Off-portal game and app discovery is the current red hot topic when it comes to the Apple App Store.

Stealing the headlines since January has been ICS Mobile's FreeAppADay.com -  the site promoting one new free app every 24 hours - although charging developers a fee to get their title featured.

Nevertheless, it's had considerable success since its launch back in January – success that has caught the eye of rival studios.

As a result, newcomer GreatAppADay.com is hoping to practise a similar model, but won't charge developers.

It's a subtle distinction its creator, Qwiboo's Vladimir Roth, believes should stand the service it in good stead with the development community.

The free-for-free model

"Small indie developers find it particularly difficult to get fair exposure in the mad world of iPhone app marketing," says Roth.

"Our aim is for GreatAppADay to be a hub for developers and for them to have an opportunity to hopefully get some significant exposure that they wouldn’t get elsewhere.

"In addition, our visitors can be confident that what they see on GreatAppADay are the hidden gems in the piles of apps out there, not apps some developer paid us to feature."

FreeAppADay.com typically charges between $600 and $1,200 per submittal, although founder Joe Bayen explains this is an investment in terms of the results the service can provide in terms of downloads.

Roth is hoping GreatAppADay will garner increased industry support as more developers realise the advantages that come with selling their apps without charge – even if it's just for a day.

"Making an app free for a short period of time has already proven to be a successful marketing tool. It generates more interest, raises the profile, and puts the app in the hands of those who wouldn’t have necessarily bought it otherwise," Roth claims.

"If the app is good, there will be more users out there to spread the word. The knock-on effect is that sales will increase even after the app returns to its original price and, ideally, it will raise the app in the iTunes charts. It draws the user in, and gives the app exposure it wouldn't necessarily get through standard marketing."

Quality counts

Of course, by making the site free for developers, there's the potential that it could become overrun with chaff. It's a concern Qwiboo is aware of, Roth stating that putting in the legwork to separate the good games from the bad is a fundamental part of the business.

"We research each of our apps checking online reviews as well as trying the app out ourselves. The overall polish and feel is just as important as the playability," he says.

"Eventually we want to build a community around the site. The next step would be to have a committee of dedicated people from different fields - editors, users and developers - helping to decide which games to feature."

Opportunity knocks

But as well as opening up opportunities for games, the site also marks a new chapter in the life of developer Qwiboo.

The start-up enjoyed much critical acclaim following the launch of its own iPhone title Aqua Globs last summer, but according to Roth, GreatAppADay is just the start of the firm's plans for expansion beyond mere development.

"Qwiboo's aim is not only to create iPhone apps like Aqua Globs or to create innovative, easy-to-use websites, but to create a hub and network for developers large and small," says Roth.

"We hope to continue to build on our network, and GreatAppADay is a fantastic way of doing just that. There are many more websites and apps in the pipeline which will only enhance our reputation and network. GreatAppADay is just the beginning."