[newbalance]

Yes, the economics of mobile apps really are that tough. The App Store has been around for over a decade now, and the "race to the bottom" has brought us the almost exclusive use of in-app purchases for monetizing apps.

Market is a big part of app success which is why we see games and companies with real budget making the $$ in the App Stores. Gotta market to those whales!

Furthermore, users expect a very high quality mobile app these days and often don't want to pay for features. Got a great app with a few amazing paid features? Expect some negative app reviews. Everyone, app developers included, expect amazing, free, mobile apps. It's unrealistic.