Android Market vs GetJar

[LexiconStudios]

Any users out there have strong feelings for or against GetJar? Which is your market of choice?

Any developers out there have experience publishing with it? What were the pros and cons? Did you see increased downloads by accessing that second market?

 

[Deleted User]

As a user, my *strong* preference is to limit my purchases to Google Play. It ensures both timely updates (compared to other markets), and since the paid apps are what I want restored the most after resetting/upgrading, it's convenient to have those centralized, vs having to track down and install other markets to then track down and install apps. For adware, I'll take it from anywhere as it tends to be less important when push comes to shove.

 

[dylane]

The last time I tried Android for a couple of weeks I found I liked the F-Droid repository for FOSS applications. Felt less cluttered than the Play Store.

 

[fdbryant3]

Use to to use GetJar when they offered free "paid" apps through their Gold program. Since they changed the Gold program I stopped using them. The most negative effect of this is the apps I got through them are no longer updated, which really kinda annoys me since GetJar paid for those apps for me.

Anyway I just stick with the Play store or the Amazon store for the free app of the day.

 

[Deleted User]

Yeah, I fooled around with GetJar for a while for the "Gold program", but given that they were at no cost to me, I didn't stick with it very long. It was nice to use some of them for nothing out of pocket, but I prefer to pay for the apps if they mean enough to me.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Prefer Play myself. For some apps that we use across family (across different accounts), I use Amazon.

 

[lexluthor]

Any users out there have strong feelings for or against GetJar? Which is your market of choice?

Any developers out there have experience publishing with it? What were the pros and cons? Did you see increased downloads by accessing that second market?

I don't think GetJar would be anyone's "market of choice". If it's available in the Play Store and it's the same price in the Play Store, why would you even consider not getting it there?

Edit: True as far as the Amazon comment above me. If I know I'll want it for multiple phones, I might consider getting it there. I keep each phone with it's own google account and only the 1 google account, but I use the same Amazon account across all phones.

 

[Deleted User]

I don't think GetJar would be anyone's "market of choice". If it's available in the Play Store and it's the same price in the Play Store, why would you even consider not getting it there?

I think the appeal was (formerly) their Gold program, and I've heard the guy that runs it in an interview claim that it was more family friendly/safe for all ages.

 

[zuben el genub]

I used Getjar with Symbian. Fairly happy with it. Might have also used it with a Coby tablet.

 

[LexiconStudios]

Their interface isn't bad and it seems like the apps are a bit more well vetted on Getjar, but that being said nothing beats the simplicity of google play.

 

[sohguanh]

The reason is simple. Not all Android devices came pre-installed with Google Play. So if you want your Android apps to reach a bigger audience market you need to install on other third party app stores too. This group of users is too big to ignore. I know cuz I compare the download statistics.

On another aspect, don't you want your app to better other people's daily lives? Do you want to deprive them juz becuz they has no Google Play to install your app? An app is created to be used and it should not be restricted to a selected group of users. It should be for everyone.

 

[Deleted User]

On another aspect, don't you want your app to better other people's daily lives? Do you want to deprive them juz becuz they has no Google Play to install your app? An app is created to be used and it should not be restricted to a selected group of users. It should be for everyone.

I don't contest your sentiment, but if Devs aren't updating their apps *concurrently*, users of alternate app stores will feel abandoned, and snake bitten by extension.

 

[LexiconStudios]

Any thoughts on their downloads for gold program and how that works out for users and developers?

 

[Deleted User]

AFAIK, their Gold Program is no more

 

[chanchan05]

Its GetJar Rewards now. For EVERY app you download through them, they give you 10 coins which you can spend on apps. There are a few paid apps that sell through GetJar, mostly themes, but there are a few useful ones like Easy Voice Recorder. Also GetJar now works like AppBrain, where it just serves as a front end for the Android Market, and going through the GetJar app still takes you to PlayStore to download, the difference being GetJar registers you went through them.

Personally, since I won't pay for something as inane as a theme going through GetJar to buy those things is fine by me.

 

[LexiconStudios]

Since it serves as a front end, should I assume that my total downloads are accurately reflected in the Android Market alone and not Android Market downloads + GetJar downloads?

Are my download statistics in GetJar meaningful if it just serves as a front end?

 

[mikedt]

The reason is simple. Not all Android devices came pre-installed with Google Play. So if you want your Android apps to reach a bigger audience market you need to install on other third party app stores too. This group of users is too big to ignore.

China?

There's a heck of a lot of Android devices here, and the vast majority of them don't have Play. The few that do have Play, it's free apps only.

 

[chanchan05]

Since it serves as a front end, should I assume that my total downloads are accurately reflected in the Android Market alone and not Android Market downloads + GetJar downloads?

Are my download statistics in GetJar meaningful if it just serves as a front end?

Depends on when you started. GetJar recently just went through an overhaul. Now when you enter GetJar, when you decide to download something, it opens up the Play Store and downloads directly from the market. The statistics for GetJar serves only to count how many coins your account has.

 

[LexiconStudios]

Gotcha. Makes sense, thanks for the info.

Hey Mikedt: What market do chinese users typically use? Xie xie.

 

[LexiconStudios]

Gotcha. Makes sense, thanks for the info.

Hey Mikedt: What market do chinese users typically use? Xie xie.

 

[OverByter]

My apps are around 70% Google and the rest are Amazon.

 

[mikedt]

Gotcha. Makes sense, thanks for the info.

Hey Mikedt: What market do chinese users typically use? Xie xie.

Xie Xie is one of them, not sure how popular it is for apps though. China Mobile, Unicom and Telecom all operate their own apps stores. And some of the major device-makers do their own app stores as well, Lenovo has "LeStore". It's nearly all free and ad-supported apps though.

There's a lot of sharing sites as well, with pirated paid apps. Because most Chinese just don't like paying for software. They don't like paying for downloaded MP3s*, and they ain't going to pay for Android apps either.

* The music companies give away music in China, in return for ad-revenue. Google China tried to do this for a couple of years with a free/ad-supported MP3 download and streaming service, but they recently pulled the plug on it. Probably because they couldn't compete with Baidu.

 

[LexiconStudios]

Oh, I just meant thank you. I didn't know xie xie was actually a site.

Do those stores automatically populate with the free apps on google play or do I need to manually put my app on those stores in order to access the chinese market?