Luke Rogers
Jeff JohnsonNew blog post:
How do you comparison shop in the App Store?
Cory Birdsong@lapcatsoftware you mention the lack of app reviews on the web - that is also partially Apple’s fault. They shut down their affiliate link program in 2018, which was a reliable way to make money reviewing apps:
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2018/08/02/apple-removes-apps-from-their-affiliate-program/
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/10/23/toucharcade-is-shutting-down/
I assume it hit editorial coverage of non-game software the same way. The Sweet Setup had Wirecutter-style roundups/reviews for apps, and now it’s selling productivity courses:
2018: https://web.archive.org/web/20180224074848/https://thesweetsetup.com/
now: https://thesweetsetup.com
Daniel Gomes@cbirdsong @lapcatsoftware I *really* miss app reviews. Really miss them. It was enjoyable to discover new software by reading reviews that popped up in my RSS.
In fact that is how most of us actually found apps before social media days. That applies to Mac apps but also iOS apps.
We really, really need good trusted software reviews. That should also make life harder for the fly by night and scam apps…
Jimmy@lapcatsoftware every time I see this I assume I'll try the app, wait a few days, then get an email with a link to the discounted annual rate.
Maarten@lapcatsoftware The inability to see which features are free and which not is a long standing complaint!
I suspect the conflicting prices happen because they occasionally discount the app (eg on Black Friday) and Apple lists every level that they have active subscribers on. Or something like that.
dxzdb@lapcatsoftware These multiple prices are a huge pet peeve of mine. I believe if you ever put your app on sale - AppStoreConnect keeps every price and what you called it forever. Also if you use a name longer than 26 characters it's going to truncate and the differentiating text may never be seen by customers.🤦♂️
#xcode folks - any known ways to fix this?
yertle@lapcatsoftware @marcoarment I realize this isn’t the point of the article, but Sleep Cycle isn’t a bad app, I think I paid them once ages ago and have no subscription, and it tracks sleep and snoring and doesn’t try to upsell you much/any on a subscription. I have 3761 nights of sleep tracked on it!
@lapcatsoftware You nailed it. This is an issue across the App Store and I lay the blame with Apple who are the biggest beneficiaries of this.
Which is why I tend to to only install pay-once apps. Unless I know the company. I use Ivory app from Tapbots on an annual subscription because I know and trust them.
I like an actual price on the app like for example eWallet by Ilium. They also have a 30 day free trial of the Mac version too before you buy from the Mac App Store.
Simon@lapcatsoftware @marcoarment I'd probably sleep on this one
Tom Harrington
Paul Goracke@atomicbird @lapcatsoftware How can one even put a price on ultimate love? 🫢
@pgor @lapcatsoftware apparently you can put at least six different prices on it
balthasar@lapcatsoftware The only positive on this: Sometimes you can treat yourself to a hidden discount on the central subscription manager in settings, once you subscribed 😎
Sandhu@lapcatsoftware This is why I don’t even bother with opening the App Store anymore. I only rely on word of mouth.