When deciding whether to spend money on paid apps or use free apps instead, it’s important to weigh the benefits of getting the best experience against the costs. Free options often compromise a bit in terms of functionality, but in most cases, you can still get by with free options that are just as good as their paid counterparts.
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Here, we’ll identify some popular paid mobile apps and look at suitable free alternatives for each of them, and see how well they stack up against their paid versions.
1. Movies and TV Shows: Tubi TV vs. Netflix
Netflix is a subscription-based service where you pay to access a library of movies, television shows, and original content. Tubi TV is a free streaming service owned by Fox Corporation. While there are ad breaks, the service has a decent range of popular movies across multiple genres.
Netflix has an incredible variety of original programs, though (Stranger Things, anyone?) and offers all the latest movies. With Tubi TV, however, you only get limited new releases and a lot of old shows and obscure titles.
The positive thing is that it is free and does not require a subscription. The downside is that the video is limited to standard quality, and it’s not as streamlined as Netflix.
In short, if you are looking for quality over quantity, Netflix is the way to go. Tubi TV doesn’t offer a huge library of movies, but if you want to watch something without a monthly subscription, it’s great.
2. Digital Publishing and Magazines: Flipboard vs Medium
Medium is a subscription-based publication, with a mix of articles on business, technology and political issues. Membership starts at $5 per month and provides access to the best writing on Medium and helps support thoughtful writers and analytics.
Flipboard is a free online platform where you can search and customize your favorite topics on the web in an easy to navigate, beautiful mobile magazine. Flipboard is great for news and magazines, and Medium is great for blogging.
Flipboard’s visuals are easy on the eyes and make it super simple to get through a lot of reading. The “Smart Magazine” option lets you find interesting stories from the web and social feeds that you might not have otherwise found yourself. It also integrates seamlessly with social media, so it’s easy to find or follow friends and share stories.
3. Music Streaming: YouTube vs. Amazon Prime Music
Listening to music is one of the greatest human joys. With Amazon Music, you can listen to over 90 million songs, anytime, anywhere, on all your devices—smartphones, tablets, Fire TVs, and Alexa-enabled devices like Amazon Echo.
Amazon Music is only available to Amazon Prime members. The monthly subscription costs $7.99 and the annual subscription costs $79. If you want ad-free streaming of songs and want to download and save your favorite music and videos, Amazon Prime is a better option.
YouTube is your destination for content from anywhere in the world. You can collect and share everything you love, like music, shows, and news, all in one place. This is the easiest way to enjoy music. You can search, play, and save tracks from your favorite artist or album, although you’ll need to keep your screen on while listening.
It also provides you with personalized recommendations based on your taste and history. If you want to save money and don’t mind listening to commercials while streaming, YouTube is a good option.
4. Antivirus and Security: AVG vs Kaspersky
If you’re looking for an antivirus program that best suits your needs, you’ve likely come across both Kaspersky and AVG. Each product offers a different mix of safety equipment, functionality and performance.
Kaspersky offers three different security suites starting with its entry-level antivirus and anti-phishing software. Full-featured packages add webcam control and online payment protection capabilities, along with parental controls and substantial protection against hackers.
With quick scans and automatic updates, you won’t have to worry about losing important stuff. You can take advantage of a two-week trial period to test out these features, after which you’ll need to sign up for an annual subscription, which starts at $29.99 per year.
On the other hand, AVG Antivirus is a popular freemium antivirus app available for Android, iOS, and desktop devices. The app provides real-time protection to your mobile device from viruses, malware, spyware and other threats. It also scans device memory and external storage to locate, lock or erase data from a lost or stolen device.
You also have the option to upgrade to additional security features including a virus scanner, file scanning for malware, and performance enhancements.