Apps Gone Free in 2026: The 10 Best Sites & Apps to Find Free Apps

If you've ever typed "apps gone free" into Google, you're not alone — millions of people search for paid apps free every single day. The term refers to premium apps that are temporarily available at no cost: usually because the developer is running a promotion, launching a new version, hitting a marketing milestone, or distributing promo codes to build buzz. In 2026, finding apps gone free today is easier than ever — but the landscape is fragmented. Some sites focus on iOS, others on Android. Some track price drops, others distribute developer-issued promo codes. This guide ranks the 10 best sites and apps for finding free apps daily, with honest pros and cons for each.

TL;DR: For guaranteed free downloads of premium apps, GetFree.APP is the only community offering developer-issued promo codes across iOS, Android, Mac, and Web. For temporary price drops, AppRaven (iOS), AppSales (Android), AppAdvice, AppDovo, and AppAgg are all worth bookmarking. Reddit's r/AppHookup and r/iOSDeals add a layer of community curation.

What does "apps gone free" mean?

"Apps gone free" describes premium apps that have temporarily switched from paid to free. There are two distinct flavors of this, and confusing them is the #1 reason people miss out on great deals:

Price drops (limited-time sales): A developer changes their app from $4.99 (or whatever the regular price is) to $0.00 for a few hours, a day, or a week. Anyone who downloads during that window keeps the app forever, even after the price goes back up. This is what most "apps gone free" tracker sites monitor.

Promo codes (developer giveaways): A developer generates one-time-use codes (Apple gives them 100 per app per version) and distributes them to a community, blog, or platform. Each code unlocks a single free download. Once used, the code is gone — but the app stays free for the user who redeemed it.

Both methods give you paid apps free, but promo codes are usually how you get truly premium apps (the ones that rarely or never go on sale). Price drops dominate older or evergreen apps that use sales as a marketing channel.

Why apps go free (developer perspective)

Understanding why apps go free helps you predict when and where to look:

• App Store ranking boost — Going free for 24-48 hours can drive thousands of downloads, which improves ranking and visibility long after the sale ends.
• Reviews and ratings — More downloads = more reviews. New developers especially benefit from a free-day surge to build social proof.
• Launch promotions — When v2.0 ships or a major update lands, developers often run a free window to celebrate.
• Holiday/seasonal sales — Black Friday, Christmas, back-to-school, and summer all trigger app discount waves.
• Bundle and cross-promotion — Some developers go free as part of bundle deals or cross-promotional campaigns with other apps.
• End-of-life monetization shift — Apps transitioning from paid to freemium often go free permanently and add IAP.
• Promo code distribution — Building relationships with reviewers, journalists, and communities by handing out codes.

That last category is where GetFree.APP lives — and it's the only category that guarantees you a free download without racing the clock.

The 10 best sites for finding apps gone free

1. GetFree.APP (Our #1 pick)

Site: getfree.app

What it tracks: Developer-issued promo codes for premium iOS, Android, Mac, and Web apps.

Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Web (most multi-platform coverage of any service).

GetFree is fundamentally different from every other site on this list. Instead of monitoring App Store prices and notifying you when something drops to $0, GetFree is a community where indie developers upload promo codes directly so anyone can claim and redeem a free download. The app stays free for you forever — no clock, no race.

Pros:

• Guaranteed free downloads (codes unlock the full paid version)
• Covers iOS, Android, Mac, and Web — most "apps gone free" sites are iOS-only
• Premium apps that never go on sale show up here regularly via promo codes
• Direct developer participation means you're getting current, working apps
• Community-driven discovery — you find hidden gems, not just trending apps
• No ads, no email signup required to browse

Cons:

• Limited code supply per app — popular promotions can run out fast
• Smaller catalog than mass price-tracker databases (quality over quantity)
• New users may need to learn how promo code redemption works on each platform

Best for: Anyone who wants premium apps free without watching the clock, indie app enthusiasts, multi-platform users, and developers looking for honest exposure.

2. AppRaven

Site: appraven.net

What it tracks: iOS price drops, daily apps gone free, watchlist alerts.

Platforms: iOS only.

AppRaven is a longtime favorite for iOS deal hunters. It scans the App Store for price drops and surfaces apps that have gone free today, along with a "biggest discounts" view. You can add apps to a watchlist and get notified when they go on sale.

