The model
Why we do it this way.
Lifetime deal marketplaces kill companies. Review platforms sell rankings to the highest bidder. App Scavenger fixes both — and this page explains exactly how.
The problem
Lifetime deals bankrupt good software.
A typical lifetime deal goes like this: a vendor sells 1,000 codes for $69 each, collects $69,000 once, and is now obligated to support those 1,000 customers forever. Most don't make it — they quietly sunset, buyers lose access, the vendor burns out. Everybody loses.
The industry's other problem: review platforms that sell placement. G2 and Capterra let vendors pay to appear higher in results. "Top-rated" means "highest bidder," not "actually best."
Tier 1
Survival Deals — sustainable by design.
Every Survival Deal has a hard cap on codes — a number the vendor can actually support. When the cap fills, the deal closes. Real scarcity, not manufactured hype.
Buyers choose a 6-month or annual subscription — heavily discounted but time-boxed. The vendor gets recurring revenue they can budget against.
If satisfaction scores drop below 3.5 stars, the deal is automatically paused and flagged immediately.
Tier 2
LTD Deals — capped lifetime, not infinite lifetime.
Our LTD Deals are lifetime access — but with a hard code cap the vendor controls. They set a number they've calculated they can support for the life of the product. When codes run out, the deal closes permanently.
This is fundamentally different from unlimited lifetime deals. The vendor sells 150 codes, supports 150 customers forever — not an infinite queue that grows until the company collapses.
- Vendor sets their own sustainable cap — typically 100–500
- Hard close when cap is reached — no exceptions
- Satisfaction monitoring still active — deal pauses if scores drop
Tier 3
Proven Picks — earned, not bought.
Products graduate from Survival to Proven Pick by holding a renewal rate above 75% and a satisfaction score above 4.0 for at least 6 months. The data decides — no application fee, no featured placement purchase.
Proven Picks get an evergreen standing discount — no cap, no countdown. App Scavenger earns a smaller ongoing referral commission; the vendor gets steady, qualified traffic with no ad spend.
- Graduation badge shows the exact date and track record publicly
- Lower platform commission — more revenue stays with the vendor
- No artificial scarcity — the product proved it deserves a permanent home here
Revenue model
Every dollar we earn ties back to an actual sale.
App Scavenger never charges vendors to list. Never charges to rank higher. The only way we make money is when buyers successfully subscribe or redeem.
Commission on Survival Deal subscriptions
A % of each 6-month or annual sign-up and renewal. Vendors keep 60–70%.
Commission on LTD redemptions
A % of each lifetime deal purchase. Vendors set their own cap to control total exposure.
Referral commission on Proven Pick conversions
Smaller rate, steady volume. Vendors are stable; the trade is consistent qualified traffic.
Optional vendor analytics add-on
Buyer-intent and funnel data. Flat fee. Never required, never tied to placement.
For vendors
List free. Earn more. Grow sustainably.
There is no upfront fee to join any tier. Set your own code cap and term. Track satisfaction live.
- Free to apply and list across all three tiers
- Full control over cap size and pricing (within platform minimums)
- Free analytics: views, conversion rate, review trends
- Graduation to Proven Picks is automatic — no paperwork
For buyers
Real discounts on tools that actually work.
Browse free. No account required to read reviews or compare products. Reviews will come only from people who bought through App Scavenger, and every score follows a published method.
When you see a high renewal rate on a Proven Pick, that's not a marketing stat. It's the percentage of people who, when their subscription came up for renewal, chose to pay again. That's the signal.