Paid apps dominate App Store, opposite true for Android

updated 06:10 pm EDT, Fri August 27, 2010

Reason for discrepancy still unclear


The Android Market appears to be continuing on a trend toward free apps, while the opposite scenario holds true on the iOS App Store. The latest numbers gathered by AndroLib and 148Apps.biz suggest the Android portal is dominated by free titles, which account for 64 percent of all content. In contrast, 70 percent of App Store listings require users to pay.

Although the exact reasons for the discrepancy remain unclear, Pingdom suggests developers may be still testing the waters in the Android Market. Google's platform could also be attracting more hobbyists or open-source developers, both more likely to distribute free apps rather than paid titles. Yet another possibility is the division between categories, as iOS devices are more popular for gaming.

A separate report pointed to a similar spread early in the year, when 57 percent of Android apps were free. At that time, the App Store was said to have contained 73 to 80 percent paid apps, which also commanded higher average prices than the Android Market.


By Electronista Staff

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Previous Comments

  1. Fast iBook

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2003

    -2

    And this......

    And this is the real indicator i believe.

    - A


  1. qazwart

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2001

    0

    Another Possibility

    Apple keeps a lot of spam and malware out of the iPhone's app store market while Android's marketplace can be smothered in it. I also see a lot more and better quality games in the iPhone's App store than in the Android Marketplace. People are willing to pay for games, but not for apps that give them stuff they can get on the web for free.


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