Paid service behind a free app!

[obirah]

Hello everyone,

I was thinking how is it possible to have a paid service (like SalesForce, Oracle etc.) and post a free app on the app store.

Isn't that a problem for Apple? Customers pay extra (somehow it's calculated in the price) for the service, but get the application for free from the store...

Am I missing something?

 

[rKunda]

I don't see a problem. Take Omnifocus or 1password. Both have paid apps that go with a pair desktop program (though each can, I guess, be used as a stand alone. Was 1Password wrong when they gave the pro app away for free for a time? I don't think so.

Apple allows free apps.

 

[thomanjones]

Well, if you spend a few hundred thou on sever software, the least they can do is give the mobile client for free (though you'll need to purchase the mobile connect server addon for another 10k ). Not referring to any company in particular, but this method works well for apps that rely on a server to do anything.

 

[superflush]

Hello everyone,

I was thinking how is it possible to have a paid service (like SalesForce, Oracle etc.) and post a free app on the app store.

Isn't that a problem for Apple? Customers pay extra (somehow it's calculated in the price) for the service, but get the application for free from the store...

Am I missing something?

I think the OP is saying that some app develops can make their app free but say have a $10 premium service that you pay for somewhere else (or online, etc) ... and that this is cutting Apple off of what otherwise would be their 30%. (In-app purchases are going to still go through Apple though .. does anyone know if yearly or monthly premium features go through Apple???) (ie. Simplenote has a 1-year $5 premium feature and it looks like you buy it right in the app) (Evernote has a premium feature for $45 per year, and in the app it says to visit the website, therefore bypassing Apple) I don't know if Apple considers that a problem or not. There are plenty of apps that adopt the freemium model (having the app free and then having the ability to use pro or premium features after you pay a one-time or yearly fee). I think this makes sense as to not have 2 separate apps in the app store. (then you don't have to download the new app, sync up all your stuff again, etc.) I think we'll see more people just use 1 app. It looks like MLB went down to 1 app for their At Bat. And maybe we'll see a yearly in-app purchase fee of $10. If app developers make their premium feature purchases happen off of the iPhone, then they are able to bypass the Apple 30% and maybe maintain a closer relationship with their customers. Skype is a free app, but I pay something like $66 per year for a Skype Plan & Skype Number ... I don't feel that they are screwing Apple by doing this, rather it would get too complicated doing all that purchasing on a device. Plus, Skype is primarily used other places than the iPhone. It gets a bit more tricky when the app is only used on the iPhone.