Sketch:
We’ve been considering our options for some time. Over the last year, as we’ve made great progress with Sketch, the customer experience on the Mac App Store hasn’t evolved like its iOS counterpart. We want to continue to be a responsive, approachable, and easily-reached company, and selling Sketch directly allows us to give you a better experience.
There are a number of reasons for Sketch leaving the Mac App Store—many of which in isolation wouldn’t cause us huge concern. However as with all gripes, when compounded they make it hard to justify staying.
Not the first and certainly not the last developer to make this decision. As detailed in this blog post, the Mac App Store simply doesn’t work for some developers. Personally, I avoid using it whenever possible.
After all these years of it seemingly being the #1 requested developer feature, it’s mind-boggling that Apple won’t provide a way to do upgrade pricing in the iTunes store.
The only thing I can think of is that Apple has envisioned a scenario where “bad” developers charge $0.99 for every point update, scamming users into paying for app updates that don’t actually do anything, and souring people on using the app store for anything.
“Personally, I avoid using it whenever possible” LOL
The efficacy of Apple’s store model is no longer an item for debate. Consumers love it and the eye popping numbers attest to its popularity.
This is simply an issue of iOS leading the way and eventually Apple will get the better features rolled out to all of their stores.
For security’s sake I recommend people not avoid the MAS when possible unless you like managing serial numbers and other license mechanisms. If your desired app is compromised by Sandboxing to the point where it hampers functionality then buy direct but most apps don’t have significant issues with Sandboxing and if you’ve never had a compromised computer then thank your lucky stars. Complaining about Sandboxing is a 1st World issue.
I buy from the App Store first, and try to avoid the ones that go it alone wherever possible. Its just so easy and convenient to keep em’ all in the app store. Thankfully the iPhone isn’t like the Mac where people can go it on their own… though at the same time I understand the restrictions Apple puts on apps and wish they would loosen things up a bit.
The thing is, MAS provides the best overall user experience for purchasing and installing the app. And let’s not diminish the value of iTunes Gift Card.
Having said that, the reality is that developers need to make a living. Upgrade pricing would certainly help, as well as free upgrade window and trial period.
Furthermore, sandboxing prevents more powerful apps. Most of the sandboxing limitations can be elevated by adding new permission-based model (Security & Privacy).
These Sketch guys sure use every opportunity to get some limelight without actually involving their product (which is not bad, just to be clear). Whenever some rather unimportant developer talks more about Apple than the own product, I am developing selective deafness.
Still, while I love the App Store (being able to simply reinstall and update software from one location without a gazillion logins and passwords and serial numbers is great, having a relatively secure market place for non-technical users is great), I agree with the upgrade issue. By now I have five apps which I had to upgrade directly through the developer, just because the price difference compared to re-buying on the App Store was simply not even debatable. An example: updating from PDFPen Pro 5 to 6 through the developer was under 20 Euros, the new version on the App Store is 125 Euros… not going there.
As a software engineer I use some very specific tools that are not and really could not be on the MAS. That being said I prefer the MAS whenever possible and will always go there first and sometime will pick a tool that is available on the MAS over one that is not. Sketch and its developers at Bohemian Coding have other issues entirely. I’ve had nothing but poor experiences with both and frankly if leaving the MAS means they can make a decent product and change some of their poor choices then good for them. I won’t be buying Sketch again anyway.