Paid up front apps can be a tough sell on the App Store. You might be getting plenty of views on your product page, but if those views aren’t converting to…

Donny Wals's blog offers insights into iOS development, Swift programming, and software engineering best practices. Readers can explore articles covering topics such as SwiftUI, Combine framework, and iOS app architecture patterns. Additionally, they can learn about iOS app testing, debugging techniques, and publishing apps on the App Store.

Donny Wals

Switching from paid upfront to freemium requires grandfathering existing users who already purchased the app. Using StoreKit's AppTransaction API, you can check the original app version or purchase date to identify legacy users and grant them lifetime access. Testing has quirks: TestFlight always reports version 1.0, reinstalls reset the original version, and device clock manipulation can affect date-based checks. The release sequence matters: set manual release, add reviewer notes explaining the transition, get approval, change the price to free in App Store Connect, then release the approved build. Cache legacy status locally in UserDefaults (or keychain for better security), and consider CloudKit for multi-device scenarios.

Migrating an iOS app from Paid up Front to Freemium – Donny Wals