Which is better, a Free App or a Paid App?

[happydaddyof3]

I love free stuffs! Well, who doesn’t? As soon as I’ve gotten a hold of my iPhone I immediately installed tons of free apps. Well, after several days I uninstalled about 20. I realized that the descriptions do not really materialize when I am already using the app myself. Comments are helpful too but personal experience is still the best way to try the apps first hand.

What do you think are the differences between a paid app and a free app? I know it’s obvious but we cannot really judge em and generalize that all free apps suck, right? For all your shares, thanks in advance!

[jacksutton11]

Hello,

Free apps better than paid apps!

Free apps can over seemingly have adverts. You’ll load up an app and pay the time attempting your perfect the massive box within the corner that may instantly take you to a web site where you’re offered the most effective deal on automobile insurance, or one thing else totally unrelated to the app.

[happydaddyof3]

Do you think so? Actually I can say that free apps include bunch of ads. But to be fair, there are more popular, free apps that have been very useful and entertaining. Cliché it seems, but Temple Run and Chess Live are the two free and most played apps that gave me sleepless nights!

[LegendofX]

some of the paid apps come with free demo... i suggest you try the demo first before hitting the buy botton...

[Code Monkey]

Neither are inherently better, nor is there even a general trend. It comes down to the developer, their apps, and their business model. If you think there's some magic rule of thumb you're going to learn by posting a question to a message board, good luck with that.

Sometimes devs make free apps that are 100% functional to serve as calling cards to their more advanced paid apps. Sometimes free apps are well done with non intrusive ads or even no ads with the option to buy more advanced features. Sometimes paid apps are poorly made or even scams (description and screenshots altered after approval by Apple to make the app look like something it isn't). Sometimes paid apps are indistinguishable from alternative free apps that do the same thing. Sometimes free apps are garbage put there to do little more than rack up ad serves for generating revenue but function poorly.

Just remember this: nothing is truly free. Intentionally free apps are still made to turn a profit, either through ad serves, additional IAP features, or leading you to buy other products from that dev/publisher. There is no such thing as open source on the app store since Apple's licensing requirements forbid it in practice, and any open source project that gets ported soon gets yanked (hanging onto my iOS version of VLC). Even when previously paid apps go free, a seemingly no-lose proposition, it's usually one of three scenarios:

- The biggest cause is the developer lost pretty much everything they put into developing the app. At its current sales rate it will break even sometime in the 22nd century, and so making it free is a hail mary that maybe, just maybe, enough people will download it now and like it that the next project the dev puts out will do better, and if even free doesn't get a bunch of downloads, that the dev would be better off putting their time into another platform.

- The next biggest cause is the dev lost pretty much everything they put into the project and they're changing the sales model to freemium in hopes that with enough $0 entry fee downloads more people will choose to pay.

- Finally, sometimes otherwise "successful" developers will move previously paid projects to free status as calling cards for their more recent paid offerings.

[goggleviZ]

I dislike inapp purchases, but I understand the model really helps the devs. I hate it only because many apps become useless or unplayable without it. like it is being forced upon you to pay.

I prefer free apps. the ads don't bother me much. only rarely do I find a pay app to be worth the price.

[happydaddyof3]

Originally Posted by LegendofX

some of the paid apps come with free demo... i suggest you try the demo first before hitting the buy botton...

Yeah, indeed it's helpful. Especially if you're talking of an app that'll cost you a big chunk of money! Thanks for the response!

[happydaddyof3]

Originally Posted by Code Monkey

Neither are inherently better, nor is there even a general trend. It comes down to the developer, their apps, and their business model. If you think there's some magic rule of thumb you're going to learn by posting a question to a message board, good luck with that.

