will be required before you can add another new band and see the confetti fly!
This decision wasn’t made lightly. But you also told us you were ready. In our most recent user survey, support for this change was overwhelming — and many of you even shared your excitement for what’s coming next.
I believe good work deserves to be rewarded. And I’m committed to delivering an experience that’s worth every bit of your support. Bandbreite is still built with the same heart and care as ever. It will continue to be the thoughtful, well-crafted app you’ve helped shape from the beginning. With your support, we’re not just keeping the app alive — we’re giving it the future it deserves.
"This app really wouldn’t be the same in anyone else’s hands."
We promise to live up to one of our favourite reviews.
Thank you for believing in us.
And thank you for being part of this journey.
Filip.
P.S. I’m aware that a few features from version 1 are still missing—such as the Apple Watch app, rest days in the logbook, and subcategories for some band styles. We’re actively working on the app and will provide updates as soon as possible.