Re:Ask HN: Mac App Store worth it for a $0.99 app?
by cairnechou on Wednesday November 12, 2025 @02:41AM
(#45897353)
You're targeting "music/video/content producers," who are professionals.
In this market, a $0.99 price tag is a liability, not an asset. It signals "hobbyist toy," "abandonware," or "data-harvesting scam." Professionals are used to paying for tools that solve a problem, and they will happily pay $9.99 or $19.99 for a "1 trick pony" if it saves them 10 minutes of frustration just once.
Don't price it based on its "simplicity." Price it based on the value it provides to your niche audience. You'll need 100 sales at $0.99 just to break even on the fee. You'd only need 10 sales at $9.99. The latter is a much more realistic validation signal.
In this market, a $0.99 price tag is a liability, not an asset. It signals "hobbyist toy," "abandonware," or "data-harvesting scam." Professionals are used to paying for tools that solve a problem, and they will happily pay $9.99 or $19.99 for a "1 trick pony" if it saves them 10 minutes of frustration just once.
Don't price it based on its "simplicity." Price it based on the value it provides to your niche audience. You'll need 100 sales at $0.99 just to break even on the fee. You'd only need 10 sales at $9.99. The latter is a much more realistic validation signal.