Why aren't demos an option in the App Store?

Accent

This is probably more important to us iOS musicians, but it is worth asking: why doesn't Apple provide an option to demo an app before purchase?

I can think of one that does, for the Zoom MS-100BT pedal, that gives you a 15 minute demo of an effect that can be uploaded to the hardware for testing...and as a result, I'm more likely to buy because of the short demo.

At the same time, I've purchase plenty of apps just to try them out that probably never got more than 5-15 minutes of use, but having no other option I've put down a few dollars and instantly regretted the purchase.

I guess that not having a demo option gives more opportunity for blind purchases that benefit both Apple and developers, but the more I dig into iOS, the less likely I am to throw money at an app unless I can be certain that I need it, which ultimately means I'm spending less money on the platform. A 5-15 minute demo period would encourage me more to get my feet wet and spend money, while the current model of buying and hoping for the best only makes me hedge all of my purchases.

adamkumpf

I think a demo option (or a short-time return policy) would be a great thing.

As a developer, I believe in what I'm creating and the price is set by the supply/demand based on what it's worth. I never want users to regret the purchase. If someone buys it and really finds it to be not what they wanted, I'd much rather they have a way to get their money back than be frustrated/upset from the experience.

That said, I think some apps are both useful and only need 5 minutes to get your money's worth (like a camera scanner app that takes a picture of a document and gives you a clean image like it was scanned). In that case, developers would get cheated and it'd be a bad deal.

So my suggestion would be to let developers decide if they want to allow short-time returns (5-30 minutes?) for each app. I'd totally enable that for Fiddlewax Pro if it was an option.

sonosaurus

I wish they supported a timed free trial mode as well, but I don't have my hopes up. As for refunds, people get them all the time, Apple has a procedure for it, even if it isn't broadly advertised.

MrNezumi

There are demo apps. Usually they are lite versions of the app and/or they need an IAP to make them fully functional.

sonosaurus

Right, what I want from Apple is an officially sanctioned time-limited free trial mode, where the user gets the full version without cost to try out for a specified time, after which they can purchase it or lose it (or perhaps revert to a debilitated state). Trying to do that now (eg dropping features after a time limit) seems to be a violation of Apple's developer agreement, even though I've heard of some apps (in other categories) doing it.

Sebastian

Yeah, demos would be nice.

fjcblanco

+1 for 30 days trial or something like that.

And more % for the devs from each sale.

SecretBaseDesign

I'd love it if there were time-limited demos as well (with a developer opting in if they want). The last thing any developer wants is a customer who feels like they got burned.

Apple is the one that controls this, though. And I'd guess they have no intention of doing it (if they thought it would make them more money, it would already exist).

Will

Yep, never going to happen. Demos mean developers could charge more money. More expensive apps is not the business plans. Commodification of apps == more device sales.

I'm all for demos and more money for devs just can't see it ever happening. Do they even allow them on the Mac App Store?