App Store nearly doubles Google Play revenues across COVID-19 lockdown

The Apple App Store generated $32.8 billion across the globe in the first half of 2020, nearly double that of the Google Play store.

That number, based on data estimates from app analytics firm Sensor Tower, represents the total amount spent on in-app purchases, subscriptions and premium apps and games within the first six months of 2020. The firm bases its projections and predictions on data points, such as app analytics, and proprietary algorithms.

Consumers spent a total of $50.1 billion on the two largest app marketplaces during that period, Sensor Tower Store Intelligence estimates show. Notably, spending on the App Store was nearly double the gross revenue of the Google Play store, which clocked in with $17.3 billion.

The App Store's Q1 and Q2 2020 app revenue estimates was 23.4% higher than the $40.6 billion estimated for the same period in 2019. Similarly, app revenue had risen by about 20% that year from 2018.

As far as apps themselves, Sensor Tower estimates that there were 71.5 billion first-time downloads in the first half of 2020. The App Store accounted for 18.3 billion of those, a 22.8% year-over-year increase. That growth was at least partly attributed to global lockdowns amid the coronaviruscrisis.

The mobile gaming ecosystem also surged in the first six months of the year. Spending on the sphere was up 21.2% from the year before. Apple's App Store generated in-game spending growth of 22.7%, reaching a new milestone of $22.2 billion.

While TikTok maintained its spot as the most-downloaded non-gaming app, Tinder and YouTube ranked as the first and second highest earning apps in the category. For gaming apps, PUBG Mobile and Honor of Kings ranked the first and second top-grossing apps.

Apple doesn't release detail statistics or results from its app marketplace, meaning app analytic estimates like these are often the only indication we get of the app economy's growth. With that being said, estimates aren't always accurate.

Recently, Apple did highlight an independent economic study looking at the total commerce generated by its App Store. Per that study, the marketplace contributed to more than $500 billion in total billings and sales.

Previously, Sensor Tower released a report showing that iPad app downloads were surging in the first quarter of 2020. Past reports from the analytics firm have also cemented the App Store's dominance over Google Play.

The App Store estimates come during a time of increased antitrust scrutiny over Apple's specific developer guidelines and in-app payment policies in the U.S. and Europe.

18 Comments

jsug9 2 comments · 5 Years

About 4 years ago

When I was at school (Peru - 2015), we had a basic app development course, our teacher said that in two years the Play Store revenues will surpass App Store so if we wanted to develop an app our focus should be Android. I laugh every time I remember that.

ericthehalfbee 4489 comments · 13 Years

About 4 years ago

jsug9 said:

When I was at school (Peru - 2015), we had a basic app development course, our teacher said that in two years the Play Store revenues will surpass App Store so if we wanted to develop an app our focus should be Android. I laugh every time I remember that.

That’s not so bad.

Eric Schmidt of Google predicted the same thing in Dec 2011, and even gave a timeline of 6 months for it to happen. His reasoning was that developers go where the market share is, and that was Android.

He was half right. The market share comment was correct, but he forgot to qualify it. Developers go to the platform that has the highest market share of “flagship customers”. You’re not going to make money trying to sell Apps to people buying $50 disposable phones, which comprises the majority of Android devices. When you look at flagships, the iPhone easily has the largest share of the market.

gatorguy 24607 comments · 13 Years

About 4 years ago

ericthehalfbee said:

jsug9 said:

When I was at school (Peru - 2015), we had a basic app development course, our teacher said that in two years the Play Store revenues will surpass App Store so if we wanted to develop an app our focus should be Android. I laugh every time I remember that.

That’s not so bad.

Eric Schmidt of Google predicted the same thing in Dec 2011, and even gave a timeline of 6 months for it to happen. His reasoning was that developers go where the market share is, and that was Android.

He was half right. The market share comment was correct, but he forgot to qualify it. Developers go to the platform that has the highest market share of “flagship customers”. You’re not going to make money trying to sell Apps to people buying $50 disposable phones, which comprises the majority of Android devices. When you look at flagships, the iPhone easily has the largest share of the market.

Only one of those stats covers (essentially) an entire app ecosystem's revenues, Apple's of course.

It was claimed a couple years ago that the total app revenue derived from Android when including the Chinese where Google Play is not available had exceeded those from the App Store. FWIW the Chinese spend on apps is approaching half of all worldwide revenues and most of it flowing to developers. In total as a group they may very likely make more from Android than iOS. Neither Google nor Apple is suffering when it comes to their app stores, but Google Play accounts for only a major sub-market of total Android app revenues and not its entirety. Even here in the West there are other app stores catering to Android developers besides Google Play.

Folks here like to point out apple's to oranges comparisons and this is yet another of them. Using the source report to make claims comparing two specific app stores is perfectly proper. Using it to extend claims about the two major app platforms in total it is not.

Edit: A now year and a half old article discussing how important Chinese app spend is.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/22/china-accounted-for-40-percent-of-global-spending-on-apps-report.html

Beats 3073 comments · 4 Years

About 4 years ago

Android users have money? That's quite a bit actually. Thought it would be more like a 10th of App Store revenue.

Google's knockoff App Store should take more hits in the future as fragmentation gets worse.

Beats 3073 comments · 4 Years

About 4 years ago

gatorguy said:

ericthehalfbee said:

jsug9 said:

When I was at school (Peru - 2015), we had a basic app development course, our teacher said that in two years the Play Store revenues will surpass App Store so if we wanted to develop an app our focus should be Android. I laugh every time I remember that.

That’s not so bad.

Eric Schmidt of Google predicted the same thing in Dec 2011, and even gave a timeline of 6 months for it to happen. His reasoning was that developers go where the market share is, and that was Android.

He was half right. The market share comment was correct, but he forgot to qualify it. Developers go to the platform that has the highest market share of “flagship customers”. You’re not going to make money trying to sell Apps to people buying $50 disposable phones, which comprises the majority of Android devices. When you look at flagships, the iPhone easily has the largest share of the market.

Only one of those stats covers (essentially) an entire app ecosystem's revenues, Apple's of course.

It was claimed a couple years ago that the total app revenue derived from Android when including the Chinese where Google Play is not available had exceeded those from the App Store. FWIW the Chinese spend on apps is approaching half of all worldwide revenues and most of it flowing to developers. In total as a group they may very likely make more from Android than iOS. Neither Google nor Apple is suffering when it comes to their app stores, but Google Play accounts for only a major sub-market of total Android app revenues and not its entirety. Even here in the West there are other app stores catering to Android developers besides Google Play.

Folks here like to point out apple's to oranges comparisons and this is yet another of them. Using the source report to make claims comparing two specific app stores is perfectly proper. Using it to extend claims about the two major app platforms in total it is not.

Edit: A now year and a half old article discussing how important Chinese app spend is.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/22/china-accounted-for-40-percent-of-global-spending-on-apps-report.html

So fragmentation is a good thing?

Sounds like a very anti-Apple argument. Like how iKnockoff users say privacy/security is bad because terrorists would use iPhone for it's security.