Why is it so ridiculously difficult to find out how much an in-app purchase COSTS?

It’s up to the makers of the app to give that info. However there can be a single to hundreds of in-app purchase options depending on the offer’s, just click the Yes in the AppStore listing to see prices they do share.

Additionally prices can change day to day and using the AppStore listing to reflect new info takes time and can be time consuming for the developer so you can also resch out to the app maker directly to ask for at least a price range of their in-app offerings.

There can be multiple versions of Apps from a single developer. The one you show, is not the one from Apple Arcade.

Its the “Simple” version that is free, and does not even have any in-app purchases.

The one Apple Arcade is this one: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sudoku-by-mobilityware/id1556715970

If you search for an app, it will bring up any app that matches the search term, even if it's an Arcade game. And, it clearly states that it's an Apple Arcade game.

Telling people here you don't like the way Apple does things may be cathartic but, beyond that, won't accomplish much. You can let Apple know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

As mentioned it should be there as a drop down selection towards the bottom of the app description in the App Store. Provider that information is not really optional for developers as it violates Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines and the App Store Review Guidelines for App Store apps.

If you feel a developer is not obeying those guidelines, report them to Apple via the App Store support page.

You are confusing in-App purchases with the actual price of the App. They are not related.

An App can be free, and still have in-app purchases, and an App can also have an upfront price and have no in-app purchases.

Then there are apps that have an upfront price and additional in-app purchases too.

An in-app purchase refers to any item, feature or service the app offers within itself as an additional purchase. It is not the actual cost of an App.

As mentioned, you can scroll down to the info section of the App in the App Store and see a list of in-app purchases the developers made public there.

Once you download the App, you can then check all the in-app purchases it has and see if you want to buy the additional item, service or feature or. not. In-App purchases are entirely optional. Nothing is forcing you to buy anything the app offers within it as an in-app purchase.

There's nothing deceitful there.

I would also add that there are free apps that require a subscription to use and include a free trial period when downloaded. Unfortunately, the now industry standard business model for such apps is that they automatically start charging your AppleID once the free trial is over unless you consciously cancel the subscription before the free trial ends.

So just about any free app with a free use trial period will end up charging you unless you keep track of the trial period and cancel before that ends. Personally I find that a deceitful tactic (they could just warn you beforehand and then make the app non-functional if you don’t decide when the trial ends), but it is not illegal and is used by many such trial apps where the developer relies on subscriptions for revenue.

Anything that simply shows “get” is a free app, which as others mention, may not mean it is free to use if the small print under get says “in app purchases”. Otherwise, if the app itself costs anything, its price will be shown instead of “get”.

Any developer charging for the initial download of the app itself must provide the price and that price will be displayed in the purchase/download button.

gheumann wrote:

On the other hand - have a look at the AppStore page for Mobilityware Sudoku. Can't find a price anywhere. (I don't know if it is in-app purchase or not, or free or not - but don't you think I should be able to find out without purchasing it?

The only version of Mobilityware Sudoku I can see is the Apple Arcade version. The reason is that there is no separate price is because everything is included in the Arcade subscription.

Mobility Ware Sudoku is free if you are subscribed to Apple Arcade.

It says so on the page. And if you press on the Get button it will tell you its part of Apple Arcade and you need a subscription. You can always decline at that point.

Rule of thumb is if it has a Get button its free to download. That does not mean it does not have other in-app purchases or associated subscriptions however.

If it has a price it costs that amount to download, but can also have additional features, items or services for purchase within the app regardless.

If its has a GET button its free to download. If it has a price, then it costs that much to download. It's fairly simple.

It’s right there on the page for the app in the App Store. Scroll down about 75% of the page and tap on the “Yes” opposite “In-App Purchases.”