It is not secret that users are more apt to download an app if it is free. However, what may surprise some mobile app publishers is the actual disparity in downloads between paid and free apps.
Based on this data from Gartner, free apps will account for 94.5% of total app store downloads by sometime next year. Thus, it is clear how stifled the installs will be for publishers who neglect to develop free versions of their apps.
Of course, this is not to say that the revenue pipeline for paid apps will dry up completely. Both types of apps are expected to enjoy growth through 2017, though free apps will pace ahead. In fact, while free apps enjoyed 31% more downloads in 2015, paid app downloads grew 13%. In 2016, this growth rate is expected to be 27% for free apps and only 7% for paid apps.
While this data may be disturbing for publishers who haven’t yet flushed out alternative monetization solutions, it’s truthfully not surprising. After all, 75% of users expect apps to be free, and 82% cite price as a determining factor when choosing to download an app.
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