Why are some programs/apps free? What's in it for them?

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Usually it's ads.
Other times it's just that they start with releasing a free version to gain users fast.

In the app industry companies are valued on the number of active users they have.

Many active users means easier to acquire new capital for expansion.

Usually startups want to promote "viral spreading" over social media. Like what happened unintentionally with flappy bird for example.

Hope this answers your question.

>>18122363
you mean like firefox, chrome, thunderbird, gimp, blender, linux, bsd, .... ?

>>18122379
Thanks, anon.

>>18122390
I don't know anything that isn't Linux or the first two, but yeah, for example I guess?