SmoothCSV
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Introducing a License for SmoothCSV

Thank you for using SmoothCSV.

I’ve decided to introduce a license for SmoothCSV. Before anything else, the important part: every feature in SmoothCSV remains free, just as it has always been. The license is a one-time purchase option to support ongoing development.

The Story So Far

I built SmoothCSV to be the most comfortable and intuitive tool for working with CSV files.

The original SmoothCSV started back in 2011. The current version, SmoothCSV v3, was rewritten from scratch in 2024 and released in 2025.

I’m grateful that SmoothCSV is now used by people all around the world. It first spread within the Japanese-speaking community, then gradually gained international users through word of mouth. It’s been really encouraging to hear from people who say it has become an essential part of their daily workflow.

Where Things Stand

I’ve been developing SmoothCSV on my own this whole time. I reduced my day job to four days a week and have been spending most of my free time on development.

Support through Buy Me a Coffee has been a huge encouragement, but to keep this going for the long term, I realized I need something more sustainable than hobby-level effort and out-of-pocket funding. That feeling grew even stronger after my child was born last year and my life changed in a big way.

The SmoothCSV License

The SmoothCSV license is a one-time purchase to support continued development.

There are two purchase options: one for individuals and one for teams. See the pricing page for details.

When you purchase a license, a license badge appears in the About dialog. There is no difference in features.

Why I Chose This Approach

I thought about this a lot. Here is my reasoning.

1. I don’t want to degrade the free experience

Restricting features for the free version is a common approach. But I believe what makes SmoothCSV special is that everything you need is right there, and it just feels good to use. That’s something I care deeply about, and I didn’t want the free version to feel like a lesser product.

If you haven’t purchased a license, you’ll see an occasional reminder notification, but it’s non-modal so it stays out of your way as much as possible.

2. Try first, buy if you like it

If there were a limited trial period, you might hesitate to make SmoothCSV part of your workflow. Instead, I want you to use it freely, and if you end up liking it, consider purchasing. It’s completely fine to keep using it for free.

3. Keep it simple

I chose not to introduce subscriptions, device limits, online activation, or commercial-use restrictions. I wanted to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible. Since the app remains fully usable without a license, I’m comfortable not enforcing strict controls.

Final Thoughts

There’s still so much I want to do with SmoothCSV, and I plan to keep shipping updates frequently. If SmoothCSV has been useful to you, I’d be grateful if you’d consider purchasing a license.