GetJar today officially announced GetJar Gold, a program that gives consumers access to free premium applications that they would have to pay for on other app stores.
The company promises new apps at GetJar Gold every day that will remain on the store, unlike Amazon App Store for Android, which offers one free premium app per day, for one day only.
Titles currently available for free through GetJar Gold include Age of Zombies, TuneIn Radio Pro, Solo, Paper Glider and Splashtop Remote Desktop.
“The industry has realized that what consumers want are premium apps without cost, but how to make it sustainable has been the big question. GetJar has developed a business model to make free apps work,” said TuneIn Radio CEO Bill Moore, in a press release.
GetJar pays developers on a per-install basis, and gives them more exposure since free applications are downloaded 10 to 20 times more often than paid apps.
“We are able to develop programs like GetJar Gold because of our open and free business model,” said Ilja Laurs, CEO and founder of GetJar, adding his regrets that the company cannot extend the program to iPhone users, as Apple does not allow for competing app distributors like GetJar.
“Unfortunately, iPhone users will have to continue paying for the very same apps that their Android counterparts enjoy for free,” Laurs said in the press release.
