Should good apps only ONLY be paid?

[anodynamic]

Snowmutt, our app will have forum integration included in the price you already paid (although I do admit all the time it's taking to develop it seem a little less worth it - I'll just focus on doing it for our community!) in fact this response comes from an alpha build of the app

Crap, I snatched it when it was offered for free a while the other month. I guess I'll have to buy you a beer instead if I happen to run into you after you've done the forum integration.

 

[Jay Bennett]

Ha, there's always PayPal donations...

 

[AngryNil]

A service like Twitter runs off VC money and aimed to solely increase usage for a long period of time, but now you're probably going to see advertising and such.

Something like a game though - indie developers who are creating a standalone product need the money. Personally, I would hate the idea of sticking an ad banner inside a game. Paid + trial is how I'm planning to do it, though it will probably result in less money.

But if Microsoft is willing to pay me to make it free, I'm all ears!

 

[Winterfang]

I believe apps should be no more than 99cents. With the exception of games and GPS.

 

[ctafield]

I believe apps should be no more than 99cents. With the exception of games and GPS.

Why 99 cents? And why with the exception of those two types of app?

 

[SnailUK]

I believe apps should be no more than 99cents. With the exception of games and GPS.

Just because the majority of apps are tiny, with a single use, doesn't mean you should tar them all with the same brush.

The price should be dictated by the quality and quantity of the app, not by genre, publisher, or whatever.

 

[maverickrohan]

Yes, they should be - look at Fantasia Painter.

 

[DevTheo]

I am an (independent) app developer, and you guys are really scratching at the surface of what we go through. My app "The Amazing! Pocket Comic Book Reader" has a pretty small market. I knew I wouldn't necessarily get rich building it. I decided early on that in the long term ad revenue would be fine for me, but if someone wanted to pay me to get rid of ads I would take that money (my paid app is $.99). I actually also have a trial that is really the ad-revenue version (so I don't time out).

I have a lot of developer friends who have really debated this thing (in a local forum here in Florida). We all have different theories on things and business models. For instance, if you think you can get sufficient numbers to download your app then ads might be an OK way to go. The thing about ads is that as long as someone is using the app you keep making money. With app revenue once the user has purchased it you get no more money out of it.. (so as an app developer you have to decide if you are in this for the short or long term). If your app gives a feature that you think might be in the OS someday then short term is your answer. If you are like me and have something that has long term use then ads might be more your bread and butter (as long as the rates stay up.. which that is another story)

For me, I don't take it personally when someone tells me that they only use my free version, and here's why. With ad revenue I get a check every time my app makes $50 in ads. For the paid apps, I get a check every time I sell $200 worth (so in my case that would mean after 200 sales). Needless to say I get more checks from ad revenue than app revenue.

Anyway, should you buy apps? Yes.. That number means (to me) these are the people who really like the app (you derive a sense of pride and that your app is well received). BUT at the end of the day I will still make money from ads from my "free users." Regardless, I would still develop mobile apps (and intend on doing more soon.. day job keeps getting in the way... darn wife and kids demand that I buy food..)

Jay Kimble

 

[ctleng76]

I think apps should cost what the developer thinks they should cost plain and simple. If he/she charges too much, people won't buy. In general Windows Phone apps do cost more than Android and iPhone apps. Because of this, WP app developers need to realize that as long as they want to charge more than Android and iPhone developers, users are going to complain, and sales are going to be slow. Developers can complain all they want. The fact is that us consumers don't have to buy it if we don't want to. Getting upset at customers who complain about high prices isn't going to help you sell apps. If you think your app is worth $4.99, then it better be amazing! Also, YOU NEED to offer a trial period where EVERYTHING works for a short period of time. If your app really is amazing, then you will get the consumers hooked on it and they will pay $4.99 to keep using it.

 

[ctleng76]

In the Windows Mobile days it was not unusual to pay $19.95 to $29.95 for an app. Average price for paid apps (most were) was in the $6 range. I took the trouble to add it up once and realized I had spent about $700 on PPC/WM apps over the years. And yes, I did feel like I got my money's worth. Some of those apps were fantastic.

