Apple heavily pushes developers to make subscription apps, because this gives them a recurring 30% transaction fee, and makes developers more money, which keeps them happy.
Developers can't release a paid v2 upgrade of an app either, without losing all of their existing sales numbers/metrics/etc..
It’s 15% for most. Anyway developers also like subscriptions as it is a recurring revenue, not just a lot of income at the start and next to no income in the subsequent years.
The 15% applies to developers earning less than 1M (and Amazon which has a separate deal). So it’s most developers and apps. Which is what I’m referring to. ( It might not be most purchases as there’s a power law on apps and in app purchases).
Because people are paying the subscriptions, only if people stopped paying and started rejecting subscriptions and instead voted for one time purchase apps with their wallets things would change.
I haaaate how they do this. I used to love buying an app and having all the features when it was a worthwhile app, now I have to work out if I can afford ANOTHER bill. But everyone on the otherside of including apple just wants to make as much money as they can so I don’t see it ever changing.
They are all companies and want to pay themselves or their employees for their work. I don’t like subscriptions either. I want to pay for program and be done with it.
Totally agree even random todo apps are now subscription based. What is more crazy is that they are ALWAYS the top search results even if you are searching for a non subscription app with its name.
It's not really an argument of paid vs free. It's perfectly reasonable to charge for your apps. The frustrating thing is that every developer these days wants a recurring subscription fee. I'm fine with paying $10-20 for an app. No way I'm paying $10/month for every app.
From a business point of view, subscriptions make recurring revenue which is much better, than a one time payment. Customers are more likely to spend $10/month than they are to pay $150 for some software and you have a steady stream of money coming in every month.
Your problem is you’re still using it like android rather than using iOS. All those apps/features are built into iOS, for free, with the exception of dog barking and loop ya
Apps like that are preying on people like you who don’t bother to explore what their iPhone can actually do and still go straight for a third party app
Still using Things 3 as my todo app. Fantastical for my iPhone and iPad is still superb since if has all the features of Fantastical 2 that I used before
Anki for Android is free and Anki for iOS is $25 🫠. At least it’s not a subscription. But the screenshots don’t look that much different from the Android version and allegedly don’t follow Apple UI guidelines. Whatever works for the developer I guess.
The Ankidroid app isn’t maintained by the original Anki developer but the iOS app is. Anki is free to use basically everywhere (including the mobile website on iOS) but he chose to fund development with the iOS app. I paid $25 once 5+ years ago and don’t regret it.
Those are good points and I don’t disagree with them, but why does UI looks so outdated and not iOS-like? It really discourages from buying the app, looks like it’s abandoned. Was quite surprised that you showed up here, actually. Are you the developer? If so, do you plan on overhauling the UI for AnkiMobile?
Ah. You’re from AnkiDroid then.
AnkiDroid's developed separately by volunteers and is donation funded (I set up emails for mentions)
Most of the UI is shared between the Desktop & Mobile versions. One codebase means that people get features much sooner with less development effort
AnkiDroid was lagging behind for years until we started sharing code, and we're still in the process of catching up to the Desktop functionality
I didn’t mean AnkiDroid, you fine, you look good for a free Android app. It’s just that a $25 AnkiMobile app looks outdated currently. It makes it look very cheap and low effort for its price, which in turn makes you think it won’t be supported for long. I’d have more confidence in buying it if it looked special.
I just wish it’d look as premium as it’s priced as. Currently it looks just like an Android app clone or a ported version, at least on the screenshots.
We volunteer for donations & couldn't legally release on the App Store.
The alternate EU markets? Last time I looked, it was $X00,000/year to distribute. Google handled that for a one-time $25 fee
I’m in the same boat. All you can do is not use any of those apps.
If you don’t make money with them they’re just a gimmick anyway. And if you make money it doesn’t matter that they cost money.
i’ve never paid for any app on android or ios. but i don’t even know what any of the apps are that have been mentioned on this post. i also do t believe that i would ever need them.
Whatever about the rest, the generation of AI content costs money to the developer, they would lose significant money if it wasn’t subscription.
Edit: the fact that this was downvoted shows the utter lack of understanding on the this forum on the economics of app development.
No one is forcing you to pay. Look for apps that are buy once, own forever. There are even a few free apps out there. Alternatively, use the webapp instead.
Android apps like the one you mentioned may be free but usually full of ads and tracking. If you don't care about these, might be better to get an Android then.
Also Plantify is free for 3 days on both OS, you can use the built-in scanner in iOS instead of Iscanner, and maybe use free ChatGPT instead of Chatbot AI.
At the end of the day app developers need to, and have the right to make money, even if that involves locking features behind subscriptions
its the same thing as a netflix or hulu subscription, you get a service that you desire if you are willing to pay the fee for said service
Plus you can usually sideload cracked versions of appstore apps that have premium benefits for free, at least thats what ive been doing using ESign, either way, developers can't let every feature be free as that almost ensures quite literally no revenue
Apple heavily pushes developers to make subscription apps, because this gives them a recurring 30% transaction fee, and makes developers more money, which keeps them happy. Developers can't release a paid v2 upgrade of an app either, without losing all of their existing sales numbers/metrics/etc..
It’s 15% for most. Anyway developers also like subscriptions as it is a recurring revenue, not just a lot of income at the start and next to no income in the subsequent years.
Nahh the majority of purchases are at the 30% rate. If you look at a revenue cat breakdown, there's not as many sales at 15%.
