Do you lose respect for free apps just because they're free?

[detz]

Obviously everyone likes free but I think free has this stigmatization of being "cheap"(quality) and not as good as paid ones(I've even heard people say they don't even bother looking at free apps).

We're in the process of deciding if we should release the app for free or for a low price. My perspective is we should charge a small fee($1.99)* to give it some value so it doesn't have that poor quality feel to it. Your thoughts as buyers?

*The app is probably worth $30+ but we have other plans in mind other than the sale of the app on the store.

 

[Luap]

Err, no? If it's a good app, its a good app. There are some great free apps out there.
Equally, there are some seriously crap apps out there that you are expected to pay for. If anything, those are the apps(developers) I have least respect for.

 

[Rojo]

It also depends on what the app is. Wanna give us a clue?

 

[yrsonicdeath]

I don't look at apps any differently because of price. A good example would be Nullriver's Tuner, AOL Radio, and Pandora. I purchased Tuner and downloaded Pandora and AOL Radio for free and I use them all pretty much equally not paying any mind that I payed a few bucks for Tuner and got the others for nothing.

 

[nfg315]

no, there are plenty of free apps that are better than paid versions and plenty of paid apps that are complete garbage

 

[GoCubsGo]

I do not lose respect for an app because it is free. There are many wonderful free apps out there and if you have an issue with them being free, I am certain you can find something similar online that you can buy.

 

[lindsayanng]

No.. I actually prefer my apps to be free.. but then again, if it IS a quality app, i will pay for it.. the thing is,the apps that i WOULD pay for, usually have a free counterpart. You would have to decide if you feel that your app is more robust and easily usable than the free one.

 

[Greencardman]

I think less respect isn't the right word, but sometimes charging for an app can make people think its worth more. But maybe I'm biased

 

[Bodah]

Obviously everyone likes free but I think free has this stigmatization of being "cheap"(quality) and not as good as paid ones(I've even heard people say they don't even bother looking at free apps).

We're in the process of deciding if we should release the app for free or for a low price. My perspective is we should charge a small fee($1.99)* to give it some value so it doesn't have that poor quality feel to it. Your thoughts as buyers?

*The app is probably worth $30+ but we have other plans in mind other than the sale of the app on the store.

I am just the opposite. I have waited on apps because there is a charge. I'm glad I did because there were other things released that do the same thing that are free.

I am waiting on some reviews of golf GPS programs before I buy one. I only want to have to buy one.

 

[cubs1987]

All of my favorite apps are free (except for Endless Walls) so no, no lost respect if its free. Plus if its free, you'll have higher download rates and more exposure to yourself/company whenever you release your other plans.

 

[ayasin]

I think it totally depends on the app. Part of the issue is the perception of others on how much YOU value the app. If you're giving it away are you really that intent on supporting it or will you be gone when the next hot thing comes out? Obviously this is more of an issue for some apps than others as well as an issue of the possible ways your app COULD be monotized (for example is it ad supported like 99% of the web). Personally I've learned through experience that you get what you pay for. That doesn't mean most expensive is always best but there's a reasonable expectation that something that's $20 is going to be more feature filled and better supported than something that's free. Granted that's not always the case but it is the general preception.

 

[lindsayanng]

well, Look at You Note. i think it is one of the best notes programs out there.. WAY better than the pay voice recorders (it does that time a thousand) and it stands up to the pay ones very well.. which is why i downloaded You Note..

Plus, lots of people will download the free app even if they are not "sure" about it because it is free.. if you do plan on coming up with another app, it would be a good way to get your company's name out there.

 

[Rojo]

If you think your app is worth more, and that people would happily buy it if they were able to use it and know it was good, then provide a free, limited "Lite" version if possible. That gets people curious about the paid app enough to download the free app. Provided the app is a quality product, and not loaded with bugs like, oh, say, MobileChat, and it provides a service (or entertainment) that people will like, then they will glady upgrade to a paid version.

 

[MadGoat]

I lose respect for apps that should be free and are free on other platforms, but devs are charging for it.

I lose respect more for the devs and their "company"

 

[detz]

I am just the opposite. I have waited on apps because there is a charge. I'm glad I did because there were other things released that do the same thing that are free.

I am waiting on some reviews of golf GPS programs before I buy one. I only want to have to buy one.

...I would hold off on that purchase....

 

[megatronbomb]

My respect is nice and tight! Er... no, I don't lose respect. In fact, based on how a company treats a free product and the people that use it, it could encourage me to pay for other applications/services in the future.

 

[JML42691]

I do not lose respect for free apps, look at Box Office, Facebook, AIM, iProcrastinate Mobile, NY Times, Remote, SportsTap, and WeatherBug, those are all free and amazing apps. I lose respect for apps where they were poorly developed, weren't given much thought, or apps that have bad descriptions of themselves on the iTunes Store (with reviews like, "This app is 10 times better than this app." and stuff like that).

 

[wightstraker]

The best programmers usually work under free and/or open source licenses, so no, freebies don't feel cheap at all.

Frankly, I'm more distrustful of paid software, especially if they provide pretty basic functions. If a developer is charging $19.95 for an ftp client or iTunes plugin, what are his/her priorities? Making a solid program or a quick buck?

I am, admittedly, generalizing, but in my experience the best apps are free.

 

[ninjapenguinart]

I actually gain respect for the developer and for the app if it is high quality and free, because that just means that the developer is not just in it for the money, but to try to help out everyone else cheaply.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I don't. I lose respect for it if it is crap. I have eReader and Cannon Challenge both of which are free, but outstanding applications in my opinion.

 

[Xavier]

It depends on if the app is actually a quality app. The Facebook app is a nice free one, and it is supported with updates. Also I really enjoy the Apple Remote Control.

 

[soberbrain]

I lose respect for it if it is crap.

Agreed. It's a balance of quality vs. price. The only apps I have bought are Crash and Pinball RC which I am very happy about. I've tried a lot of free apps and kept the ones I liked, some of which I would have bought if there was a paid version.

I like the free lite app and paid full app model some developers have used. Once I'm done with my current games, I will be buying paid apps that had great free lite versions.

 

[mcdj]

A crappy icon, a crappy interface, unoriginal content/functionality...these things compromise respectability far more than the price, free or otherwise. I have free apps I would gladly have paid for, and apps I've bought that I wouldn't download again even if they were free.

 

[gillybean]

I look for apps that provide functionality I want or need, that are either free or reasonably priced.

 

[Daveoc64]

Obviously everyone likes free but I think free has this stigmatization of being "cheap"(quality) and not as good as paid ones(I've even heard people say they don't even bother looking at free apps).

We're in the process of deciding if we should release the app for free or for a low price. My perspective is we should charge a small fee($1.99)* to give it some value so it doesn't have that poor quality feel to it. Your thoughts as buyers?

*The app is probably worth $30+ but we have other plans in mind other than the sale of the app on the store.

I don't associate "Free" with low-quality. If you think about it, a lot of the most popular programs and services on all computing platforms are free.

I would say that the very cheap (say £0.59 - $1) apps may give a strange impression. The developer is charging for them, but not a lot - it's like they're saying that the product isn't good enough for a high price tag.