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7 awesome paid iPhone apps that are free right now

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:49PM EST
Best Free iPhone Apps

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This has been a great week for iPhone and iPad app sales, and we’re finishing strong with seven solid apps you can add to your collection. Today’s list includes $14 worth of terrific apps that range from utilities and photo editors to a news app and even a writing aid. As always, be sure to act fast and grab any appealing apps as quickly as possible, because these sales could end at any time.

These are paid iPhone and iPad apps that have been made available for free for a limited time by their developers. There is no way to tell how long they will be free. These sales could end an hour from now or a week from now — obviously, the only thing we can guarantee is that they are free at the time this post is published. If you click on a link and see a price listed next to an app instead of the word “free,” it is no longer free. The sale has ended. If you download the app, you will be charged.

iShutdown

This nifty app can be used to remotely wake any Windows or Mac PC via LAN, or to put it to sleep. It’s a must-have if you use remote access software that doesn’t include WOL functionality.

WOL (Wake On Lan), Shutdown, sleep, restart or hibernate your MAC or PC with one tap!
Only app works both with MAC and PC

• Sleep, shutdown, restart or hibernate a computer remotely
• WOL computer via the internet
• Wake On Lan computer on the local network

We have developed iShutdown with one goal – to give you functional and stylish tool. To give you an ability to shutdown, Wake On LAN, sleep, restart or hibernate your PC or MAC without leaving your couch or armchair. You will be surprised with the convenience and simplicity of this application.

iShutdown scans the devices connected to your local network and shows them along with their name and IP. You do not need to find out the MAC addresses or type them in to use WOL feature. Just tap on host in the generated list and select what do you want to do – shutdown, WOL, sleep, or hibernate it.

INCREDIBLE DESIGN:
• Attractive and handy
• Animated interface.
• Large convenient button to turn the PC or MAC power on/off.

FUNCTIONALITY:
• Turn on (via Wake on lan, WOL), shutdown, restart, hibernate or sleep your PC or MAC.
• Works fine both with MAC and PC
• Automatic detection of accessible PCs in local network
• Ability to add required PC or MAC manually.
• Works both with Wi-Fi and 3g
• Indication of active hosts

Note:
• The iShutdown Server application (available at http://ishutdownapp.com) must be installed in the PC or MAC to be controlled.
• To turn your pc on remotely, the mainboard & lan card of PC must support Wake On Lan (WOL) feature and be activated.

Additional prerequitsites for WOL (Wake On Lan) via internet:
• The network must be reachable via internet
• Router must be capable of forwarding wol packages
• Router and firewall must be configured correctly

There are two versions of this app, iShutdown for the iPhone and iShutdown HD for the iPad. Both are normally $1.99 and both are free right now.

Download iShutdown for iPhone

Download iShutdown HD for iPad

XnBooth Pro

What would an app compilation be without a cool photo editor for the iPhone and iPad?

Create fun photo booth with XnBooth, and then post your photo strip on social network.

You can use it at events, parties with your friends, children, …

— Features —
• Import your photo, or snap 4 shots using camera
• Choose a layout
• Apply filters
• Post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, …
• Send by Email
• Save to Photo album

XnBooth Pro is normally $0.99, but it’s free right now.

Download XnBooth Pro

Readie

Readie is a nifty app that can turn any news story into a podcast.

Hi, I’m a news reader that can read your favorite content to you.

I can turn articles about what you love into a customized podcast.

I use your iPhone’s built in media controls – so I’ll keep reading, and you can pause/play and skip around, even when I’m closed.

I support USB, Bluetooth, and AirPlay – so the sky’s the limit for ways to listen.

I provide a great way to read articles a page at a time too. I even have an elegant way to view article images and videos.

My simple, vibrant interface makes it a snap to navigate, read, and share.

There’s no need to log into anywhere, sign up for anything, or authorize any social networks (unless you want to share an article). Just find and read articles about what you love.

Readie is a solid value at $0.99 but it’s free for a limited time.

