Karandeep Singh / Android Authority
Google’s Play Store has a serious problem, and it’s something that’s a big source of frustration for me. While many apps on the Play Store offer subscriptions, I find it nearly impossible to figure out the exact price before I download them. Google makes it clear that an app offers “in-app purchases” right on the main page, but it never gives me the crucial pricing information I need.
This might seem like a small issue, but for me, it matters a lot. Price is a huge factor when I’m deciding on a new app. I pay for a lot of apps on a monthly basis, and I have no problem switching to a competitor if I can get a better deal without losing features. If I could just see the pricing scheme up front, I could find an alternative so much faster.
Would you like to see the price breakdown for each app in the Play Store? 37 votes Yes 97 % No 3 % The current price range is enough for me 0 %
The workarounds are terrible
Andy Walker / Android Authority
Right now, if I want to find an app’s subscription price, I have two terrible options. The first is to go to the developer’s website and hunt for the pricing details, which are often buried in support or FAQ pages. The second — and even worse — option is to download the app, in some cases even sign up for an account, and then navigate through its menus just to find the pricing information. It’s a huge hassle, especially if the price turns out to be way too high.
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You might be thinking, “But the pricing is listed on the app’s About page on the Play Store.” Well, not in my case. While Google does show a price range for apps in a lot of regions, it’s not available in my location on mobile. The field is completely empty for whatever reason. And even if I could see it, the information is far from precise. It’s just a general range and doesn’t tell me the exact cost for monthly, yearly, or other subscription tiers. I can make an educated guess, but I’d much rather see a full breakdown.
And regardless, this range is buried deep within the app’s description, far down the page. The price of an app is one of the most important factors for me, and it shouldn’t be something I have to hunt down. It should be clearly marked at the top of the main page.
Apple does it better
Mitja Rutnik / Android Authority
While I’m not an Apple fan, I have to give credit where credit is due. The App Store breaks down prices for each app in detail, so users know exactly what a monthly, yearly, or other plan will cost them.
The vague price range on the Play Store feels like an afterthought from both Google and developers. Let’s take Todoist, an app I’ve been subscribed to for years, as an example.
On the App Store, the pricing is clearly labeled. A monthly subscription costs $4.99, and a yearly subscription comes in at $47.99 if you pay upfront.
On the Play Store, the range is listed as $0.5 to $48. I can assume the highest number is for the yearly subscription, but I can’t figure out the exact monthly price — especially since most apps offer yearly discounts, so it’s not as simple as dividing by 12. And I still have no idea what the $0.5 price point is for. The price range just raises more questions than it answers for me.
YouTube Music's price range tells me absolutely nothing.
Google’s own app, YouTube Music, is another perfect example. On the App Store, the pricing is displayed clearly, showing the monthly cost for the basic plan, the premium plan that removes ads on YouTube, and the family plan. Prices start at $14.99 and go up to $29.99 per month. The prices are duplicated for some reason, but it’s not a major pain point for me.
On the Play Store, however, the price range is listed from $0.05 to $999.99, as you can see in the screenshot above. This tells me absolutely nothing. Having subscribed to YouTube Music in the past, I’m pretty sure the subscription doesn’t cost almost a thousand dollars and doesn’t start at just a few cents.
I’m not holding my breath
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
When I’m shopping for anything, the price is the first thing I look at. I don’t want to test drive a car before knowing the price. If it’s too expensive, I don’t want to waste my time with it. The same logic applies to apps. If an app costs too much, I won’t bother downloading it, even if a free trial is available.
Adding the exact pricing to the main page would solve this annoying problem that’s been irritating me. I hope Google gets the message, but I’m not holding my breath. Knowing Google, things will likely stay as they are for a while, even though I assume I’m not the only one who sees this as a major issue.
However, there’s a chance things will change somewhere down the line, and we’ll finally get to see exact pricing for each app. That would mean I wouldn’t have to download and then delete dozens of apps a month just to find out how much they cost. Here’s to hoping.
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