Why aren't there free apps anymore?

[Danielle93]

If you want to use an app for whatever reason. It can be as stupid as downloading a song, they charge you. It used to be free years ago. Nowadays rarely you find a free app. Everything is money.

A pregnant friend wanted to simple see what her child will look like and they charge $18 per month even for that. She doesn't want a monthly free. Every single app asks for your card information. Why aren't there free apps anymore?

[AviatorTom]

There are plenty of free apps. Many datamine you and sell your data on the dark web. Others collect data on how you use it to enhance the developer's other software thst they sell. Creating and maintaining an app requires time and effort, and the developer must have some way to make money.

[SweetDripp]

App developers want to get paid for their work. I think the real question is why were they giving their products away for free previously. It's usually to build product awareness or to get your personal info to sell to advertisers. It's a much simpler business model to sell their product directly instead of using it to gather other info that they then have to sell to get paid.

[RageBabe]

There still are free apps, and like you stated, for awareness, but when people get annoyed that all apps aren't free, I don't think they realise how much work goes into making an app; it's a lot. Good answer, by the way.

[ProbablyClueless]

Companies have basically realized that most of the people who would use their app absolutely hate all the advertising. They know they can make more money by pissing people off enough to pay for a subscription to make the ads go away.

[Unit1]

Everyone wants money.

The only app developers I saw, that don't strictly want our money are the Linux community and open source projects.

[jshm2]

Depends on the app, I suppose. There will usually be "freemium" alternatives to most.

[strateguy632]

Because of the price of the song.

Plenty of free apps.

[dreamstar72]

Nothing is free anymore most apps has basically became monthly apps.

[Danielle93]

Yeah unfortunately. It's disappointing that everything is asking for your card information.

[TheStaleMarshmellow]

Public seems pissed off from Freeimium tactics. So now a lot just will charge up front.

[noohair]

Nothing is free! Do you work for free? They were never free, they took data from you. Now they don't get enough data to give it to you at no cost.

[CaptainSmartass]

Its all about the Benjamins, as they say...

Simples...

[NathanDavis]

there are free apps...

[DrPepper12]

Not in the Android universe...

[Shamalien]

The golden era is behind us…