This will be a poorly worded post since I’m typing on mobile.
I’m so tired of subscriptions. There’s already so many bills to pay, I don’t want to think about my phone having a dozen micro-bills.
All of the top apps in the iOS app store, mostly excluding Google and Microsoft, have subscription pricing. (And now Outlook requires a subscription to remove ads.)
Note taking app? Subscription. Reminders app? Subscription. An app with exactly one function and hasn’t been updated in months? Subscription.
It seems that the idea of one-time purchasing has all but died on iOS. The last one-time purchase I’ve ever made for an app on that platform is Apollo (RIP). After that, I just stuck with Apple’s default offerings (Mail, Calendar, Notes etc). However decent those apps may be, they’re stuck to the Apple ecosystem.
On a whim I wanted to try out the Pixel 7.
I discovered: Cinexplore, Feeder, Moshidon, Oto Music, and many more, of course.
So many quality apps that are either free or offer a one-time purchase. I used them for a bit and either paid the one-time purchase or donated if it was free.
And side-loading is the cherry on top. Having an open platform and more competition gives me a choice. It’s refreshing and helps reduce the mental burden of subscriptions.
Market is oversaturated with offering. There’s an ongoing overproduction crisis. Competition on price leads to diminishing margins, which leads to unsustainable small business, which leads to capital concentration and oligopoly. This tendency is the same across all sectors in late state capitalism. Many people won’t be able to make a living from their work anymore.
That said I heard some small developers choose to work only on iOS because there are more clients willing to pay for apps in that ecosystem. Google focus on ad-based revenue created a sort of “everything for free” culture on android wich makes very difficult to sell quality apps there, at the same time their store is filled with low quality ad filled apps and microtransaction “games”.
(I’m an android user, never had any apple device and I don’t plan to, but I think their business model is somehow healthier.)
Yes, completely true. The Apple ecosystem is profitable for an app developer. iOS users are more likely to pay for purchases and subscriptions, making it easier to make a living on Apple’s AppStore.
Also, Apple tends to treat developers much better than Google, which makes the AppStore the ideal place for an app developer who wants to make a living this way.