These apps have existed for many years now and the "business model" behind them has changed over the times. These apps are available on Google Play and F-Droid. Originally, the apps were completely free, and there was a "Thank You" app which you could purchase on Google Play. This "Thank You" app does almost nothing, it only allows you to change the color theme of the apps and is more meant as a "donation app" for the project.
Then, in 2018, the author decided to develop "Pro" versions of the most popular apps: Gallery, Calendar, Contacts, File Manager, etc. They can be bought on Google Play. These apps are still fully open source, you can build them yourself if you want, but much easier: they are still published on F-Droid, including the "Thank You" app.
Understandably, the author does not really advertise that everything he does is available completely for free on F-Droid. If you install it from there, please consider to donate. I find these apps to be usually excellent and have used them for years.
Developer's response to several of the negative reviews complaining about their data being held hostage:
> Hey, it is just a tiny one time payment, you will never have to pay again :) lf you uninstall the paid app within 2 hours, you are automatically refunded. If you want a refund anytime later just contact us
While I understand and respect the developer's desire to monetize, creating a set of expectations and then pushing an update to require payment for accessing local data feels like ransom. Have to be careful with the trust users place in you.
I do not have personal experience and it appears that the f-droid versions have no anti-features, but those comments at Play store were specifically talking about their data being held hostage.
Yeah but the price is symbolic... and maintaining app on Android, even without adding any features, requires some work to catch up on the changes made to the system
> Understandably, the author does not really advertise that everything he does is available completely for free on F-Droid. If you install it from there, please consider to donate. I find these apps to be usually excellent and have used them for years.
I actually wanted to support osmand financially, only at the time the only way I could find to do so was through the play store, which I didn't want to use.
I've tried the simple apps and they are ok, but there are so many good alternatives on fdroid they don't stand out in any way.
Osmand is (or was last I checked) also available paid on the Amazon Fire store.
If you get Amazon digital credit, e.g. from a "prime day delivery", you can use the fire store to donate that money to Osmand or whatever other app of preference.
it literally is (see `.plus`); in fact, if you install from F-droid, and then open Google Play to look at OsmAnd+, `Install` button is gone, just `Open`
> Then, in 2018, the author decided to develop "Pro" versions of the most popular apps...
That's when I started getting notifications to get the pro version every once and a while, even though I had bought the thank you for $15. It would have been nice to get grandfathered. I was and still am thankful. They are great apps for me.
Yeah, similar thing for me. I spent a good bit (probably ~Rs 30 of my Rs 50) Google Play Balance on the thank you app as I loved the idea. When I saw the "paid" versions, even though I got all of them when they were free in the introductory period it left a bad taste in my mouth.
(If you're wondering how someone had so little money to spend/disposable income try being a kid in a third-world country.)
Mindustry (a tower defense factorio supcom-ish game) follows a similar model. Its paid on Steam, its free and GPLv3 on GitHub (and Android), and there don't seem to be many complaints about it.
IMO more closed source devs need to follow this model, or the "open source but proprietary" model that's working for Barotrauma.
I think aseprite does the same, which is cool, but I find its build scheme a bit complex, depending on not so simple to build libraries. I'm not proficient enough with the tech stack used but it seems unnecessary complex. Eh, I prefer the guy/gal to be paid. (Edit: typo)
These apps have existed for many years now and the "business model" behind them has changed over the times. These apps are available on Google Play and F-Droid. Originally, the apps were completely free, and there was a "Thank You" app which you could purchase on Google Play. This "Thank You" app does almost nothing, it only allows you to change the color theme of the apps and is more meant as a "donation app" for the project.
Then, in 2018, the author decided to develop "Pro" versions of the most popular apps: Gallery, Calendar, Contacts, File Manager, etc. They can be bought on Google Play. These apps are still fully open source, you can build them yourself if you want, but much easier: they are still published on F-Droid, including the "Thank You" app.
Understandably, the author does not really advertise that everything he does is available completely for free on F-Droid. If you install it from there, please consider to donate. I find these apps to be usually excellent and have used them for years.