Should Mobile App Developers Focus on Free or Paid Mobile Applications

Should Mobile App Developers Focus on Free or Paid Mobile Applications

With so much Demand for Mobile Applications, Does it make a Difference?

As the Mobile Industry grows, one common trend which mobile application developers and mobile app “experts” are observing is that mobile applications are starting to become the fundamental backbone for Smartphone’s and tablet PCs. The importance that mobile applications play on Smartphone devices (such as the iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and Tablets (such as the iPad, Samsung Zoom) are critical and without the hundreds of thousands of mobile apps which are available for these mobile devices, they would be nothing but over-sized mobile devices with a web browser. In essence, what makes a Smartphone worth buying is the fact that there are so many mobile applications available for one to download onto their Smartphone mobile device.

In today’s current day and age, mobile applications are available in two different forms: Paid versions and Free Versions. Free mobile applications tend to be supported by ads which is the way that mobile application develops receive revenue from the app they developed. This method of developing application for free does not give the mobile app developers revenue right away but in the long run, these mobile app developers may actually get more revenue from advertising displayed on the mobile app throughout time. At the same, if a mobile application development firm or mobile app developer is interested in getting money right away, they can simply charge a certain price for each time their mobile app is downloaded. 

iPhone Application Development

At the same time, another method is paid mobile applications. These mobile applications are ones which an individual must pay to download and use the mobile app. This will give the mobile app developers revenue right away for the mobile application he/she developed but at the same time, people may not be willing to pay “x” amount to use an app. The decision on whether to offer paid mobile apps or free mobile apps is completely up to the mobile app developers/mobile application development firm and research has shown that there are pros and cons to both ways of going about releasing

Research has also shown that certain mobile application marketplaces tend to offer more of one kind of mobile application than the other. For example, the Android mobile application marketplace has very few expensive mobile applications and a majority of the apps on that mobile app marketplace are free of charge. On the other end of the spectrum, Apple’s mobile application marketplace tends to have more paid mobile applications and some mobile apps in Apple’s mobile app marketplace tend to be more expensive then the average price of mobile applications which range from $0.99 to $5.00 per mobile application.

At the end of the day, the demand and rising popularity for mobile applications is without question; and research is showing clear evidence that whether a mobile application developer or mobile application development firm decides to offer “paid” mobile apps or “free” mobile apps, there will still be enough demand for both avenues (paid and free mobile applications), to be successful and have a high download rate. The mobile application industry’s popularity and demand is at an all-time high now and mobile application developers and mobile application development firms have the chance to generate a lot of income for themselves if they are able to successfully develop a mobile app which individuals see a need for.