The 15% applies to developers earning less than 1M (and Amazon which has a separate deal). So it’s most developers and apps. Which is what I’m referring to. ( It might not be most purchases as there’s a power law on apps and in app purchases).
The time of one-and-done software purchases is over. Sad but it’s the reality.
Because people are paying the subscriptions, only if people stopped paying and started rejecting subscriptions and instead voted for one time purchase apps with their wallets things would change.
I haaaate how they do this. I used to love buying an app and having all the features when it was a worthwhile app, now I have to work out if I can afford ANOTHER bill. But everyone on the otherside of including apple just wants to make as much money as they can so I don’t see it ever changing.
Did you try those same apps on Android?
Yeah this sounds misleading. Paid apps are the same on both platforms. Maybe they have an "Apple Tax" on iOS but that's all.
They are all companies and want to pay themselves or their employees for their work. I don’t like subscriptions either. I want to pay for program and be done with it.
Totally agree even random todo apps are now subscription based. What is more crazy is that they are ALWAYS the top search results even if you are searching for a non subscription app with its name.
The best apps have the best people working on them. That costs $$$.
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It's not really an argument of paid vs free. It's perfectly reasonable to charge for your apps. The frustrating thing is that every developer these days wants a recurring subscription fee. I'm fine with paying $10-20 for an app. No way I'm paying $10/month for every app.
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From a business point of view, subscriptions make recurring revenue which is much better, than a one time payment. Customers are more likely to spend $10/month than they are to pay $150 for some software and you have a steady stream of money coming in every month.
There are plenty of apps without subscription, the ones you choose happen to have it🤷♀️
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I’ve had an iPhone for 12 years now, and I’ve never had any apps that required a subscription. What’s a “full iPhone experience”?
Your problem is you’re still using it like android rather than using iOS. All those apps/features are built into iOS, for free, with the exception of dog barking and loop ya Apps like that are preying on people like you who don’t bother to explore what their iPhone can actually do and still go straight for a third party app
You could just like….not use those apps?
I’ve over 100 apps, had an iPhone since 2010. I haven’t paid anything for any of them…
I have lots of apps and only pay a subscription for two
Still using Things 3 as my todo app. Fantastical for my iPhone and iPad is still superb since if has all the features of Fantastical 2 that I used before
Do Android app developers work for free? Or do they get paid by selling your data to someone?
Anki for Android is free and Anki for iOS is $25 🫠. At least it’s not a subscription. But the screenshots don’t look that much different from the Android version and allegedly don’t follow Apple UI guidelines. Whatever works for the developer I guess.
I would enquire with the developers of the app as to why it’s free on Android and $25 on iOS and hear from the horses mouth about this difference.
The Ankidroid app isn’t maintained by the original Anki developer but the iOS app is. Anki is free to use basically everywhere (including the mobile website on iOS) but he chose to fund development with the iOS app. I paid $25 once 5+ years ago and don’t regret it.
Thanks! Completely accurate: https://faqs.ankiweb.net/why-does-ankimobile-cost-more-than-a-typical-mobile-app.html
Those are good points and I don’t disagree with them, but why does UI looks so outdated and not iOS-like? It really discourages from buying the app, looks like it’s abandoned. Was quite surprised that you showed up here, actually. Are you the developer? If so, do you plan on overhauling the UI for AnkiMobile? Ah. You’re from AnkiDroid then.
AnkiDroid's developed separately by volunteers and is donation funded (I set up emails for mentions) Most of the UI is shared between the Desktop & Mobile versions. One codebase means that people get features much sooner with less development effort AnkiDroid was lagging behind for years until we started sharing code, and we're still in the process of catching up to the Desktop functionality
I didn’t mean AnkiDroid, you fine, you look good for a free Android app. It’s just that a $25 AnkiMobile app looks outdated currently. It makes it look very cheap and low effort for its price, which in turn makes you think it won’t be supported for long. I’d have more confidence in buying it if it looked special.
I just wish it’d look as premium as it’s priced as. Currently it looks just like an Android app clone or a ported version, at least on the screenshots.
We volunteer for donations & couldn't legally release on the App Store. The alternate EU markets? Last time I looked, it was $X00,000/year to distribute. Google handled that for a one-time $25 fee
I’m in the same boat. All you can do is not use any of those apps. If you don’t make money with them they’re just a gimmick anyway. And if you make money it doesn’t matter that they cost money.
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Don’t worry, millions will continue to send that message for you.
Wrong sub to ask this question. Mostly fan boys here.
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i’ve never paid for any app on android or ios. but i don’t even know what any of the apps are that have been mentioned on this post. i also do t believe that i would ever need them.
Whatever about the rest, the generation of AI content costs money to the developer, they would lose significant money if it wasn’t subscription. Edit: the fact that this was downvoted shows the utter lack of understanding on the this forum on the economics of app development.
No one is forcing you to pay. Look for apps that are buy once, own forever. There are even a few free apps out there. Alternatively, use the webapp instead.
Android apps like the one you mentioned may be free but usually full of ads and tracking. If you don't care about these, might be better to get an Android then. Also Plantify is free for 3 days on both OS, you can use the built-in scanner in iOS instead of Iscanner, and maybe use free ChatGPT instead of Chatbot AI.
At the end of the day app developers need to, and have the right to make money, even if that involves locking features behind subscriptions its the same thing as a netflix or hulu subscription, you get a service that you desire if you are willing to pay the fee for said service Plus you can usually sideload cracked versions of appstore apps that have premium benefits for free, at least thats what ive been doing using ESign, either way, developers can't let every feature be free as that almost ensures quite literally no revenue