Paid Apps or Free with Ads..Vote!

**BluePLanetMan** · 07-22-2010, 05:29 PM

Hi,

Just curious, as a developer, I am wondering, would you prefer apps which are ad free and cost money? Or would you prefer free apps that are subsidized by advertising?

Thanks,

Jason
BluePlanetApps, LLC

@blueplanetapps

GenericMessage · 07-22-2010, 05:30 PM

Try posting a poll

**diggity** · 07-22-2010, 05:49 PM

I personally don't care either way, so long as the app is good.

**terpitude71** · 07-22-2010, 05:56 PM

i also dont have a preference, so long as the ads are not obtrusive

**Jerry Hildenbrand** · 07-22-2010, 06:07 PM

I prefer a paid application that has a feature to turn off the ads. Having said that, if the app is good enough, I'll pay and leave ads on to support the developer.

**moosc** · 07-22-2010, 06:13 PM

Prefer paid apps flashing adds are distracting

**Cory Streater** · 07-22-2010, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by gbhil

I prefer a paid application that has a feature to turn off the ads. Having said that, if the app is good enough, I'll pay and leave ads on to support the developer.

I HATE ads in apps. I am more than willing to pay the upgrade cost to have them turned off. I wish every app gave you the option to do that. The second I see ads in an app, I immediately uninstall it. App Brain has been the only exception to that rule so far.

**eyesparky** · 07-22-2010, 06:20 PM

Third option ... choice. Some apps I use occasionally I am happy for subtle adds, others that I use all the time or where I don't want to take the screen real estate hit I will pay for (all assuming the app is quality of course).

**melwan** · 07-22-2010, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by eyesparky

Third option ... choice. Some apps I use occasionally I am happy for subtle adds, others that I use all the time or where I don't want to take the screen real estate hit I will pay for (all assuming the app is quality of course).

This. +1

**darrylb1** · 07-22-2010, 07:25 PM

paid apps is the only wy to keep android in existence. if you like android, pay.
for instance, a song on itunes cost 0.99, kids pay all the time for ringtones, so folks with fancy smartphones pay for apps

**jdbower** · 07-22-2010, 07:43 PM

I like the ones that give me an option of a paid version or an ad-supported one. The ones I like I buy the paid version on the assumption the devs get more for them, the ones that are so-so I leave as free. As a counterpoint, what's the pay scale for ad-supported apps? If it's something I use often would the dev make more from that than a $5 paid version? Or is it based on clickthroughs, ads served, or just a one-time fee you get?

**nox** · 07-22-2010, 08:02 PM

I would use an ad supported app, but I wouldn't want to. If there was an option to disable the ads (Paid, or through menu) I would take that route.
Ads are just annoying, that's all it really is, so if you introduce a paid version, I would take that over the ad supported product any day.

**DERacing** · 07-22-2010, 08:25 PM

How about a third option...

I pay enough for my phone without having to muddle through the google ads... and with the companies changing their tier pricing scheme and doing away with the unlimited plans, how much of that bandwidth is going to be eat up with the ads?

I pay for the apps I think are worth it. The price of $1 give or take is not much at all, but it does add up.

**wmtoandroid** · 07-22-2010, 08:31 PM

For what it's worth, ads have never played a roll in my decision to purchase an app. I pay for apps because I want to support the developers and/or because I get more features, but paying to get rid of ads would feel like extortion or something...

**DERacing** · 07-22-2010, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by wmtoandroid

For what it's worth, ads have never played a roll in my decision to purchase an app. I pay for apps because I want to support the developers and/or because I get more features, but paying to get rid of ads would feel like extortion or something...

THIS!

**KrispyKrink** · 07-22-2010, 10:08 PM

I prefer good paid apps.

I only have a few free apps, mostly from the big dogs like Google, news outlets, or from devs that don't offer paid apps.

**bobodobo** · 07-22-2010, 10:46 PM

Agreed, need to have the option. I pay for apps I like, if I don't like it I'll uninstall it whether there are ads or not.

Question: does anyone actually click on those ads? I never have. Not once. Not saying I never would but I've never seen an ad for a product or service that interests me in the slightest.

**TWC_SouthPhilly** · 07-22-2010, 11:03 PM

I don't mind paying for good apps. And I'm all about supporting the developers. With out them our phones would be about worthless. But If I pay for the app I don't expect there to be any adds in it. I paid for it I should be able to use it with out seeing adds for another app or service I don't need or want.

On that note, I'm with wmtoandroid on the pay to make the adds go away thing. Why would I pay for an app just to make the adds go away?

**milominderbinde** · 07-22-2010, 11:03 PM

Why not do both as so many have done and let the users decide for themselves?

Why can't you allow that as a third option?

**li2327** · 07-22-2010, 11:04 PM

I have to admit. I hate the ads. Ive paid for a few apps just to avoid the ads.

**rjf111** · 07-22-2010, 11:36 PM

I have always been willing to pay for the apps I want -- problem is, with android I am in a geographic location that doesn't allow paid apps, so "free with ads" is all that is available.

But, what I don't understand is why developers aren't putting pressure on google to do something so that they can get their apps into the hands of millions upon millions of potential customers -- or why they don't make their apps available outside of the market.

**CarbonOak** · 07-23-2010, 12:17 AM

I don't like ads, but that doesn't mean I won't use the app if it's good. As long as the app is good, I'd rather pay for it without the ads.

**aquaboy1976** · 07-23-2010, 12:20 AM

I voted for free, but I don't think it is quite that cut and dry for me. I barely ever notice the ads, so I don't care about them either way. If the app is high quality, I have no issues paying for it. If a developer is spending his or her time developing high quality apps for us, they deserve to be compensated for it.

**dwhitman** · 07-23-2010, 07:59 AM

I generally prefer to pay for an app rather than put up with ads, but to some extent, this depends on the app, and the specifics of how "in my face" the ads seem.

Interstitial ads in a game like Bonsai Blast don't bother me at all, and I'm happy to have that app for free and see the ads.

When Astro file manager started showing ads it was totally unacceptable for me - the ads were always there, and changed rapidly so that they flickered at the edge of my vision, constantly drawing my eye away from what I was doing. I lasted about 5 minutes, then found an alternative that was both free as in beer and free as in no-ads-in-my-peripheral-vision. But once the paid version of Astro came out, I happily paid up and am using it again.