You already know that there are thousands of apps that are free to download and use. However, did you know there are ways to get paid apps for free?
In this article, we’re sharing 10 ways you can get paid apps without paying for them. We’re not talking about illegal downloads here.
Instead, we’re talking about legit ways you can get paid apps for free. Read on to learn more about how you can stop paying for apps you normally would have had to pay for.
Table of Contents
How to Get Paid Apps for Free
Each of the ideas listed here gets you legally downloaded paid apps for free. Note that the rules and terms for each idea vary based on the specific program.
For that reason, you’ll want to browse all of our suggestions to see which ones best fit you. Take advantage of one or all of the suggestions here to help you save money.
1. Google Opinion Rewards
For: Android
If you’re searching for a smart way to get free Android apps and other free stuff, signing up for Google Opinion Rewards might be your answer.
When you sign up for Google Opinion Rewards, you share your opinions on products, services, and more through the site’s app.
Sharing your opinion on surveys can be a great way to help influence the development of products and services you see on the market.
As you answer questions, you earn credits for each survey you complete. Then you can use your credits to get paid apps for free.
Note that you might get just a few surveys or you might get sent a lot of surveys when you sign up on this site.
Filling out the signup form accurately and having your location on your phone turned on will help you get more surveys.
Signing up for Google Opinion Rewards is just one way you can get free Google Play credits. See our article on how to get free Google Play credits for more ideas.
2. AppSales App
For: Android
The AppSales app is a free app that advertises other apps that are discounted or free via limited-time offers.
The app has an assortment of cool features such as a watchlist feature, a price history feature, and a categories section.
Also, you can hit “dismiss” when you see an app if you don’t want to be shown that app again. And you can use the advanced filter options to narrow down the list of suggested apps.
As an example, you can choose to receive app sale notifications only for apps that have high ratings, with no ads, or with no in-app purchases available.
Note that there is a premium version available that gives you benefits like a longer price history view (360 days instead of 60 days) and other benefits.
However, even the basic app provides all that you need to find limited offers of free or discounted apps.
Also, note that there is an app called AppSales for iOS, however, it is not related to this particular app and may or may not provide the same benefits.
3. Mistplay
For: Android
Mistplay is a free app that you use to discover and play new games. If you like playing games on your phone, this app is for you.
When you try new games, you earn points called “units” every time you play.
The longer you play each game, and the more games you play, the more units you will earn.
There are varying types of points (units) offered depending on which games you play and how long you play.
You can earn units or points for other activities as well, such as referring friends. As you accumulate units you can use them to get great rewards.
One of your reward choices is free Google Play credits, which you can then use to get paid apps for free.
Other reward choices include Amazon gift cards and Visa gift cards. Hint: If you’re looking to max out your earnings, play each game as long as you can.
Mistplay is legit: the app has given away over $21 million in rewards since being launched in 2015.
Bonus: enter weekly and monthly contests for a chance to win prizes. See the Mistplay website for more information on contest giveaways.
4. Aptoide
For: Android
Aptoide touts itself as an alternative (to the Google Play store) Android app store with no geo-restrictions and all free content. Basically, it’s an open-source platform for apps.
The numbers prove it’s a legit app; Aptoide has over 300 million users and over 7 billion downloads. The site boasts over 1 million free apps.
Aptoide also has AppCoins and AppCoins credits. AppCoins is a cryptocurrency that can be purchased or traded.
AppCoins credits are earned as you play or when you refer some to the Aptoide app, and the credits can be earned to help you pay for in-app purchases.
Note that Aptoide often has older or outdated versions of apps. For that reason, the app might not be ideal for some users.
Bonus: Check out Aptoide TV for access to over 2,000 free Android TV apps.
5. GetJar
For: Android
GetJar calls itself the “world’s biggest open app store for Android.” The site has been in existence since 2004.
Its original purpose was to function as a testing platform for app developers. In less than two years it became the largest open app store for Android.
The site now delivers millions of app downloads each day. You can find a wide variety of free app categories on GetJar, including:
- Games
- Entertainment
- Food
- Health
- Education
- Music
You’ll also find apps in categories such as News & Weather, Financial, Lifestyle, Productivity, and Sports.
Shopping apps and travel apps are available on GetJar too. Some categories contain subcategories for even further app downloading.
For instance, within the Entertainment category, you can find categories for books, movies, magazines, and more.
