A new survey of the apps market by Sensor Tower reveals that approximately 1,000 developers are going to hit $1 million in earnings for the first time in 2021 and App Store accounts for 50% of app publishers achieving the revenue milestone. Based on the current global consumer spending in mobile apps, the report estimates that the number of iOS developers earning their first million will reach 581 this year.
On the other hand, 325 developers are expected to earn their first million on Google Play Store this year. The report notes that since 2016, both app stores have seen substantial growth. The number of iOS developers exceeding this mark on the App Store will grow by 87 percent, from 310 in 2016 to 581 in 2021; and developers on Play Store will grow from 165 in 2016 to 325 in 2021.
32% of mobile game developers will reach $1 million in revenue on the App Store for the first time in 2021
Like past two years, in 2021 as well mobile game developers have dominated new million-dollar-plus earners achievement on the App Store. Researchers project that 185 new mobile game developers will cross the $1 million earnings mark which accounts for 32 percent of App Store total new million-dollar-plus earners.
Sensor Tower projects that there will be 185 mobile game publishers crossing the milestone this year, representing about 32 percent of the platform’s total new million-dollar-plus earners. Social Networking will produce 62 publishers, representing 11 percent, while Entertainment will see 41 publishers, or about 7 percent.
Although App Store is still leading in producing new million-dollar-plus publishers each year, the number has declined since 2020 due to the normalization of consumer behavior as lifestyle is returning to pre-COVID-19 normal. Furthermore, the impact of possible alternative payment changes is yet to be seen.
The App Store saw 636 publishers reach or exceed $1 million in annual net revenue for the first time in 2020, a figure that will decline by nearly 9 percent in 2021.
Even bigger shifts are coming to the mobile market, however, with changes in the share of revenue taken by platform owners potentially rolling out next year along with more third-party payment options. Time will tell how this will affect publishers on both Apple’s and Google’s platforms and which developers will be able to reap the benefits. – Sensor Tower
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