By Navneet Arya ·
AppSumo 2026 review: how lifetime deals work, the 60-day money-back guarantee, shutdown risk, Plus membership and how to vet a deal.
✓ Personally researched · Last verified: October 2026 · See our methodology
AppSumo is a digital marketplace for business software, founded in 2010 by Noah Kagan. It sells tools from software vendors at reduced prices, including lifetime deals that cost a one-time payment instead of a monthly fee. AppSumo advertises discounts of up to 95% and a 60-day money-back guarantee, and it sells an optional Plus membership. This page explains how the marketplace works and how to vet a deal. It does not rate any single tool.
AppSumo is a digital marketplace for business software, founded in 2010 by Noah Kagan. It sells tools from software vendors at reduced prices, including lifetime deals paid once instead of monthly, and advertises discounts of up to 95% and a 60-day money-back guarantee. A third-party review says lifetime means access for as long as the vendor operates and honors the deal, that refund windows are most commonly 60 days but set per deal with some listings excluded, and that shutdown cover after the window depends on product tag and Plus status. The optional Plus membership is listed by that review at $12 a month, $99 a year or $199 a year for Pro. AppSumo's own refund and help pages could not be read, so those details are labeled third-party. No specific deals are named because they change. A useful way to try software for a one-time price, and a weaker fit for anyone who needs long-term vendor guarantees. This page explains the marketplace and does not rate any single tool; no first-hand testing is claimed.
Rating: 3.6/5 · Pricing: No subscription needed: deals are one-time payments (Plus membership optional)
AppSumo says it is a marketplace founded in 2010 by Noah Kagan and trusted by more than 1.25 million entrepreneurs; those are its own claims. The main risk is the vendors rather than the marketplace: lifetime access lasts only while the vendor operates and honors the deal.
AppSumo advertises a 60-day money-back guarantee. A third-party review says the window is most commonly 60 days but is listed on each deal page, and that some listings, particularly digital downloads, are excluded. Check the Deal Terms section before you buy.
Inside the refund window you can get a refund. After that, a third-party review says the We Got Your Back guarantee depends on the product tag, your Plus status and timing, with up to 100% in AppSumo credits in the best case and no credit in others. We could not read AppSumo's own terms on this, so check them before relying on it.
A third-party review lists Plus at $12 a month, $99 a year with $100 a year in store credit, and $199 a year for Pro, with 10% off deals and early access. It suggests Plus only for buyers making four or more purchases a year. Confirm current terms on AppSumo.
Check the vendor's own website first, read the deal's reviews and Q&A tab, and note whether it is tagged Select, LaunchPad or Radar, since that affects shutdown cover. A third-party review treats fewer than 100 reviews, or a launch in the last 30 days, as more uncertain. Buy only the tier you need now.