Pros:

• Clean, fast interface focused purely on iOS deals
• Watchlist feature alerts you when specific apps drop in price
• Daily "apps gone free" list curated automatically
• Free to use with optional iOS app

Cons:

• iOS only — no Android, Mac, or Web coverage
• Tracks price changes, not promo codes — you have to act fast before the sale ends
• Misses apps that distribute codes instead of dropping price publicly

Best for: iOS users who want to monitor specific apps and get notified when they go free.

3. AppAdvice Apps Gone Free

Site: appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

What it tracks: Editorial-curated list of iOS apps gone free each day.

Platforms: iOS only.

AppAdvice has run their "Apps Gone Free" feature for over a decade. Unlike automated price trackers, AppAdvice's list is editorially curated — a human reviews each day's free apps and picks the ones worth highlighting. They also have an "Apps Gone Free" iOS app that delivers the list directly to your device.

Pros:

• Human curation filters out junk — you only see quality apps
• Long-running editorial track record
• Dedicated iOS app makes daily browsing easy
• Solid commentary explaining why each app is worth grabbing

Cons:

• iOS only
• Smaller list than automated trackers (editorial filter = fewer apps)
• Misses the "free for 6 hours" type of flash sales

Best for: People who want quality over quantity, and prefer editorial recommendations to algorithmic lists.

4. AppSales (Android)

Site: Available on Google Play

What it tracks: Android app and game price drops, including apps that have gone permanently free.

Platforms: Android only.

Android users have historically had fewer "apps gone free" trackers than iOS, but AppSales is the clear leader. It tracks price drops across the Play Store, lets you create a watchlist, and shows you the lowest-ever price for any tracked app. It also includes free apps daily, free game promotions, and limited-time freebies.

Pros:

• The best Android-focused tracker available
• Watchlist + lowest-ever-price history
• Tracks both games and apps separately
• Active community of users flagging good deals

Cons:

• Android only — no iOS or desktop
• UI is functional rather than polished
• Some "free" apps are ad-supported or have aggressive IAPs

Best for: Android users who want comprehensive coverage of Play Store deals.

5. AppDovo

Site: appdovo.com

What it tracks: Apps gone free catalog spanning iOS price drops and curated promotions.

Platforms: iOS primarily.

AppDovo focuses on building a clean catalog of apps that have gone free, organized by category and recency. It's similar to AppRaven in concept but with a different curation style and category breakdown.

Pros:

• Well-organized by category (productivity, games, photo, education, etc.)
• Easy to browse a specific niche
• Includes app screenshots and quick descriptions

Cons:

• iOS-focused — limited platform coverage
• Smaller user base means deals can be slower to surface
• Less alerting and watchlist functionality than competitors

Best for: Casual browsers who like to discover free apps by category rather than chronologically.

6. AppAgg

Site: appagg.com

What it tracks: Massive catalog of apps with price history and free-app filters across multiple stores.

Platforms: iOS, Android, Mac App Store, Windows, and more.

AppAgg is one of the largest aggregators of app metadata on the web. It tracks every store — iOS, Google Play, Mac App Store, Microsoft Store — and includes a "free apps" filter that surfaces every app currently at $0. Power users love it for the deep data.

Pros:

• Largest cross-platform catalog of any site listed here
• Includes price history charts showing every change over time
• Covers Mac and Windows stores in addition to mobile
• Advanced search and filter options

Cons:

• Interface is dense and not beginner-friendly
• Less editorial curation — you're swimming in a sea of free apps, including low-quality ones
• No native app, web-only experience

Best for: Data nerds and power users who want maximum coverage and deep price history.

7. Reddit r/AppHookup

Site: reddit.com/r/AppHookup

What it tracks: Community-submitted deals on apps, games, and software across all platforms.

Platforms: iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Steam, anywhere.

Reddit's r/AppHookup is one of the oldest and most active deal-hunting communities online. Users post apps gone free today, IAP discounts, software bundle deals, and game promotions. Because it's community-driven, deals are often surfaced minutes after they go live.

Pros:

• Real-time community surfacing — deals appear within minutes of going live
• Covers all platforms, not just mobile
• Comments section often includes "is it any good?" reviews and warnings about scammy apps
• Free, no signup required to browse

Cons:

• Signal-to-noise ratio varies — you need to scan and judge fast
• No automated alerting (you have to check or subscribe to RSS)
• Inconsistent post quality (some are detailed, some are bare links)

Best for: Deal hunters who enjoy community-driven discovery and don't mind a bit of noise.

