Stop paying for apps! While the App Store and Google Play are loaded with premium content, you don’t always need to prise open your wallet. Many top-tier apps go free for a limited time—a secret ‘hack’ most people miss. We’ve found the best paid apps you can grab for free right now before the deals expire.

Free Pro Apps (Android)

  • 25 Dollars Challenge ($1.99) – Want to earn some free money? That’s always worth checking out, especially since this app is free — for now. Test your luck, and if you can amass $25 by the end of the week, you will be able to cash out!  (4.9 stars, 621 reviews)
  • Monster Cash ($1.99) – Do you love baby, nay, monster sitting? If so, why not hatch, grow, and evolve your collection of monsters before exchanging them for money? Yes, it would feel like some sort of monster breeding program, but at least it is virtual and not a real-life puppy mill! (4.6 stars, 1.04k reviews)
  • QR Barcode and Scanner PRO ($5.99) – Most phones these days come with a camera app that has a built-in QR code scanner. However, just in case you want an alternative, why not check this app out? It is ad-free and does more than just scan QR codes, since it also scans barcodes. (4.7 stars, 20.4k reviews)

Free premium apps (iOS)

  • Command Word Jumble Complete ($4.99) – Do you think you are a walking dictionary or thesaurus? Why not test your word power with this game that offers actual scoring and worldwide rankings? It will surely appeal to the more competitive wordsmiths out there.  (4.0 stars, 27 reviews)
  • Castle Zombiestein  ($0.99) – Yes, while I know the ratings are not that great in terms of reviews, at least it is a throwback to Castle Wolfenstein. Anything that is retro or references the past is always appealing to me. I suspect it will keep you occupied out of nostalgia alone, and it is OK if you do not complete this game. A walk down memory lane for free? I’ll take it. (2.9 stars, 39 reviews)
  • Self Timer ($1.99) – Ever wished you could take multiple selfies (be it alone or with a group) at a time? This can be achieved via the Self Timer now. You no longer need to walk to your phone multiple times to capture multiple shots. Just set it once, let the timer run down, and it will keep on taking the number of photos you have pre-determined.  (3.8 stars, 22 reviews)

Free apps and their pitfalls

All the apps we feature here were available for free at the time of publication. Unfortunately, developers often don’t specify how long these offers will last. So, if you like an app, you shouldn’t wait too long and download it quickly.

Before downloading a free app, you should always take a look at the app’s page in the store. Sometimes, there are hidden pitfalls you should be aware of.

In-app purchases

Most free apps either contain advertising or offer in-app purchases. However, this is also true for some paid apps. It’s particularly important to pay attention to these aspects when dealing with games intended for children.

Permissions

Numerous apps collect user data and often sell it. If you want to be on the safe side, ensure you grant only the permissions the app needs. An alarm clock, for example, doesn’t need access to your cameras or contacts, and a flashlight shouldn’t be interested in your location data.

Which of the above apps will you install?