Drawbacks to releasing both free and paid versions of your game?

I think this is likely to be the way if first launch of game is paid. I can confirm that changing a game from paid to free makes no positive difference (without huge downloads I guess), not even with cross-promotion (advertising a paid game from within a free game).

Back in the day there were many games like this, with a paid and a 'lite' version. I think the model fits a small indie best, now that I've thought it through some more.

 

Get Gravel. Android version has a demo available and it still sells okay. Not enough to pay the bills, but okay for a year old game, I guess.

 

Paid

Personally, paid is better. With free games its a gamble..always.

 

It is a gamble with paid too from point of developer.