So it frustrates me to see people complain about spending $0.99 or $1.29 for a good, well supported app. Less than the cost of a candy bar that will be gone forever in about 3 minutes. I like free as much as anybody. But the reality is that in order for a developer to put his heart and soul into developing a great app, and then continuing to support it, he/she needs more than a thank you. USA Today doesn't need to charge for their app. But if you want to see indie developers excel be prepared to put up a couple bucks.

I have always made sure to buy a couple cups of coffee for every XDA developer who created a tweak or bug that helped me. Everyone should do the same. These guys don't drink out of golden chalices. They just need to be appreciated.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express Pro

I agree with you, but trying to make consumers feel bad by complaining about all the hours they put into it and how they are fed up with not making any money isn't going to help them sell more apps. It will just make the consumers angry and they will take their business elsewhere. The app market has matured enough now, that only powerhouse professional app builders are going to make the big bucks. The only other way to make money in app building is to find an idea for an app that is revolutionary.

 

[X0LARIUM]

I am an (independent) app developer, and you guys are really scratching at the surface of what we go through. My app "The Amazing! Pocket Comic Book Reader" has a pretty small market. I knew I wouldn't necessarily get rich building it. I decided early on that in the long term ad revenue would be fine for me, but if someone wanted to pay me to get rid of ads I would take that money (my paid app is $.99). I actually also have a trial that is really the ad-revenue version (so I don't time out).

I have a lot of developer friends who have really debated this thing (in a local forum here in Florida). We all have different theories on things and business models. For instance, if you think you can get sufficient numbers to download your app then ads might be an OK way to go. The thing about ads is that as long as someone is using the app you keep making money. With app revenue once the user has purchased it you get no more money out of it.. (so as an app developer you have to decide if you are in this for the short or long term). If your app gives a feature that you think might be in the OS someday then short term is your answer. If you are like me and have something that has long term use then ads might be more your bread and butter (as long as the rates stay up.. which that is another story)

For me, I don't take it personally when someone tells me that they only use my free version, and here's why. With ad revenue I get a check every time my app makes $50 in ads. For the paid apps, I get a check every time I sell $200 worth (so in my case that would mean after 200 sales). Needless to say I get more checks from ad revenue than app revenue.

Anyway, should you buy apps? Yes.. That number means (to me) these are the people who really like the app (you derive a sense of pride and that your app is well received). BUT at the end of the day I will still make money from ads from my "free users." Regardless, I would still develop mobile apps (and intend on doing more soon.. day job keeps getting in the way... darn wife and kids demand that I buy food..)

Jay Kimble

A personal thank you note from me. For the great work you are doing for us and for this reply. When I initially asked this question here, I was very short sighted. To the extent of being selfish. "Why should I pay for an app on one platform when I am getting it for free on another?" was the question going on in my head. But your reply not only answers all the questions, it even gives an insight into a dev's life.

I have decided to stop whining for it and will buy any app I feel worth, without thinking twice. And for those really expensive games out there, I have my lovely grannma! :blush:

 

[cammsaul]

developer's perspective

I work as a professional dev on all 3 major platforms and do a lot of independent apps in my spare time. Here's what I've personally experienced:

One of the apps I develop in my spare time is MobileMuni, one of the more popular apps for San Francisco's Muni public transit system. My iOS version is a $1.99 app and makes $600/month (around 400 downloads, after Apple's 30% cut). Paid apps aren't very popular on Android so I released both a paid and a free, ad-supported version. The paid version gets maybe 10 downloads a month, while the free version almost 10,000. Even with that many users, I only get about $20/month in ad revenue. I've released a Windows phone version (free) but with only around 200 downloads a month I haven't bothered to add ads to it yet.

Guess which platform gets most of my attention? Since I do this app in my free time, basically any time I spend working on is when I get home from work after 8+ hours working on apps for my full-time job. I'm not particularly motivated to work on a free app that makes $20/month that took me 20 hours to program.

If Windows Phone is more like iOS, where people have no problems paying $0.99 or $1.99 for a decent app, it'll attract a lot more indie developers and quality apps, especially since it has the best developer tools by far. If people rarely pay for apps (like Android) it won't make financial sense for indie developers like myself to devote a lot of time to the platform.

