Why am I charging for this app when there are free alternatives?

This is really simple. Because the app has running costs. We're running on Cloudflare D1, and we're pushing notifications through Firebase, which bridges over to Apple, etc. As my first product, I've tried to be lean where I can, but there are also a number of unknowns in terms of costs, etc.

There are some very good, free alternatives online, and I would never begrudge anyone for selecting an alternative, I just hope that users can see the value proposition in what Dustbound offers.

I chose an approach that offers a plain, low, simple price up front, with no subscription, and no in-app advertisement. I wanted the user experience to be clean and not be marred by association of an ad network, which historically for me has always been a turn off. I wanted Dustbound to have that polish, and I felt I could only do that by offering it at a cost, albeit a low cost.