Shocking Revelation: Android Users Least Likely to Pay for Apps

A new report from analytics company, Flurry suggests that consumers' unwillingness to pay for mobile apps has forced developers to release their apps for free. The trend goes across all platforms, but Android users are particularly unlikely to pay for apps up front.

Flurry's study showed that between 2010 and 2012, free apps accounted for between 80% and 84% of all app downloads. In 2013 so far, that number grew to 90% of all apps and doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. The infographic below paints a picture of the disparity between iOS and Android users. Apple iPad users are the most willing to pay for apps with an average price of $0.50 per app downloaded, followed by iPhone users at $0.19 per app. Android users are the least likely to buy apps, spending an average of only $0.06 per app downloaded.

Flurry's analysis points out that Android users are less likely to pay for apps, but are more amenable to in app purchases, such as those in Candy Crush Saga. Check out the post for a more in-depth look, and infographics like the one below.

Android Users Are Even Less Willing to Pay For Apps

Up until now, we have focused on iOS apps because they have been around longer, but what about Android? Conventional wisdom (backed by a variety of non-Flurry surveys) is that Android users tend to be less affluent and less willing to pay for things than iOS users. Does the app pricing data support that theory? Resoundingly.

As of April 2013, the average price paid for Android apps (including those where the price was free) was significantly less than for iPhone and iPad apps as shown below. This suggests that Android owners want app content to be free even more than iOS device users, implying that Android users are more tolerant of in-app advertising to subsidize the cost of developing apps.

About The Author