Announcing Updates to Websleuths Guardians!

[Fraize]

Today we're announcing an exciting update to our Websleuths Guardians membership program! Starting today, you can join our Websleuths Guardians programs with our new tiers: Websleuths Gold at $10 per month, and Websleuths Diamond at $25 per month.


We've also simplified our annual plan. Instead of $36 for 14 months like now, we're making our annual plan $30 for 12 months – which breaks down to about 7 cents cheaper, and in an easier-to-understand 1-year membership than a weird 14-month plan.

Our new Websleuths Gold members get everything our regular Guardians members get, but we've added a little extra flair for your user account in the form of a shiny gold ring. We're also donating half of your monthly membership fee, $5 per month, directly to DNASolves.com to help solve crimes. We'll start rolling out a dashboard soon so you can monitor your contributions towards the program.

Websleuths Gold - Ring Flair

Our Websleuths Diamond members get all that our Guardians get, plus $10 per month goes to DNASolves.com, a beautiful diamond ring around your avatar to show off your upgraded membership, AND you're given two free Websleuths Guardian upgrades you can grant to any non-Guardian on Websleuths. Spread the love!

Websleuths Diamond - Ring Flair

Websleuths Diamond - Free Membership Gifts to hand out every month

What if you're already a Websleuths Guardians member? Existing members can upgrade any time they like. You'll be refunded a prorated amount from your existing membership before starting your new membership. But, if you like the program you're on now – you can stay on it as long as you like.

All the money we collect for Websleuths Guardians is used to pay for our costs. We don't make a single penny of profit from the operation of Websleuths. Any extra will go to DNASolves.com to fund DNA tests and forensic genealogy work for cold cases.

I invite you to check out our brand new Websleuths Guardians landing page to review the new tiers, new flair, and new benefits!

If you're an active member of Websleuths, just your being here posting and interacting with your fellow users is already hugely beneficial. The best thing anybody can do for us is to engage with each other on the site and spread the word to other communities. More attention on your casework solves crimes and brings comfort to victims and their families. Not everybody can afford to support Websleuths financially, but if you are, we'd be so grateful and honored for you to become a paid member.

 

[killarney rose]

I’m curious. If one is a guardian, but contributes separately to othram, would it be better to leave as is, or to change to the new guardian that’s combined?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Someone gifted my Guardian which i think expires in June.
When it expires I will go for the $100 one.

I'm happy to pay the extra to help Websleuths keep going.
There would be a big gap in my life if I didn't have Websleuths.

At a glance I misread what you get, I thought it said Gold profile badge and hair.

Instantly I thought oooh!, I hope I get one of those hair booster thingys that you clip in your hair.
I could have used it on hat hair days.

But we can all use some flair.

 

[othram]

Someone gifted my Guardian which i think expires in June.
When it expires I will go for the $100 one.

I'm happy to pay the extra to help Websleuths keep going.
There would be a big gap in my life if I didn't have Websleuths.

At a glance I misread what you get, I thought it said Gold profile badge and hair.

Instantly I thought oooh!, I hope I get one of those hair booster thingys that you clip in your hair.
I could have used it on hat hair days.

But we can all use some flair.

Thanks for the support!

 

[othram]

I’m curious. If one is a guardian, but contributes separately to othram, would it be better to leave as is, or to change to the new guardian that’s combined?

Up to you but you can also tell @Fraize what you are contributing already to DNASolves and he can upgrade you so you don't have to change anything.

 

[sassyblue]

What happens when you have gifted to several people and they decide to upgrade to the new deal? They retain the gift then sign up for the new deal when their gift expires?

 

[angelainwi]

Today we're announcing an exciting update to our Websleuths Guardians membership program! Starting today, you can join our Websleuths Guardians programs with our new tiers: Websleuths Gold at $10 per month, and Websleuths Diamond at $25 per month.
View attachment 662543

We've also simplified our annual plan. Instead of $36 for 14 months like now, we're making our annual plan $30 for 12 months – which breaks down to about 7 cents cheaper, and in an easier-to-understand 1-year membership than a weird 14-month plan.

Our new Websleuths Gold members get everything our regular Guardians members get, but we've added a little extra flair for your user account in the form of a shiny gold ring. We're also donating half of your monthly membership fee, $5 per month, directly to DNASolves.com to help solve crimes. We'll start rolling out a dashboard soon so you can monitor your contributions towards the program.

View attachment 662539
Websleuths Gold - Ring Flair

Our Websleuths Diamond members get all that our Guardians get, plus $10 per month goes to DNASolves.com, a beautiful diamond ring around your avatar to show off your upgraded membership, AND you're given two free Websleuths Guardian upgrades you can grant to any non-Guardian on Websleuths. Spread the love!
View attachment 662540
Websleuths Diamond - Ring Flair

View attachment 662545
Websleuths Diamond - Free Membership Gifts to hand out every month

What if you're already a Websleuths Guardians member? Existing members can upgrade any time they like. You'll be refunded a prorated amount from your existing membership before starting your new membership. But, if you like the program you're on now – you can stay on it as long as you like.

All the money we collect for Websleuths Guardians is used to pay for our costs. We don't make a single penny of profit from the operation of Websleuths. Any extra will go to DNASolves.com to fund DNA tests and forensic genealogy work for cold cases.

I invite you to check out our brand new Websleuths Guardians landing page to review the new tiers, new flair, and new benefits!

