Selling iOS apps on the App Store is a thriving business. However, recent studies show that the trend is developing towards free apps.
According to a report from Flurry, a mobile analytics company, free apps are becoming an increasingly popular choice among iPhone and iPad users. Moreover, freebies are gaining in popularity with the developers – more that 90% of apps on the App Store are now offered for free. This is very important news for iPhone app developers in the UK and all over the world.
I bet this got you thinking – how do app developers make any money if they offer their apps for free? The answer is simple: they generate revenue by ads and in-app purchases.
Another trend discovered by Flurry’s research is that the price of paid apps is falling. It’s still true that iOS users are more willing to pay for apps than Android fans, but the trend is clear. According to Flurry, the average price of an iPhone app is $0.19 and the average price of an iPad app is $0.50. Basically, iPad apps continue to be more expensive, just as they always have been.
So, what does it all mean for iOS app developers? Flurry suggests that giving more attention to developing ad supported apps and apps with in-app purchases is the way to go. They even say that ads in apps are a “sure thing for the foreseeable future”. The users may not like them, but they are willing to tolerate them as long as the app is free.
As for in-app purchases, developers should be careful there, so that they don’t stuff the app too much. A lot of users still prefer to pay for the whole app rather than download a free app that doesn’t fully function until one or two in-app purchases are made.
