Add free version. Standalone app or in app purchasing?

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

Hi i developed a game in corona and i want a version with ads and one without ads.
I think there are 2 possibillitys.

  1. Make a button in the game to remove ads with in app purchasing.
  2. Make a button and link to google play store to an add free version. So you have 2 apps in the google play store. One with ads and one without ads.

Which is better?

#2

I personally think in app purchase one is better. It is more common in games today. Plus you can keep your progress so you don’t have to play the same levels again.

#3

Personally I would say a single app with in app purchasing is better:

  • You only have to maintain 1 app in each of the stores, rather than 2.
  • You don’t fracture your user base across 2 apps. If you want your app to get to the top of the charts you stand a better chance with a single app, rather than 2 apps with your total number of users split across them.

I’m sure there are many other arguments, but these are 2 of the simplest I could think of.

#4

Apple seriouslly discourages two apps, one paid and one free. They would much rather you use IAP. I don’t know that Google has a stance on this, but app duplication makes it seriouslly hard to find anything.

Rob

#5

ok thanks to your replies…

But when somebody buys this app with In App purchasing i can save that he buys that version with prefernces.save(). But when he unistall this game and install that game again or he reset the app the saved prefernces get lost he has again the version with ads althought he buy the no Ads version. Is it right?

#6

Non comsuables can be restored

#7

Following on to Scott’s answer, on Android you would call store.restore() a few seconds after initializing the store. On iOS Apple requires that action to restore IAP’s be on a button somewhere in the User Interface. They don’t want the user to face a login prompt upon app start. 

Rob

#8

I personally think in app purchase one is better. It is more common in games today. Plus you can keep your progress so you don’t have to play the same levels again.

#9

Personally I would say a single app with in app purchasing is better:

  • You only have to maintain 1 app in each of the stores, rather than 2.
  • You don’t fracture your user base across 2 apps. If you want your app to get to the top of the charts you stand a better chance with a single app, rather than 2 apps with your total number of users split across them.

I’m sure there are many other arguments, but these are 2 of the simplest I could think of.

#10

Apple seriouslly discourages two apps, one paid and one free. They would much rather you use IAP. I don’t know that Google has a stance on this, but app duplication makes it seriouslly hard to find anything.

Rob

#11

ok thanks to your replies…

But when somebody buys this app with In App purchasing i can save that he buys that version with prefernces.save(). But when he unistall this game and install that game again or he reset the app the saved prefernces get lost he has again the version with ads althought he buy the no Ads version. Is it right?

#12

Non comsuables can be restored

#13

Following on to Scott’s answer, on Android you would call store.restore() a few seconds after initializing the store. On iOS Apple requires that action to restore IAP’s be on a button somewhere in the User Interface. They don’t want the user to face a login prompt upon app start. 

Rob