How come desktop software is so much more expensive than iPad apps?

The Lounge Other Gear
1

I don’t know anything about software engineering so I’m sure there’s a good reason…But it just seems funny to me. Why is TAL-U-NO LX 12 bucks on the app store but 40 bucks if you buy the desktop version? Same could be said for the Arturia stuff, Moog stuff, etc. FL Studio Mobile (which I assume isn’t as fully featured as the real-deal) is 1/10 the cost of the desktop version.

I would think it’d be more difficult to develop on an iPad/iPhone cause you have to account for touch screens, right?

2

Apart from the touch UI it might be because the heavy lifting is already done when they make the VST and porting it to AUv3 or what not is another way to monetize their code base. I’m happy that the likes of Fabfilter, Eventide, Steinberg, Audio Damage etc. have ports or their apps for a fraction of their desktop counterparts :slight_smile:

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3

possibly cuz desktops are so much more powerful and require full software suites. ipad apps often have limited features compared to their full size friends. UI is totally different beast than programing the code behind it all. not saying any of it is easy. one is based on making it look and flow well, the other one needs to actually make those things happen. so in that way, UI is easy-“er”.

just my thoughts…

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4

I think the big advantage over the AU and VST are you can have multiple sessions up in your daw so you can mute and unmute your favorite Juno preset with the notes you have chosen.

5

I don’t see how this could affect the price though…

6

Good point maybe the code on the plugin is more cpu intensive.

7

People don’t pay that much for a mobile app than for a “full blown” software on pc or Mac. Even if they Would release a full Ableton to iOS, no one would pay 500 or more for it!

I also think that they sell way more 8€ reverbs on iOS than they sell 50€ ones on desktop, because most DAW come with one. If you look at in app sales, they come up with some money tho :slight_smile:

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8

i Love that IOS Price Range and it’s really powerful to get some of the recent Apps.

even tho you can buy an iPad mini 2 for about 60 bucks these days, which is insane even if you just operate GarageBand instruments in IOS :heart_eyes:

9

I have this feeling that it’s not desktop software that is expensive, it’s iPad apps that are crazy cheap.

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10

Its because your paying for the Pirate copies and the majority of people use a cracked version of a PC or Mac VST.

11

+1 for IOS :new_moon_with_face:

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  • Apple ‘recommends’ lower prices. The competition also sets the lower prices.
  • Everything on desktop gets cracked within a few days of release. Copy protection is required for desktop software and it can be expensive, and needs updated often.
  • Apple App Store stores the software, updates, IAPs; it’s not on the dev’s server.
  • Apple App Store handles the sales, refunds, etc; not the dev.
  • The most popular apps sell a lot more units than their desktop counterparts.
  • Some apps have long-standing bugs; it’s easier for the dev to not fix them and blame Apple.
  • Some devs provide less customer support in exchange for the lower prices. But most don’t.
  • Many apps are 1-to-1 ports, but require more powerful iPads.
  • iOS/iPadOS currently only allows a single thread for audio processing; it’s not multi-threaded.
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13

The question is not why desktop apps are so expensive, but why are iOS apps so cheap?

The expectation in the App Store is that apps should be cheap. Few will pay more than a few Euros for an app. This is also the reason so few complex apps exist on iOS.

To pay a team (or just an individual) to develop and improve on an app, you have to sell it for a fair price. Otherwise you can’t support development. €10 for a perpetual license isn’t enough.

Another problem is a lack of trials, and no upgrade pricing. When Ableton goes from v9 to v10, they can charge €150 or whatever to existing users to upgrade. You can’t do that in the App Store. You’d have to make a whole new app each time, and support it, and deal with users downloading the old one by mistake.

And no free trials means people can’t try before they buy, which means they’re unwilling to spend more than €10. It’s too risky.

There are exceptions — apps from big companies like Adobe, or amazing indie apps like Beatmaker 3. But BM3 always seems like it’s on life support.

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Here in Europe you can refund every app within 14 days. That’s enough trial time!

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