Most search results for "free paid apps" point to piracy sites. You don't need them. Developers and the two stores give apps away all the time, and every method below works on both iPhone and Android. What you get differs a lot from one route to the next.
| Route | What you get | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer codes | A paid app, an in-app purchase or free subscription time, for one account | Offer codes | Promo codes |
| Apps gone free | A paid app at $0 for everyone, for a short time | Yes | Yes |
| Free trials and bundles | Days or months of a paid plan or a games catalog | Trials, Apple Arcade | Trials, Play Pass |
| Beta tests | A test version before release | TestFlight | Join the beta, early access |
| Family sharing | Apps a family member already bought | Family Sharing | Family Library |
| Store credit | Credit you earn from surveys or purchases | Opinion Rewards (pays by PayPal, not App Store credit) | Opinion Rewards, Play Points |
1. Codes from the developer
Codes are the most direct route to a specific paid app or Pro plan. Developers create them in the stores' own tools and hand them out themselves. Most codes work once, for one account.
On Google Play, a promo code can unlock a paid app or a one-time in-app purchase, or start a subscription free trial of 3 to 90 days (Play Console Help). On the App Store, an offer code can give free or discounted time on a subscription, and in-app purchase offer codes can unlock other in-app purchases (App Store Connect Help). Apple's one-time codes expire within six months of being created, so a code from last year is probably dead.
Redeeming takes a minute on either phone:
iPhone and iPad
- Open the App Store.
- Tap your photo, your initials or the My Account button.
- Tap Redeem Code.
- Tap Enter Code Manually, type the code and tap Redeem.
Android
- Open the Play Store.
- Tap your profile icon at the top right.
- Tap Payments & subscriptions, then Redeem code.
- Enter the code and follow the steps on screen.
Some codes come as a link, which opens the store with the code filled in. Some only work inside the app, at the purchase screen. Full steps and fixes for errors are in how to redeem a code on iPhone and how to redeem a Google Play code.
On Google Play, the code also has to match your country. Google's help page says your Play account's country must match the country where the code is offered (Promotions on Google Play).
Where real codes come from
Developers post codes on their own social accounts and newsletters, in app communities, and on code sites such as Promies, Proffer Codes and getfree.app. Premium App Drops, the site you are reading, starts weekly drops of developer codes for both stores on 27 Nov 2026 and has a waitlist on the home page. Free codes are popular, so public ones go fast. Our list of where to find app promo codes covers what each site gives, and free App Store codes shows how to tell a real code from a scam.
2. Apps gone free
Developers sometimes drop a paid app's price to $0 for a short time, for everyone. No code is needed; you only have to see the deal in time.
Deal trackers do the watching for you. On Android, AppSales lists Google Play apps that are on sale or free for a limited time. On iPhone, AppRaven posts a daily deal of a paid app that has gone free. AppDovo and Indie App Santa cover both stores. Older names such as AppShopper and AppSliced now redirect to other sites (checked 27 Oct 2026). Our guide to apps gone free lists the trackers that still work, and AppRaven compared with Premium App Drops explains how a price drop differs from a code.
Once you get an app while it is free, it stays on your account after the price goes back up. Apple lets you redownload it from Apps & Purchase History (Apple Support). On Android it stays in your library, and Google says apps from Google Play can be reinstalled on your devices without paying again (Google Play Help). A price drop covers the app only, so in-app purchases and subscriptions inside it still cost money.
3. Free trials and game bundles
Many paid apps offer a free trial of their Pro plan. A trial is a subscription with a free first period, so the same renewal rule applies: cancel before it ends if you don't want to pay.
Both stores also sell a catalog of games and apps for one monthly price. Google Play Pass has over 1,000 games and apps "with no ads or in-app purchases", and the family manager can share it with up to five family members (Google Play Pass). Apple Arcade is $6.99 a month in the US, and you get 3 months free when you buy an eligible Apple device (Apple, checked 27 Oct 2026). Neither is free once the trial ends. Apple Arcade vs Google Play Pass compares them.
4. Beta tests
Developers test new apps and versions with real people before release. You get the app early. Whether paid features are unlocked during the test is up to the developer, and a beta can crash or lose your data.
iPhone and iPad
Install Apple's TestFlight app, then open a developer's public TestFlight link. Apple says developers can invite up to 10,000 external testers and share public links by email or social media (TestFlight).
Android
In the Play Store, open an installed app's page and look for Join the beta. Unreleased apps show under "Apps in development" on the For you tab (Google Play Help).
5. Family sharing
If someone in your family already bought an app, you may be able to use it without paying. Google Play Family Library shares purchased apps with up to 5 family members, but not in-app purchases or apps downloaded at no charge (Google Play Help). Apple Family Sharing covers you and up to five family members, and the developer decides whether an app can be shared. Look for Family Sharing in the Supports section of the app's App Store page (Apple Support). Family sharing for apps has the setup steps for both.
6. Store credit you earn
Google runs two programs that pay you in credit. Google Opinion Rewards pays Google Play or PayPal credit for short surveys (Google). Google Play Points are earned on Play purchases and can be exchanged for Google Play Credit, in countries where Play Points exist. Neither pays much, but over a few months it can cover a paid app. Opinion Rewards also has an iPhone app, which pays through PayPal rather than App Store credit.
What doesn't work
Cracked iPhone apps, pirate app stores and mod APKs are copies with the payment check removed. Security researchers keep finding malware in them, they stop getting updates, and they break both stores' terms, which can cost you your account. Cracked apps covers the risks with the reports behind them.
Code generators and "verify you're human" pages don't give out real codes. They collect your details or send you to surveys. Only the developer, or a site the developer gave codes to, has real ones.
Some older guides still recommend the Amazon Appstore's free apps on Android. Amazon ended its Appstore on Android phones on 20 Aug 2025; it stays only on Amazon's Fire tablets and Fire TV (9to5Google, 20 Feb 2025).
Questions people ask
Is it legal to get paid apps for free?
Yes, when the developer or the store gives it to you: a code, a price drop, a trial, a beta or a family share. Installing a cracked copy is not. The Apple Media Services Terms say you may not tamper with or circumvent its security technology. The Google Play Terms of Service let Google end your access to Play or your Google Account, without a refund, if you break them.
Do I keep an app I got for free?
If you got the app itself, yes. It stays in your purchase history on iPhone and in your library on Android, and you can reinstall it later. Free subscription time is different: it ends, then it renews at the full price unless you cancel.
Why does a free code ask for my card?
Codes for subscription time start a subscription that renews after the free period. Google requires a valid payment method for promo-code trials. A code for a paid app or a one-time unlock shouldn't charge you anything.