Sometimes devs make free apps that are 100% functional to serve as calling cards to their more advanced paid apps. Sometimes free apps are well done with non intrusive ads or even no ads with the option to buy more advanced features. Sometimes paid apps are poorly made or even scams (description and screenshots altered after approval by Apple to make the app look like something it isn't). Sometimes paid apps are indistinguishable from alternative free apps that do the same thing. Sometimes free apps are garbage put there to do little more than rack up ad serves for generating revenue but function poorly.

Just remember this: nothing is truly free. Intentionally free apps are still made to turn a profit, either through ad serves, additional IAP features, or leading you to buy other products from that dev/publisher. There is no such thing as open source on the app store since Apple's licensing requirements forbid it in practice, and any open source project that gets ported soon gets yanked (hanging onto my iOS version of VLC). Even when previously paid apps go free, a seemingly no-lose proposition, it's usually one of three scenarios:

- The biggest cause is the developer lost pretty much everything they put into developing the app. At its current sales rate it will break even sometime in the 22nd century, and so making it free is a hail mary that maybe, just maybe, enough people will download it now and like it that the next project the dev puts out will do better, and if even free doesn't get a bunch of downloads, that the dev would be better off putting their time into another platform.

- The next biggest cause is the dev lost pretty much everything they put into the project and they're changing the sales model to freemium in hopes that with enough $0 entry fee downloads more people will choose to pay.

- Finally, sometimes otherwise "successful" developers will move previously paid projects to free status as calling cards for their more recent paid offerings.

I agree with you. There are paid apps that aren’t really worth it and some free apps that are for keeps. I believe it’s a trial and error thing. You download it, keep it if you liked it or uninstall it the next moment. Unfortunately it's a different story when it comes to paid apps.
Thanks for the informative post!

[happydaddyof3]

Originally Posted by goggleviZ

I dislike inapp purchases, but I understand the model really helps the devs. I hate it only because many apps become useless or unplayable without it. like it is being forced upon you to pay.

I prefer free apps. the ads don't bother me much. only rarely do I find a pay app to be worth the price.

Thanks for the reply! Currently, I also love free apps. I think around 80% of my apps are free and have been useful ever since. The paid ones are extra intricate but definitely worth the bucks. (not that expensive)

[MichaelKMartine]

Better app is which more suited to your needs, not a big difference, ~ 0.99$ or for free.

[goggleviZ]

What makes me wonder is which business model is actually more beneficial for the developer? Is it the constant stream of revenue in ads, or the one time payment per unique download?

[happydaddyof3]

Originally Posted by MichaelKMartine

Better app is which more suited to your needs, not a big difference, ~ 0.99$ or for free.

Ditto. I won’t mind paying for apps as long as they’re just $ 2.00 or less!

[happydaddyof3]

Originally Posted by goggleviZ

What makes me wonder is which business model is actually more beneficial for the developer? Is it the constant stream of revenue in ads, or the one time payment per unique download?

That I am not so sure of. I couldn’t imagine how much they’re earning if 100,000 users would buy their apps for, say, $ 1.99 versus the revenue they get from the numerous ads. Wow, which is which? But a very good question and I hope our fellow iloungers could share some info about this.

[Kongeypi2010]

Originally Posted by happydaddyof3

I love free stuffs! Well, who doesn’t? As soon as I’ve gotten a hold of my iPhone I immediately installed tons of free apps. Well, after several days I uninstalled about 20. I realized that the descriptions do not really materialize when I am already using the app myself. Comments are helpful too but personal experience is still the best way to try the apps first hand.

What do you think are the differences between a paid app and a free app? I know it’s obvious but we cannot really judge em and generalize that all free apps suck, right? For all your shares, thanks in advance!

Free is always good. However, many free apps have functional limitation while paid apps are usually more powerful than free apps. Anyhow, I'd prefer free apps rather than paid apps.

I prefer in-app purchases. That is freemium model. But you should be able to use a lot of functions before the purchase in order to fall in love with the app. Apps that let you make only 1 step and require payments are just irritating. You never know what you get till you try it and I prefer not to risk and pay for shallow apps.