Monetizing Second Voice

When I created the original Second Voice, I always believed that what we were building was more than just a tool. To me, it was — and still is — an extension of a fundamental human right: the right to authentically express yourself without barriers. Our mission from day one has been to empower people by giving them a voice — both literally and figuratively — and we believe that access to that kind of expression and the live-changing experience it provides should be available to everyone.

Because of that belief, monetizing something so genuinely personal and meaningful to so many of you has always felt like walking a tightrope. It sits in a morally grey area, and it’s not a decision we take lightly. We feel we are doing everything in our power to turn that grey as white as possible.

Then again I wouldn't be here without the amazing support of everyone who has helped make this happen.
If you have ideas on how we could improve this rollout or do better, please let us know:
📩 feedback@ducky.software

Why Things Are Changing:

The reality is, running a platform like Second Voice comes with (sometimes large) operational costs. While we've done everything we can to remain sustainable, it’s become clear that offering the service for free indefinitely just isn't feasible.

That said, we’re not giving up on our promise to you of fair and ethical augmentative communication.

Thanks to the support of Google for Startups and a recent migration to Google Cloud, we’ve drastically reduced infrastructure costs. This has allowed us to keep the platform running — and, most importantly, to ensure the most important features remain free for everyone.

What’s Staying Free:

To stay true to our mission, the following core features of Second Voice will always remain free:

• Use of default voices

• Unlimited prompts
  

These foundational features will continue to be freely available to all users.

What’s Coming with Premium:

To continue improving Second Voice, we’re introducing a Premium tier at $10 CAD/month, which includes:

• Access to clipart templates and curated design assets

• Quality-of-life improvements and feature expansions beyond the basics

• Themes and other cosmetic options

• Button sizing and speech rate management sliders

• Haptic feedback toggles

• More views and layouts

• and more..

We’re excited about the tools Premium unlocks, and we’re committed to making this transition as respectful and fair as possible.

🧡 For Those Who Can’t Afford Premium:

We recognize that the new monthly cost can be a barrier for some — and we want to ensure no one is left behind.

If you’re unable to afford Premium but would benefit from access to these features, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’ve created a program to ensure Second Voice remains available to those who need it most.

📩 Just email us at a11y@ducky.software with the subject line: “Premium Access Request” — and we’ll make sure you’re taken care of

Be aware: we may ask for important or sensitive information during this process, this is not a scare tactic just a heads up.

This platform was built on providing a voice to those who need it most and we want to stick to that.

A Free Month for Current Users:

As a thank-you to those who’ve supported Second Voice from the start, we’re offering one free month of Premium. If you’ve used the platform before, just send us an email:

📩 mail@secondvoice.app
…and we’ll try our best to credit your account. After that, you can choose whether to continue with Premium or revert to the free plan — no pressure.

How to Get Premium:

To purchase Premium, you'll need to create a myDuck account through our new unified platform:

👉 https://my.ducky.software

In the coming months, Ducky Software products will require a myDuck account to ensure:

• A consistent experience across platforms

• Simplified access to new features

• A scalable foundation for future expansion
  
  

Already Connected with Us?:

If you:

• Have an account with another Ducky Software product

• Have worked with us previously

• Are on our mailing list

…we’ll automatically create a myDuck account for you. You'll receive an email with a link to activate it.

Prefer Not to Be Migrated?:

No problem. To opt out of automatic migration, email:
📩 automated-migration-opt-out@ducky.software
With the message: "NO"

To opt out of all automated emails, send:
📩 automated-email-opt-out@ducky.software
With the message: "NO"

How Payments Are Handled (Securely):

All payments are handled securely by Stripe Inc., a trusted global payment processor. When a payment succeeds, Stripe notifies us via a secure API, and we link your Premium plan to your unique myDuck user ID (UID).

Even in the unlikely event of a breach, payment data remains protected. Stripe stores only limited, non-sensitive data (e.g., last 4 digits of your card) for account reference in accordance with there policies however handling this type of information is complex and we do not take it lightly.

We greatly appreciate your support and hope we can do this right.

- ducky software