Apple has assured that the Vision Pro ushers us into the era of “spatial computing.” What is certain for now is that With them we are back in the era of pay-per-download appsat least temporarily.

Here’s what comes out of a report published by Appfigures, a company specializing in mobile app analytics: 52% of VisionOS-specific apps published on the App Store so far are paid; This is a very high figure compared to the iOS store. 5% of apps make money this way.

This phenomenon will not last very long.

52% on VisionOS, 5% on iOS

Pay-per-download apps were very common on iOS in the early years of the App Store. The reason was simple: No purchases were made in-app and for years subscriptions were reserved for very specific types of applications.

Once Apple broke down those walls, apps found ways to make money despite being offered as free downloads and not just because of advertising. Something that makes them trend.

A free app can be installed instinctively, automatically, and then we will decide whether we want to pay for internal purchase or subscription. With pay-per-download this process does not exist and many potential customers cancel the purchase outright Not being able to test beforehand.

So why did we return to this model in VisionOS? TechCrunch It notes that this analysis only considered less than a thousand apps (at the time of the report’s publication) that were either exclusive to VisionOS or adapted versions of existing apps on iOS. That doesn’t take into account the more than a million older iPadOS apps that run in two dimensions.

A small portion of this group operates by subscription; Just over half operates through the aforementioned pay-per-download route, and the remaining third is monetized outside of the App Store.

The answer to this phenomenon is as follows: The gold rush that represented the first days of a $4,000 device on the market. Owners have demonstrated a certain financial savvy that helps them continue to spend a few more dollars to improve the device experience.

Plus, since there are so few apps available yet, it’s much easier to stand out when trying to get attention. Most paid apps cost less than ten dollars, so it’s possible to opt for the instinctive purchase.

There are also some apps that command a higher price, such as the interactive periodic table that sells for $99.

This initial trend contrasts with the skyrocketing subscription trajectory that Apple itself is encouraging. More than five years have passed since the call for developers to adopt this business model. The explanation is simple: Recurring, non-punctual revenue is very attractive to any company. Also for someone who wants to reduce their dependence on selling hardware.

This is part of the strategy we’ve been talking about for years: strengthening the Services division, which includes revenue from the App Store.

As more and more apps come to the VisionOS store we can expect an increase in apps with external monetization or integrated subscriptions. While it’s not at the level of the iOS App Store, which accounts for 95% of titles when added to the free ones, yes, it’s at a level that normalizes this anomaly for Apple’s app stores. A temporary abnormality.

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