App Inventor is free, how can they provide the service for free?

[userappinventor]

App Inventor is free, how can they provide the service for free? If they're sponsored by someone, who is it?

I'm curious about the free policy of App Inventor because I should pay for coding on other sites (thunkable, kodular).

[SteveJG]

MIT App Inventor 2 is entirely free. You do not have to pay for it.

https://appinventor.mit.edu/about/termsofservice

@userappinventor

I'm curious about the free policy of App Inventor because I should pay for coding on other sites (thunkable, kodular).

https://appinventor.mit.edu/giving_to_App_Inventor.html

• Setup computer and phone/tablet or emulator for live testing as you build
• Preview the IDE
• Watch a beginner video tutorial to get started

[ABG]

https://appinventor.mit.edu/giving_to_App_Inventor.html

[userappinventor]

I don't think receiving donations can cover all operating expenses. Donations are not constant every time.

There's probably an organization that pays for the most part. Google? MIT?

[TIMAI2]

@userappinventor

MIT

You figured it out !

[Sefardi]

So True, still donations are a personal way to say THANKS!!!

[vknow360]

@userappinventor

App Inventor is free, how can they provide the service for free? If they're sponsored by someone, who is it?

MIT App Inventor
Just name is enough.

[ewpatton]

The App Inventor project is mainly funded by grants from other organizations. When the project first moved to MIT from Google, Google provided some funding. We've received grants from the National Science Foundation for some of our work. Currently, we are receiving funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for the technical and curriculum development for Hong Kong and from Amazon Future Engineers for our work on Alexa.

[Anke]

Isn't AI2 also a certain form of (indirect) advertising for MIT?