A friend of mine recently bought an app that he'll be using to read ebooks on his phone. Apparently he decided to "try it" after he read a glowing review which made it appear like the best app for reading ebooks. I asked him why he'd buy an app when there were free alternatives that were just as good and his answer was, "it is the best." Do any of you buy apps you shouldn't because they are the "best" when when there are free apps that can get the job done quite well?
I have a bad habit of buying apps I don't need/don't have space for. If it sounds useful and I don't immediately see a free alternative, especially if it's only 99 cents, I'll buy it. The problem is that those 99 cents add up pretty quickly if you're not careful. Lots of free apps have "optional" purchases too, those add up quick as well.
I usually wait a while before I spend. If the app allows a trial period or a trial version I'll take advantage of that first and I'll try and make do with the limited features. After a while, if the lack of features start bothering me then I'll pay for the app and I see that as being a good enough measure for deciding since if I'm still using the app months later despite the limitations then chances are that I'll be happy with it especially with the extra features unlocked. If I can find a free alternative that is just as good I will stick with those.
Some apps have a free version and then a "Pro" version, that has to be paid for. I uually start out with the free version of any app that I get, unless it is something specific, and it only comes in a paid for version. Sometimes, after I use the app, and I really like it, I will upgrade to the paid version for the extra benefits from that version. For reading, I always use my Kindle app, or the Apple iBooks; so I have never even looked for one that cost money.
That's a good question. Why would you buy an app when you can get most of the things that you need for free? I think I would only ever buy an app if it is absolutely necessary for my work and performs a better job than any of the other freely available apps. Besides, even if the performance of a free app might be slightly weaker than that of a paid one, the free ones are continuously being upgraded and updated, so that you can do most, if not all, tasks that you need to do
It depends on if I really couldn't find a free app that does what I want to. So funny enough, I actually have more paid games than productive apps. Given enough patience, I do manage to find what I need under free apps for anything. Whether travel, photography, or nifty note taking app - free ones usually suffice. Games on the other hand, some I do feel are worth paying for. One of my favorite paid games would be "Valiant Hearts". And I'm not even a war theme fan!
I hardly spend money on apps, especially on game apps. There are some productivity apps that are really superb and very useful so if my budget allows, then I'd definitely go for it. I just don't spend anything on games anymore, I used to do that but now i know better. lol
I very rarely spend on apps unless it is something I really desperately need. An example is a good violin tunner I found for which the 2 or 3 dollars were way better than the 20 it costs to buy one in real life. Ended up getting a real one either way for concert fine tuning but for studying, I just use the app. I sometimes spend on games too, microtransactions are so bad for me!
I can't remember the last time I bought an app, because the simple fact is that there are usually a whole host of other apps that can do exactly the same thing as the paid app - for free! Paid apps are often a waste of money. The only time that I have ever paid for one was to get rid of the advertising from my favourite game that I played all the time. That was only £1.49 and I still play it years later, so it was a bargain really!
Because I am a cheapskate, the app goes through a strainuous process until it can have my money. First I check for a free, 'lite' version to test. If it does, and I enjoy it I move on to the next step. If it doesn't, I move on to the next step, but I spend more time on it. Next, I search for every video, review and article in existence to see if it is worth it. If it passes, move on the the next step. Finally, I search around for any vouchers or discount codes to cut the price. Most online game stores don't have this feature, but if it does, I make full use of it. Then I buy! Call me cheap, but I like to save money
Seems like your friend bit a marketing bait. When my purpose is casual use and there are fairly good alternatives. Is a no brainer choice, I pick the free apps. But, you should also consider other stuff like support service and periodic updates, and not every free alternatives there have these.
I will check the app rating, then I get the one which is having high rating. Otherwise, go with the reviews.
Not gonna lie, I don't really believe in buying a "better" app if there is a free version available that does the same thing. Call me cheap, but I just don't think it's worth forking up a few dollars for a marginally better experience if I can literally do the same things for free.
The main idea behind the creation of a mobile app is to make life easier for people. When it comes to ebook-reading apps, there are definitely dozens of them today. Some are free and some will cost you a dollar or two. The free ones usually suck. Some even make it even harder to find and read ebooks. With that said, I would recommend getting a paid app. You will usually get what you are looking for. And that is an easier and more convenient way to read books.
I've never bought an app and I hope to keep it that way. I do understand that some people might need to purchase one that provides more features/services for their job/business.
I only buy apps when I want to support the developer and I think that it offers something that free app don't. It's almost like a donation: if I like what the developers did, their time and work is worth my money, and after all we need to support those who create quality applications. However most of the time I stick with free apps if there isn't a real difference with the paid counterparts. About e-book reading apps, I've only used free versions because they are better than the paid apps. Personally I prefer Aldiko because is really easy to use, you can personalize the settings quite a bit and I never experienced problems with it.
To be honest, never. I have never purchased an app in my life. That may change, but it would need to be a really good app to get me to spend money. I will usually go the cracked app torrent route, in order to save money much before spending my money straight away. I usually look for apps where I can earn money, much less spend it lol.
Several mobile apps have a feature set that are identical. It seems a waste of time and money to get these features programmed from scratch on every new app. The signup/login process being the most common, adding use of device camera, contacts, etc. I have found apps with source code and full use rights for sale that have 3/4 of the abilities I require for an app I want to make. It would require much more than a re-skin. Would this be an option to save some money, or would it be a pain for a developer to rework someone else's code
I have not bought a single app as I have always found good alternatives. Besides I wouldn't have the time to use them so why pay for them. My phone space is always full with apps I use on a daily bases which I use to earn a bit of cash. Since I have all I need for now I hope I don't find the need to purchase any.
Well, as for me if I can get a free app that can do the job done I would save my money. It's only in a situation where I am doubting the usefulness of the free app that I may purchase one. So far most of the apps I use I installed them freely.