These apps don't just make themselves so if a developer spent 20+ hours writing I think it's reasonable for that developer to charge a dollar or two so they can actually make a little bit of money for their efforts.

 

[DavidinCT]

Nice views, and good insite from Devs, Thanks ! It's nice to know what you programmers go through.

With that being said, I can't see paying $5 for an app, I can understand some higher end GPS programs ($30 is a little much too but, that is another disussion).

If it's a good app for $1-3, I am fine paying for it, no question I wont even think about it but, $5-6, I wont buy it till it goes on sale.

I love my WP7 device and I know Devs need to make money for their time, I really do but, When an app sells on iOS or Android for $0.99-$1.99 and it's on WP7 for $4.99 or 5.99(and there is a lot of apps like this), there is a problem and I refuse to spend that much, no matter on how good the app is.

 

[jimski]

I believe apps should be no more than 99cents. With the exception of games and GPS.

Have you tried Handyscan. Think I paid $3.99/$4.99 for it (when it was first released). I know it has been on sale for as little as $1.99, but it is worth every penny, regardless what you pay. The improvements have been phenomenal. Or what about Weave? That apps not worth more than $.99. I use it almost 2 hours a day. Even crappy Board Express is worth $3.99 for what it does. If there was an alternate version for $6.99 I would be first in line. Keep your games.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express Pro

 

[DaiaX]

I don't have problems with buying apps.
The problem is in the paying method, there should be more way of paying method.
If i take example from Blackberry in my country, it charge on carriers. I really interested to see statistic for country the most user that pay the apps. Or maybe limited to only marketplace and Microsoft points for XBLA, maybe USA and EU.

In here Blackberry can easily spotted in the wild, and average people can buy a $10 game or office suite in their phone just because it's simple paying method. Simply put, if the paying method only involved in credit cards, very limited market you will get.

So here in my country,
if (you buy WP == true)
{
make.MSaccount();
make.XBLAaccount();
install.Appdeals = wait.("free for limited time apps/games");// .
}

Actually it's many more, but Nokia Care, and Nokia App Highlights is covering the hole for now. Not to mention for region speciality and free apps from Nokia.

 

[anodynamic]

I feel like putting another example in here, just for the discussion. Lots of people use Photoshop, and whenever someone gets their pirated copy disabled there's a lot of discussion of how much more money Adobe would make if they charged $99 instead of $990 (or whatever the rate for the most recent version is).

I'm pretty sure Adobe has done a lot of calculations on what the optimal price is, and I also think that means they don't really care that much about people who pirate their software to make Cheezburger memes and whatever people do for fun with it. And they have probably figured out that those users are unlikely to buy the software even if it cost $99.

Adobe has priced their software for professionals, who use it to make money (and typically have the possibility play with deductions for things like software costs when it's tax time). And people who use the software to make money are also those who are the target of Adobe's copy protection, since having your software disabled when working on a deadline is a good way to suddenly stop making money.

So, to wrap it up, if professionals would pay $99 and everyone else continues to pirate it, Adobe would lose a lot of money.

I think it's a good example on how making money is about finding the right balance between value and price, which are two different things.

 

[SnailUK]

I love my WP7 device and I know Devs need to make money for their time, I really do but, When an app sells on iOS or Android for $0.99-$1.99 and it's on WP7 for $4.99 or 5.99(and there is a lot of apps like this), there is a problem and I refuse to spend that much, no matter on how good the app is.

And thats where the problem lies.

Its all well and good complaining prices, but with 0.5% of the total market buying a $0.99 app on iOS, and the same percentage of WP7 users buying the same app for ?5, the developer will make far far more money on iOS, and therefore devote the attention there.

I personally would rather pay a higher price, but know developers were actually working on WP7, than never get the chance of moaning about the app cost, because developers weren't even bothering with WP7.

I'm hoping the common nature of WP8, W8, the next xbox, W8 Tablet, etc, mean a much bigger number of users, and therefore prices can get to iOS levels very quickly.