Apple has updated several of its apps and made them available for free to any Mac or iOS user. Users of Mac or iOS devices no longer need to pay for the apps.
GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and iMovie have been updated for Mac and iOS devices. These apps are now listed as free on the App Store for all users to download. Previously, the apps were only free for people who had made a recent purchase of an Apple device.
The iWork suite of apps which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, are designed alternatives to their competitors, Microsoft Office and Google Docs. Meanwhile, GarageBand and iMovie are among the best apps of their categories with GarageBand being considered a must-have app.
Over the past few years, Apple's software has been free for users who purchased a new iOS or MacOS device. This means that many owners of Apple devices already have the apps installed.
In 2013, Apple started offering its apps for free to anyone who bought any new device sold by the company.
Users who only owned older Apple hardware products could only get the apps by paying for them. On iOS, the iWork apps were $9.99 each while GarageBand and iMovie were priced at $4.99 each.
MacOS apps were more expensive than their iOS counterparts. On the desktop, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote were priced at $19.99 while GarageBand and iMovie cost $14.99.
Eliminating their cost means a lot of users would rush to get the apps. It would also broaden Apple's reach by opening its software to a wider audience, allowing them to experience the company's ecosystem.