8. Reddit r/iOSDeals

Site: reddit.com/r/iOSDeals

What it tracks: iOS-specific app sales, apps gone free, IAP discounts.

Platforms: iOS only.

A more focused sibling of r/AppHookup, r/iOSDeals is dedicated entirely to iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch app deals. The narrower focus means less noise and more iOS-relevant posts. Active mods keep the quality high.

Pros:

• Pure iOS focus = no Android noise to filter
• Active moderation keeps spam and bad deals out
• Community votes surface the best deals to the top
• Often catches developer promotions that automated trackers miss

Cons:

• iOS only
• Subreddit is smaller and slower-moving than r/AppHookup
• Still requires manual checking — no native alerts

Best for: iOS users who want a focused, curated community feed.

9. iTunes / App Store "Apps for $0" Filter

Site: Apple App Store (built-in)

What it tracks: Anything currently free in the App Store, including apps that have gone free.

Platforms: iOS, iPadOS, macOS.

This one's a bit of a hack, but it works. Apple doesn't expose a public "apps gone free" filter, but with the right search tricks you can surface free versions of typically paid apps. Try these:

• Search a paid app's exact name and check if a $0 price appears
• Use the Top Charts → Top Free filter combined with category filters to spot unusual entries (a normally paid utility ranking in Top Free is a tell-tale sign)
• Use the iTunes affiliate API or third-party iTunes Search APIs to filter by price = 0 and category

Pros:

• It's the source of truth — directly from Apple
• No middleman, no delays
• Works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac App Store

Cons:

• No native "apps gone free" view — you have to dig
• Time-intensive compared to using a tracker
• Misses apps where the developer distributed promo codes instead of dropping the price

Best for: Cross-referencing and verifying what a tracker site claims is free.

10. Twitter / X Accounts (@apps_gone_free style)

Site: Various accounts on X / Twitter

What it tracks: Real-time announcements of apps gone free today, retweeted developer promotions.

Platforms: Varies — most are iOS-focused.

A handful of X / Twitter accounts have made it their mission to retweet and announce every apps-gone-free moment they spot. Some are run by indie developers, some by deal hunters, some by full-time app reviewers. Following 3-5 of them gives you a steady firehose of free app announcements.

Pros:

• Real-time push notifications via Twitter alerts
• Direct developer announcements often appear here first
• Easy to follow alongside other content
• No app or signup needed beyond X

Cons:

• Account quality varies wildly — some retweet anything, others are highly curated
• Twitter algorithm may bury time-sensitive posts
• Many old "apps gone free" accounts have gone inactive over the years
• No structured catalog or search

Best for: People already on X who want passive discovery alongside their normal feed.

How to never miss an app gone free

If you're serious about getting paid apps free, here's a workflow that maximizes coverage:

• Bookmark GetFree.APP as your daily check for promo codes — start here because these are guaranteed downloads, not races.
• Subscribe to a price tracker for your primary platform (AppRaven for iOS, AppSales for Android, AppAgg for cross-platform).
• Build a watchlist of the specific paid apps you want — most trackers will notify you when they drop in price.
• Join r/AppHookup or r/iOSDeals and set up notifications for new posts via RSS or the Reddit app.
• Follow 2-3 deal accounts on X to catch real-time announcements.
• Check AppAdvice's daily list once a day for editorial picks you might miss.
• Act fast on price drops — many "apps gone free" sales last only 24-48 hours. Promo codes on GetFree expire when they run out.
• Redeem promo codes immediately even if you're not ready to use the app yet — once redeemed, it's yours forever.

The combination of promo codes (GetFree) + price trackers (AppRaven/AppSales) + community curation (Reddit) catches roughly 90%+ of every apps-gone-free moment.

Comparison table

Frequently Asked Questions

Final thoughts

Finding apps gone free today in 2026 is a solved problem if you know where to look. For guaranteed free downloads of premium apps across iOS, Android, Mac, and Web, GetFree.APP is the only community offering developer-issued promo codes — start there. Layer in AppRaven, AppSales, or AppAgg for ongoing price drop alerts, and bookmark r/AppHookup or r/iOSDeals for community-surfaced deals. With this stack, you'll never miss a great apps-gone-free moment again.

Ready to start? Browse the latest free premium apps on GetFree.app/browse, see what's available today on GetFree.app/free-apps, or jump straight into GetFree.app/get-free-apps to redeem your first promo code.

Last updated: May 14, 2026