If you're an active member of Websleuths, just your being here posting and interacting with your fellow users is already hugely beneficial. The best thing anybody can do for us is to engage with each other on the site and spread the word to other communities. More attention on your casework solves crimes and brings comfort to victims and their families. Not everybody can afford to support Websleuths financially, but if you are, we'd be so grateful and honored for you to become a paid member.

So will Guardians automatically stay Guardians. That the only way things change is by upgrading to Gold or Diamond.

 

[libraryg]

So will Guardians automatically stay Guardians. That the only way things change is by upgrading to Gold or Diamond.

That's what my query is.

 

[MerBeach]

I’m curious. If one is a guardian, but contributes separately to othram, would it be better to leave as is, or to change to the new guardian that’s combined?

Great question @killarney rose

 

[Fraize]

Great questions!

I’m curious. If one is a guardian, but contributes separately to othram, would it be better to leave as is, or to change to the new guardian that’s combined?

That's truly up to you – there are no operational cost differences between $5 or $10 a month going to DNASolves via a Gold or Diamond membership and giving to DNASovles.com directly. A monthly Gold membership will give $4.41 to Websleuths and $5 to DNASolves (we absorb the Stripe processing fees so DNASolves gets the rest - see the screenshot below). Diamond gives $10 to DNASolves, $6 is allocated towards your 2 monthly gift memberships, $1.03 goes to Stripe, and $7.97 goes to Websleuths ($13.97 if you add the gifts and the allocation to WS together).

So will Guardians automatically stay Guardians. That the only way things change is by upgrading to Gold or Diamond.

Yes – the Guardian monthly program remains completely untouched. The 14-month program has been discontinued and replaced with the 12-month program – which is 7 cents cheaper per month!

Old program: $36 / 14 months = $2.57 per month
New program: $30 / 12 month s= $2.50 per month <-- 7 cents cheaper!

Full disclosure, there was a technical issue with the 14-month members who joined from June 2025 to March 2026. Members of the original 14-month program will have to switch to a 12-month program when it's time to renew your membership. I recognize that switching may be a pain, so if you're one of those folks, DM me and I'll work out something for you.

If you started on the 14 month plan after March 2026, your plan will renew at $36 for 14 months, and nothing will change for you.

Keep your questions coming! I'm glad to help.

 

[Fraize]

What happens when you have gifted to several people and they decide to upgrade to the new deal? They retain the gift then sign up for the new deal when their gift expires?

Gifts are technically very tricky, so here's the skinny on gifting.

If you're the recipient of a gift, you can upgrade your membership any time you want to. Your gifted membership and your self-financed membership will overlap during both terms.

If somebody already has Guardian membership in some form, base, Gold, or Diamond, you won't be able to give them a gift. I really tried to make it work, but it was too hard to manage all the permutations of gifting, upgrading, downgrading, expirations, and prorating refunds – all across 3 separate tiers of memberships and 3 separate tiers of gifting... it was more than I could do in the short amount of time I had.

But if it's important enough, I'll revisit that plan and work on a future release that allows it. For now, I want to make the Websleuths experience better for as many people as I can.

 

[Skigh]

Have you considered adding any extra privileges to gold and platinum members such as extra emojis to use or unlimited editing time ? Maybe a couple of get out of jail free cards for time outs !!

 

[Fraize]

Have you considered adding any extra privileges to gold and platinum members such as extra emojis to use or unlimited editing time?

I've considered a lot of potential privileges, including those you've mentioned. I wasn't sure which, if any, would be of interest. If things like expanded editing capabilities and/or deletion-windows - or any other ideas - would be of interest, DM me and we'll talk about it.

Some of my best ideas and policy choices come from talking with users, so don't ever think you're bugging me!

Maybe a couple of get out of jail free cards for time outs !!

I assume you're not being serious, but just to be clear: this one is not on the list. While I wanted to give Gold and Diamond members some recognition for their membership, I didn't want to inadvertently create a kid of caste system out of membership.

 

[Skigh]

I've considered a lot of potential privileges, including those you've mentioned. I wasn't sure which, if any, would be of interest. If things like expanded editing capabilities and/or deletion-windows - or any other ideas - would be of interest, DM me and we'll talk about it.

Some of my best ideas and policy choices come from talking with users, so don't ever think you're bugging me!


I assume you're not being serious, but just to be clear: this one is not on the list. While I wanted to give Gold and Diamond members some recognition for their membership, I didn't want to inadvertently create a kid of caste system out of membership.

Yes, I was joking about get out of jail free cards !! But was serious about gold ,platinum guardians being given extra privileges.

 

[Skigh]

Have you considered a Silver level at $5.00 a month and $2.00 going to DNA solves and $3.00 to Websleuths?

 

[Fraize]

Have you considered a Silver level at $5.00 a month and $2.00 going to DNA solves and $3.00 to Websleuths?

Not specifically, but I didn't want to have too many options, which tends to be more confusing in general.

 

[Skigh]

Not specifically, but I didn't want to have too many options, which tends to be more confusing in general.

I agree with you about too many choices being potentially stressful ,but adding one more option might be helpful to people financially,the jump from ordinary guardian subscription to gold is quite large,a smaller increase might appeal to people who can afford an extra $2.50 but not more than $5.00 a month extra, especially when all other bills are rising.

 

[Gemmie]

Yes, I was joking about get out of jail free cards !! .

(Were not. LOL)

 

[TootsieFootsie]

DBM

 

[LeahBee]

Thank you for all your hard work as always @Fraize !
Nice to be able to support websleuths and DNA solves at the same time. The amount of time spent on WS is a full-time hobby, which are rarely free