You know how it goes with most free apps – developers get their money by showing some ads at the top or bottom of the screen. StartApp thinks there’s a better way to help developers get some cash, while at the same time bringing a better end-user experience.
Their trick is to bundle a small search app in every application within their network and provide users with another search option. Once installed, StartApp-enabled application will create a new icon on your homescreen for searching and once you use it, they’ll show you some ads. The good thing is that you DON’T have to start this new search app at all, but StartApp says it’s pretty good anyways.
Under this scheme, developers are either paid per application downloads ($50 per 1,000 U.S. and $10 per 1,000 international downloads) or can share the revenue from the new search application.
The new StartApp platform, in beta form, has already been integrated into over 50 apps and has achieved close to 1,000,000 downloads. I haven’t tried out any of those apps and can’t judge how it works. However, I’m glad companies are looking to add new spin on the whole ad-based app area…