Download Readie

Writing Aid

Having trouble coming up with the right words to finish your story? Say goodbye to writer’s block with Writing Aid.

Writer’s block is a phenomenon that affects everyone. Know what you want to say but forgotten how to express it? Just can’t remember what this word means?

Writing Aid can relieve this frustration. Instantly search for definitions and synonyms just like a standard dictionary. However, Writing Aid can also find words when you search for meanings. So a search for ‘green blue color’ returns suggestions like ‘turquoise’ or ‘aquamarine’. Similarly, typing ‘inventing new things’ returns words such as ‘candelabra’ and ‘sconce’.

These words share the same meaning but make your writing more sophisticated and more elegant.

You wouldn’t want to write on your iPhone, but that doesn’t mean your iPhone can’t help you write.

No ads. No fuss. Just the words.

Writing Aid is regularly $0.99 but you can download it for free if you move quickly.

Download Writing Aid

Downloads for iOS

Forget whatever download manager you’re using now, this app does everything you need and more.

Downloads for iOS is a fully featured, innovating and very fast download manager solution for your iOS device.

Now you can find documents and pdf files you wish and view them directly from your device!

► Downloads for iOS Features

√ Web Browser
– Home page setup
– Bookmark manager
– Integrated Google, Google Groups, Yahoo! and Bing search engines
– Clear cookies option
– Clear cache option

√ Download Manager
– Very fast downloading speed (built-in download acceleration plugin)
– Unlimited file size downloading over 3G/4G/LTE & WiFi
– Background downloading (no time limit)
– Simultaneous downloads (up to 10 in queue)
– Progress bar (realtime download speed in kB/s and % status completed)
– Notification center alerts for completed downloads
– Active downloads badge indicator
– Resume cancelled downloads
– Copy download link to clipboard
– Send download link via e-mail & SMS message
– Open download link in Safari

√ File Manager
– Open files in format supported applications
– Zip/RAR extraction support
– Rename files
– Delete files
– Format type icons for files

√ Document Viewer
– Supports .pdf, .xls, .csv, .doc, .txt, .xml, .rtf, .ppt, .gif, .png, .jpeg, .jpg, .bmp file formats
– Pinch to zoom in/out
– Open files in format supported applications
– Print files

√ PDF Reader
– Swipe to change page
– Pinch & tap to zoom in/out
– Open last viewed page
– Print support
– Password protected pdf support
– PDF links
– Send document via e-mail
– Bookmark support
– Thumbnail view support
– iBooks style document navigation
– Full portrait & landscape mode support

√ Other details
– Full landscape & Portrait support
– Passcode lock (lock your application with passcode lock)
– File share (transfer files to your computer over your Wi-Fi network via your IP provided)

$2.99 is a good price for all that functionality, but $0 is even better.

Download Downloads for iOS

XnRetro

All of the insta, none of the gram — XnRetro provides Instagram-like filters and other photo editing capabilities, but the resulting images can be shared on any network.

With XnRetro, you can easily create stunning images with vintage or instant effect.

Features:
• High output resolution support
• Different color effects
• Light effects such as bokeh, leak
• Different frame borders like instant, grunge, viewfinder, film, …
• Contrast, brightness and saturation adjustement
• Vignetting
• Grain
• Share result on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vkontakte
• Save to Photo Album or send by email

XnRetro works on both the iPhone and iPad, and it’s normally $1.99.

Download XnRetro

RecogNow

Snap a picture of a document or anything else with wording and convert it to digital text instantly with this nifty app.

RecogNow can convert an Image to editable Text (OCR) within 3 steps. You can share the editable Text via Email, Clipboard, Facebook or Twitter easily.

RecogNow has useful Image Tools. These tools can increase OCR correctness.

Support language : English.
(Other languages will be supported soon)

Requirement : iOS 6.1 or later

RecogNow is typically a $1.99 download but you can get it for free if you move quickly.

Download RecogNow

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.