{{Short description|Defunct app-discovery application}} {{Infobox website |name = AppGratis |logo = Appgratis logo.png |url = {{URL|http://appgratis.com/}} |founder = Simon Dawlat |location = Paris |country = France |founded = {{Start date and age|2008|p=y}} in San Francisco |dissolved = {{End date and age|2017|02|15}} |country_of_origin = United States |international = yes |current_status = Defunct |native_clients = iOS, Android }}
'''AppGratis''' was an app-discovery application founded in 2008 by French engineer, Simon Dawlat.<ref name=Forbes>{{cite web|url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/04/09/appgratis-ceo-picks-up-the-pieces-after-being-dropped-from-the-app-store/|title=AppGratis CEO Picks Up The Pieces After Being Dropped From The App Store|work=Forbes|author=Parmy Olson|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Forbes2>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/02/18/5-minutes-with-the-founder-of-global-app-curation-hit-appgratis/|title=5 Minutes With The Founder Of Curation Hit AppGratis|work=Forbes|author=Parmy Olson|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name="All Things D">{{cite web|url=http://allthingsd.com/20130410/apples-ouster-of-appgratis-is-just-the-start-of-an-app-store-crackdown/|title=Apple's Ouster of AppGratis Is Just the Start of an App Store Crackdown|publisher=All Things D|author=John Paczkowski|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Business Insider">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/app-gratis-used-lure-of-app-store-rankings-to-attract-developers-2013-4|title=Leaked Document Shows AppGratis Used Lure Of App Store Rankings To Attract Cash From Developers|publisher=Business Insider|author=Steve Kovach|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name=VentureBeat>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/04/09/appgratis-last-week-apple-approved-our-app-this-week-they-pulled-it/|title=AppGratis: Last week Apple approved our app — this week they pulled it|publisher=Venture Beat|author=John Koetsier|accessdate=October 4, 2013|date=2013-04-10|archive-date=2013-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004215639/http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/09/appgratis-last-week-apple-approved-our-app-this-week-they-pulled-it/|url-status=dead}}</ref> AppGratis curators found and recommended apps, which the apps were then featured to download for free or at a reduced price.<ref name=VentureBeat2>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/12/07/mobile-developers-this-is-how-you-get-500000-installs-in-one-day/|title=Mobile developers: This is how you get 500,000 installs in one day|publisher=Venture Beat|author=John Koetsier|accessdate=October 4, 2013|date=2012-12-08|archive-date=2013-10-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005024700/http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/07/mobile-developers-this-is-how-you-get-500000-installs-in-one-day/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In April 2013, AppGratis was removed from the Apple App Store for an alleged violation of App Store rules regarding third-party app promotion and marketing.<ref name=Forbes/><ref name="All Things D2">{{cite web|url=http://allthingsd.com/20130408/confirmed-apple-kicks-appgratis-out-of-the-store-for-being-too-pushy/|title=Confirmed: Apple Kicks AppGratis Out of the Store for Being Too Pushy|publisher=All Things D|author=John Paczkowski|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref> On February 15, 2017, AppGratis was shut down and discontinued.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://bye.appgratis.com/|title=AppGratis|website=bye.appgratis.com|access-date=2017-02-15}}</ref>
==History== AppGratis started as a newsletter listing daily app deals from the App Store for Apple users in 2008.<ref name=Forbes2/><ref name=VentureBeat2/> The AppGratis mobile application was created in 2010 while still using the newsletter model.<ref name=Forbes2/> A team of publishers pick and review the quality of potential apps that want to be featured on the application.<ref name=Forbes2/><ref name=VentureBeat2/> AppGratis was a bootstrapped company until January 2013, where AppGratis raised $13.5 million from Iris Capital and the Orange Publicis fund to expand the application on an international level.<ref name=Forbes2/><ref name=VatorNews>{{cite web|url=http://vator.tv/news/2013-01-17-appgratis-raises-135m-series-a-from-iris-capital|title=AppGratis raises $13.5M Series A from Iris Capital|publisher=Vator News|author=Steven Loeb|accessdate=October 4, 2013|date=2013-01-17}}</ref> In February 2013, AppGratis passed the 10 million-user mark.<ref name=TechCrunch>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/09/appgratis-statement-app-store-ban/|title=AppGratis Was Indeed Pulled By Apple, But "Reports Of [Its] Death Are Greatly Exaggerated"|publisher=Tech Crunch|author=Romain Dillet|date=9 April 2013 |accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Pocket Gamer">{{cite web|url=http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/AppGratis+news/news.asp?c=50990|title=One month after being kicked off the App Store, AppGratis launches on Android|publisher=Pocket Gamer|author=Keith Andrew|date=17 May 2013 |accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref> Before its removal from the App Store, AppGratis had 12 million iOS users.<ref name=TechCrunch/> A month after its removal from the Apple App Store, AppGratis launched the Android version of the application on Google Play.<ref name="Pocket Gamer"/><ref name=VentureBeat3>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2013/06/17/apple-could-you-just-be-honest-sometimes-about-being-a-little-bit-evil/|title=Apple, could you just be honest, sometimes, about being a little bit evil?|publisher=Venture Beat|author=John Koetsier|accessdate=October 4, 2013|date=2013-06-17|archive-date=2013-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004234222/http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/17/apple-could-you-just-be-honest-sometimes-about-being-a-little-bit-evil/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=TechCrunch2>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/18/apple-kills-appgratis-push-notifications/|title=Apple Kills AppGratis' Push Notifications In Second Hammer Blow To Its iOS App Discovery/Promotion Business|publisher=Tech Crunch|author=Natasha Lomas|date=18 April 2013 |accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref> The Android version has obtained 1 million to 5 million downloads.<ref name=Google>{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imediapp.appgratis |title=AppGratis |accessdate=October 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819204729/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imediapp.appgratis |archivedate=August 19, 2013 }}</ref> On February 15, 2017, AppGratis shut down its business with a post for their users entitled 'Bye AppGratis'.<ref name=":0" /> In 2014, Simon Dawlat decided to shift to a new project, Batch.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/11/25/batch-insights-is-appgratis-new-trick-a-benchmark-tool-for-push-notifications/|title=Batch Insights Is AppGratis' New Trick, A Benchmark Tool For Push Notifications|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2018-11-21|language=en-US}}</ref>
===Controversy with Apple store=== In November 2012, Apple approved the AppGratis iPhone application.<ref name=VentureBeat/> Days after receiving approval for the iPad application in 2013, Apple pulled the AppGratis application from the iOS App Store stating that the application violated clauses 2.25 and 5.6.<ref name=Forbes/><ref name="All Things D"/><ref name="Business Insider"/><ref name="All Things D2"/><ref name=VentureBeat3/><ref name=TechCrunch2/> AppGratis was under investigation whether the application worked to inflate app rankings in the App Store charts.<ref name=VentureBeat/><ref name=Cnet>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57579187-37/apple-appgratis-flap-triggers-threat-from-french-minister/|title=Apple-AppGratis flap triggers threat from French minister|publisher=CNet|author=Charles Cooper|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref> The investigation of AppGratis incited French digital industry minister, Fleur Pellerin, to announce a call for closer regulation on the fairness and stability of digital distribution platforms.<ref name=Cnet/><ref name=Cnet1>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57579631-37/appgratis-tries-petition-to-shame-apple-on-app-removal/|title=AppGratis tries petition to shame Apple on app removal|publisher=CNet|author=Josh Lowensohn|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Lemode Informatique">{{cite web|url=http://www.lemondeinformatique.fr/actualites/lire-fleur-pellerin-soutient-appgratis-face-a-apple-qui-l-a-dereferencee-53200.html|title=Fleur Pellerin soutient AppGratis face à Apple qui l'a déréférencée|date=11 April 2013 |publisher=Lemode Informatique|accessdate=October 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Clubic>{{cite web|url=http://www.clubic.com/video/video-fleur-pellerin-dans-les-locaux-appgratis-431778.html|title=Fleur Pellerin dans les locaux AppGratis|publisher=Clubic|accessdate=October 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004222308/http://www.clubic.com/video/video-fleur-pellerin-dans-les-locaux-appgratis-431778.html|archive-date=October 4, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> AppGratis protested its ban with a user petition, which gained close to a million signatures by May 2013.<ref name="Pocket Gamer"/><ref name=Cnet1/><ref name=Fierce>{{cite web|url=http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/appgratis-rebounds-apples-app-store-ban-android-launch/2013-05-23|title=AppGratis rebounds from Apple's App Store ban with Android launch|publisher=FierceMobileContent|author=Jason Ankeny|accessdate=October 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220357/http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/appgratis-rebounds-apples-app-store-ban-android-launch/2013-05-23|archive-date=October 4, 2013|url-status=usurped}}</ref>
==See also== * App Store Controversial Apps
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://appgratis.com/ Official Website]
Category:Mobile software Category:IOS software Category:Android (operating system) software Category:2008 establishments in France