Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

The Mac App Store makes it impossible to charge for software customers have already paid for? Tragic.


Not impossible, hackish.

You can emulate upgrade pricing via bundles.

If you sold V1 for $5.00 and then you want to sell V2 to new customers for $5.00 but existing customers. You can bundle the two versions for $8.00 and in the description for V1 you tell them that version 2 is available and don't buy it. You tell customers that have bought V1 already to get the bundle for $3.


That's an interesting workaround. The question I meant to raise was whether a workaround is justified, or whether software developers should just maintain the apps they sell.


It depends. If your app can work within the sandbox and it's a one and done like a game, maybe. The Mac platform changes so slowly you don't have to worry as much about incompatibility with s new OS as you do iOS.

But if you ever want paid upgrades or you are already a well known app -no.

For instance it wouldn't make any sense for MS or Adobe to be in the Mac App Store.


I thought bundles were only available on iOS, not Mac?


You are absolutely right. Yet another reason the Mac App Store is a dumpster fire....


Free upgrades forever isn’t a sustainable business model for us.

Ben Woodruff

AgileBits




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: