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I really feel this isn't the devs fault, it's a product of the accursed App Store payment model. The issues I see: * Devs can't make paid upgrades: to make a

by olliej 2y ago

I really feel this isn't the devs fault, it's a product of the accursed App Store payment model. The issues I see: * Devs can't make paid upgrades: to make a paid upgrade the options are a new app, except the security model for the apple app stores ties a lot of things to the app id, so a new app disconnects the user data from the old app. To keep the information tied together the "solution" is subscription or in app purchases (which also means you essentially have to have your app contain multiple versions embedded and you base what actually loads based on user purchases). * Devs can't do free trials: again the option are subscription or in app purchases. The alternatives are subscription or in app purchases, but there's no way for a user to distinguish an app that has those as a mechanism to support upgrades from a bait-and-switch app: As a result if an app is listed having either I generally don't consider installing it (esp. if it requires an initial payment) which is unfair to the reasonable devs but there are so many bait and switch apps nowadays (App Store review technically has a lot of value, but that this kind of BS is allowed remains a plague and substantially undercuts the benefits).

nullindividual 2y ago
Affinity managed this just fine. Release the first version. Then the second version is a new product on the App Store. Not complicated.
Vegenoid 2y ago
I do the same - if an app is "free" but has In-app purchases, I'll simply avoid it, even if I'd be willing to pay some price for it if it works. I don't have time to download every app, open it, and navigate to its pricing page to see how much it costs. You should be able to see the name, description, and price of all the in-app purchases from the App Store.
- ZekeSulastin 2y ago
  I’m not sure about the Mac OS side, but at least on iOS there’s a specific entry in the information section for in-app purchases that can be expanded into exactly that pricing list.
  - cffntd 2y ago
    But it's always listed as something like "Premium Features" or "Monthly Subscription." Those descriptions don't tell what I'm getting. So then it's usually download the app, try to figure out which are the premium features and which are baked into the app. It's a mess. And I get it, it's not really the dev's fault, but the system is completely broken.
  - Vegenoid 2y ago
    Well there you go! Thank you!

by olliej 2y ago

nullindividual 2y ago

Affinity managed this just fine. Release the first version. Then the second version is a new product on the App Store. Not complicated.

Vegenoid 2y ago

I do the same - if an app is "free" but has In-app purchases, I'll simply avoid it, even if I'd be willing to pay some price for it if it works. I don't have time to download every app, open it, and navigate to its pricing page to see how much it costs. You should be able to see the name, description, and price of all the in-app purchases from the App Store.

ZekeSulastin 2y ago
I’m not sure about the Mac OS side, but at least on iOS there’s a specific entry in the information section for in-app purchases that can be expanded into exactly that pricing list.
- cffntd 2y ago
  But it's always listed as something like "Premium Features" or "Monthly Subscription." Those descriptions don't tell what I'm getting. So then it's usually download the app, try to figure out which are the premium features and which are baked into the app. It's a mess. And I get it, it's not really the dev's fault, but the system is completely broken.
- Vegenoid 2y ago
  Well there you go! Thank you!