Free vs. Paid Apps and In-app Purchases

Introduction to Apps. Free vs. Paid Apps and In-app Purchases

Another important aspect to understand about the app store is the difference in between free vs. paid apps. With millions of apps available, some are free while others need to be purchased.

When you are downloading your app, the App Store and Google Play Store will show whether the app can be downloaded for free or if there is a price attached to it. Below are two examples:

Procreate Pocket app on App Store with $6.99 highlighted to show what paid app looks like on App Store. — **The App Store**

Bouncer- Temporary App Permissions app on Google Play Store with $2.59 highlighted to show what paid app looks like on App Store. — **The Google Play Store**

You may also see that some free apps have the words “in-app purchases” underneath them. Below is a description of what “in-app purchases” are.

What are In-App Purchases?

In-app purchases are extra content or subscriptions that you buy inside an app. Not all apps offer in-app purchases. To check if an app offers in-app purchases before you buy or download it make sure to check in the App Store or Google Play Store to see if the specific app you are downloading has in-app purchases. Below are two examples:

Stranger Things: 1984 App on App Store with In-App purchases highlighted — **The App Store**

Netflix App on Google Play Store with In-App purchases highlighted — **The Google Play Store**

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