Do you typically submit a free and paid version to apple at the same time...

jamie_c

Or submit say the paid version first, wait for it to get approved (hopefully!) and then follow up with submitting the free version?

Just looking for how other people have done it in the past.

Thanks!

JarrenH

I've never releleased a free and paid version of my apps, but I have observed big name companies. Rovio, for example, releases it's paid game first, and then releases the free version a few weeks later. Why? Not exactly sure, but seems to be pretty consistent.

wpaten

I submit the paid version first, let it get approved, then submit the free version. I have a few reasons for doing it this way:

1) The first week of sales are usually the strongest so I let the paid version get as many downloads as possible on it's own before getting the Free version out there.
2) The purpose of the free version is to link to the paid version (from inside the free game). But I wont know what that link address is until the paid gets approved and is in iTunes.

Wingmanapps

@wpaten - actually the link is created even before your app gets approved.
When you create your new app in itunes connect you can see the link right away by pushing the "View in appstore" button and copy the URL in the browser.

As often as i can i release a free version (demo) with ads and then have in-app to unlock the full game and remove all ads at the same time.

contrasthall

@wpaten - actually the link is created even before your app gets approved.
When you create your new app in itunes connect you can see the link right away by pushing the "View in appstore" button and copy the URL in the browser.

As often as i can i release a free version (demo) with ads and then have in-app to unlock the full game and remove all ads at the same time.

how's that in app ad remove system working out for you? do you think theres a consistent number of buyers like 1 in 100? i wish i would have monetized a few of my free games when i started i believe one has received over 60,000 free downloads and i never made money off of it

jamie_c

Thanks for the information everyone, it's helpful.

wpaten

@wpaten - actually the link is created even before your app gets approved.
When you create your new app in itunes connect you can see the link right away by pushing the "View in appstore" button and copy the URL in the browser.

As often as i can i release a free version (demo) with ads and then have in-app to unlock the full game and remove all ads at the same time.

Oooooooooo. Nice.

wpaten

how's that in app ad remove system working out for you? do you think theres a consistent number of buyers like 1 in 100? i wish i would have monetized a few of my free games when i started i believe one has received over 60,000 free downloads and i never made money off of it

Well the Kids Educational Market might be different than the Gaming one in iTunes. I typically see around 15% conversion for iTunes. But more like 30% for Amazon (which I always find strange).

LumpApps

I have released free versions of some of my apps and mostly did it after the paid one. but that was before iAP. I would probably go iAP now if I would go that way at all. I hate it when a game is free and I have to pay to get levels or ads removed. I do not think that is the way to go anymore.
My next game will be free on release and hopefully it still gets a nice amount of downloads once it will get back to payed after some time.

wpaten

I have released free versions of some of my apps and mostly did it after the paid one. but that was before iAP. I would probably go iAP now if I would go that way at all. I hate it when a game is free and I have to pay to get levels or ads removed. I do not think that is the way to go anymore.
My next game will be free on release and hopefully it still gets a nice amount of downloads once it will get back to payed after some time.

I totally agree with @LudwigHeijden. Free with in-Apps is the way to go. Unfortunately this is not the case with Kids Games, as parents don't want their kids handling In-App purchases (for obvious reasons). So we have to stay the course with the "Lite" versions selling the "Real" version, for our business model.

jamie_c

I'm not a fan of iAP purchases really. I personally hate getting a free game and later being asked to buy levels, upgrades, etc. I do however understand that is where the money is at.

This is going to be my first released game and it's really just a hobby for me so just for the sake of testing it out I think I'm going to release a paid version of the complete game and also a free version of the same game that is ad supported but 100% complete. You'll be able to play the full game, 100% but it will have ads between each wave and on the interface screens.