Dear Mr. Cook, I miss paid apps
This is an email which I sent to Tim Cook after a period of reflection on the state of iOS mobile apps.
Dear Mr. Cook,
I am writing to you today as a loyal, repeat Apple customer of over 15 years. I also have a background in creating, launching and scaling products (some of which are even published apps1 on the App Store). One of the things I cherish most about the Apple ecosystem is how it has created a digital economy that enables creators and developers to monetise their hard-earned work. This has resulted in truly magnificent apps being created and shared across the world to solve a wide spectrum of customer problems.
Apple’s commitment to creating lasting software, most of which is given to its customers free of charge, is equally respected and iOS stands as a prime example of a perpetual ownership model. There are justifiable exceptions to perpetual ownership, of course. The entertainment industry, for example, is continuously providing a steady stream of new content and can therefore justify charging an ongoing subscription fee. Apps such as Apple Services (TV+, News+, Fitness+, etc) and more exemplify this.
There has, however, been an industry-wide shift towards creating so-called freemium apps. These are Free Apps on the App Store which subsequently upsell customers to a paid subscription. I believe this to be misleading customers as the app’s entire core functionality could fundamentally be paywalled and yet still be listed as a Free App. This may well erode customer trust when considering downloading from the App Store.
Furthermore, I believe that high quality Paid Apps are not given sufficient promotion on the App Store and, where they are, they are promoted based on purchase count. This promotion system limits customer discovery of excellent paid apps to primarily those serving specific needs or professional requirements. As a result, customers miss out on discovering many high-quality, thoughtfully crafted paid apps that could provide lasting value in their daily lives. While apps like Logic Pro rightfully earn their promotion through professional necessity, equally valuable apps for everyday use often remain hidden simply because they chose a customer-friendly, one-time purchase model.
I propose Apple begin to more transparently categorise subscription-based freemium apps in its App Store. This could simply be a case of adding a third category for apps: Free Apps, Paid Apps and Subscription Apps. This would more clearly alert customers to whether they can expect functionality to be gated. Apple could additionally require developers to add detailed information to their App Store listings regarding the subscriptions so that customers can make informed decisions regarding which apps they choose to download.
The App Store editorial team should also more proactively and regularly promote Paid Apps which meet high standards. This would support perpetual ownership of software through improved discovery mechanisms and encourage developers to create high quality paid apps. Take Things 3, for instance - a one-time purchase that has delivered consistent, reliable task management for over six years, with thoughtful updates that respect both user workflows and data privacy. Similarly, apps like Paprika, Streaks, Reeder Classic and Forest all provide customers with exceptional experiences for a fair price. There also exist apps which provide Lifetime Subscriptions like Flighty and Goodnotes who could be considered for editorial consideration under these rules.
It is my sincerest belief that Apple can support an even healthier ecosystem for app developers through more conscious categorisation and promotion of Paid Apps. I equally believe that this would spur on a new wave of outstandingly high quality apps to support customers across the world.
I thank you for your time and consideration,
Oliver McQuitty
PS: I used Apple Intelligence to proofread this email. It works a treat!