The AppStore is filled with free apps. For many there are two versions of an application, one free with limited features, another, full featured that you need to pay for.
This represent an excellent way to promote an application. The user can try it, and if he likes the application, he can buy the full version.
A new kind of free application is becoming more and more common.
I call this a “Sleazy Sneaking Free Application“.
It works this way:
The application is advertised as free. The description mentions nothing about paying. Neither why, nor what you need to pay for.
Most of the time the developers website bears no mention of this, unless you search all the pages of the site.
Generally the first notion of paying is either through the preference options, or a popup that suddenly asks you to enter your password.
Now please do not misunderstand me. I have a number of applications that I have payed for. Both for those that I continue to use, and those that I discontinue to use, I’m quite happy to have paid for them.
Some I’ve tried a light version, and later bought the full version.
An example of this is NoteTaker. The light version is nice, and states clearly the limitations, as well as the upgrade cost and conditions.
When I come across a Sleazy Sneaking Free App it irritates me. It is even worse if the application works nicely, and could suit my needs.
Sometimes I continue to use the application, sometimes not, but I never buy it.
As an example of an application of the Sleazy Sneaking Free App type.
PlainText.
Why do you have to discover that this nice free application is add supported, and that you need to pay 3.99 to get the free add version. I discovered this going into Settings. To make sure that I had not overlooked something I went back to iTunes, and the editors site (http://www.hogbaysoftware.com).
No mention of add support, as a matter of fact you can’t even buy the application from their website.
This does not create confidence towards the developer, even if it is a nice application.
Another application that almost makes it into this category is SimpleNotes (http://simplenoteapp.com)
They website does not mention the adds, but iTunes does mention that there is an add free version, but does not specify how to obtain it.
These are two examples of SS Free Apps. There are others, which are not worthy of being mentioned.
The real question is why this practice for applications that are well worth a couple of bucks.
