The Mac App Store won’t update third-party applications that you’ve bought elsewhere, despite recognising that they are installed.
The App Store will automatically notify you of updates to Apple applications and software you buy through the store, but new versions of other installations will only be available via the software itself or from the web.
The only way to convert a previous purchase into a Mac App Store purchase is to buy it again.
“The Mac App Store may show software bought from us previously as ‘Installed’ even though they’re two different licenses,” notes Panic developer Cable Sasser. “You will not get Mac App Store auto-updates unless you purchase from the Mac App Store.”
Because it isn’t possible to register existing licences with the App Store, Pixelmator’s developers have decided to provide the next version for free.
“There is no way of transitioning Mac apps to the Mac App Store for free as of yet,” notes Saulius Dailide. “If there was such a way, we would have definitely give it for free to our registered customers. That’s why we are reducing price and giving Pixelmator 2.0 for free once it is out.”
In some cases, it’s not only the licences that are different. Barebones explains that it has had to remove features from two of its applications in order to comply with the App Store rules.
“In BBEdit and TextWrangler, authenticated saves (the ability to save changes to files that you do not own) and the command-line tools are not available in the App Store versions, in order to comply with Apple’s submission guidelines,” the developer notes in an FAQ, adding that it is working on a solution.