There’s no limit to the number of free apps you can download as long as you stay within your device’s storage capabilities.
6. AppAdvice
For: iOS
AppAdvice is a free app for iOS users that shares news about the newest, coolest free apps.
You can find articles and in-depth reviews about those apps too, explaining their benefits, etc.
You’ll also find a host of other information in the app, such as the latest Apple news and answers to every question you have about your Apple device.
While there are some complaints in the reviews about the AppAdvice app, overall it gets good ratings.
Some users complained about bugginess and slow performance after some updates. The app calls itself your iOS BFF. Try it and see if you agree.
7. Amazon App Store
For: Android
As with the mainstream Amazon store, the Amazon App Store features millions of apps. The Amazon app store caters to Android users.
It offers one free app download every day; Amazon’s way of competing with the Google Play store for competition.
Note that you have to be an Amazon member and sign in to your Amazon account in order to access the Amazon app store.
You can buy Amazon app coins at a discount in order to save money on the apps in the Amazon app store that you want to pay for.
The selection in the Amazon App Store isn’t huge, but it’s worth browsing if you’re going to be on Amazon shopping anyway.
8. iOSnoops
For: iOS
The iOSnoops app keeps track of iOS apps that have gone free or have been discounted.
When you visit the iOSnoops app page, you’ll see three categories to choose from:
- App price drops
- Apps gone free
- New apps
The headers feature a list of the five top apps for each category. However, if you click on the box you’ll see all of the apps in that particular category (sale, free, new).
Of course, we like the “free” list the best since that is what this post is about. But you’ll want to check out the price drop lists too.
You can get steep discounts on apps in this section, up to 70%, 80%, or more off of an app’s regular price.
The “new apps” section is nice too, simply because it keeps you abreast of the latest iOS apps to come on the market.
Also, each selection in each category is marked with a banner that helps you differentiate between the deals.
For instance, a green “active” banner means the deal is currently active. A yellow “active” banner means the deal is active but will promote in-app purchases.
And a red “expired” banner means the deal is no longer available. Banners can change quickly, which is another reason to check this app every day if you’re an iOS user.
9. myAppFree
For: Android
The myAppFree app calls itself “your personal advisor for apps and games.”
Once you download the myAppFree app and install a few apps from it, the app’s AI will be able to recommend more apps for you, based on your download history.
The myAppFree team works every day to bring you the latest deals on free and discounted apps.
They work directly with developers to get you deals on apps in general or on premium usage within apps.
Along with free apps, you can get discounts of up to 90% on the paid apps; some apps cost as low as 10 cents.
Note that on this app, some apps are discounted or free for a week, while others are discounted or free for only 24 hours.
Moral of the story: If you see a free (or discounted) app you like, download it right away. If you don’t, the deal may be gone before you know it.
The myAppFree app works on all Android mobile devices including Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, and more.
Reviewers say this app has a wide variety of app categories to choose from. Overall, the app gets a rating of 4.4 on the app store rating system.
10. Play Store Sales
For: Android
Play Store Sales is a website dedicated to monitoring Android app sales and freebies everywhere.
This site can be a great way for you to have a one-stop shopping venue to monitor discounted and free apps.
Check out the Free For Now tab at the top of the page to find the best free apps. And there are four other tabs dedicated to apps on sale:
- Best Sales
- App Sales
- Game Sales
- Icon Pack Sales
The site doesn’t say how long the discounts last, so you’ll want to download apps you like as soon as possible.
Once you click on an app you think you might want, you can get the full scoop on what the app or game entails.
The Play Store Sales website will show you what the app is rated, how many downloads have occurred, the lowest price the app has been at, and more.
You’ll even get a brief summary of what the app does. This is especially important if you’re downloading a game app.
And if it is a game app, you can see a short sample video of how the game operates.
Hint: If you like game apps, check out our article on the Best Game Apps to Win Money.
Discounted apps often come at 80% off or more of the app’s regular retail price.
Bonus: Subscribe to the site’s weekly email in order to get early notice of great apps that are free or discounted.
Summary
When you use the recommended techniques listed here to get paid apps for free, you’ll be able to save a lot of money.
Most apps don’t cost a whole lot of money individually. However, combined you can spend a big amount of cash as you try out new apps and switch them out for other apps, etc.
Work on cutting those electronics costs by using these options to get free Android and iOS apps.
You may not be able to get all of your apps for free, but you’ll find freebies and discounts on at least some of the apps you like.
