Developing a mobile application may be an expensive endeavor. In recent years, mobile app performance requirements have risen dramatically, and fulfilling them is not always inexpensive or straightforward. Tools like software builders or free crash reporting SDKs may be a relief for companies on a low budget, but free software often becomes far more costly than commercial options.
In this article, we will discuss what it means for commercial software to be free and the associated cost and risk; before adopting those terms and conditions, knowing if the free software is worth the shot and if you’re receiving enough in return is crucial.
Consumer versus enterprise freeware
Most individuals do not mind exchanging data for a product or service since they see it as a beneficial trade. Users of Meta and Google products, as well as those of similar firms, are typically aware that their data is being monetized. They read the terms and privacy regulations before signing up.
Every day, billions of people accept this as an acceptable exchange. Trading data for free software might be a straightforward option for consumers, but it is more complex for enterprises. Free is attractive pricing for products such as app performance monitoring and crash reporting tools, which are required to develop high-quality applications.
However, mobile applications are subject to considerably different risk factors and responsibilities than users. Before picking a vendor offering a free service, an app owner must be aware of these possible expenses. We will describe these factors in further detail below.
Data privacy and openness
Data privacy laws have recently grown. GDPR compliance is essential for all enterprises. Owners of mobile applications are responsible for understanding how their SDKs collect, store, and utilize data (related: Mobile SDKs and GDPR Compliance).
Selecting a GDPR-compliant stack safeguards your organization from future liabilities and penalties. If your mobile app employs SDKs that gather the end user’s personal information, you must remain current on foreign data privacy rules. Additionally, developers have an increasing role in shaping the future of digital privacy.
Developers choose the technologies used to create mobile applications and determine the amount of personal data collected. When businesses opt to employ free tools for their users’ data, they provide the company with a voyeuristic glimpse into the private lives of millions of individuals.
It has been shown that anonymized data may be utilized to identify actual persons and that firms that gather this data are not necessarily concerned with privacy; Google is now facing a $5 billion privacy lawsuit brought by users.
Developers concerned about the erosion of online privacy can safeguard their users, who are demonstrating a growing privacy concern.
Data ownership and use by third parties
We have already examined how data may be sold or mined for profit and how this pushes businesses to provide free services of value. Large organizations, such as Google, exchange data amongst the products on its platform to improve product development and insights; however, they are not always upfront about how this data is used.
For example, Firebase’s privacy policy lacks specifics on data sharing, explicitly addressing its usage by Google services other than Firebase. It also claims that even if users deactivate this option, Firebase Service data will continue to be utilized for other reasons but does not specify how. Your app should own its data, which should not be accessed, shared, or sold to outside parties. In the same way that there are inherent hazards in collecting and processing personal data, there are also possibilities in establishing privacy as a key brand value.
End-users want companies to keep their data private, and digital privacy ultimately impacts the perception and value of a brand.
Conclusion:
Free software is not necessarily undesirable. It would help if you examined your tools and verified that they are the safest option for your organization and your app’s consumers. Even if it’s free, analytics software, for example, is not necessarily anti-privacy. Any development platform, including Builder.ai, may be used to create an Apple watch app.
