Global consumer spending on app store subscriptions reached new heights in 2021, according to new data. The top 100 subscription-based apps saw their revenue grow 41 percent year-over-year from $13 billion to $18.3 billion globally.
Top 100 subscription apps saw a 41% increase in revenue in 2021
As per new data from analytics firm Sensor Tower, consumer spending on subscription apps was 7 percent greater than in 2020 and 34 percent higher than in 2019.
Worldwide consumer expenditure in mobile apps reached new highs yet again in 2021, and Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data reveals that mobile users are spending more than ever in subscription apps. The top 100 non-game subscription-based apps saw their revenue grow 41 percent year-over-year from $13 billion to $18.3 billion globally. This was 7 percentage points greater than in 2020, when spending in these apps climbed 34 percent Y/Y from $9.7 billion in 2019.
While Google’s Play Store experienced more growth in 2021, Apple’s App Store saw nearly three times as much spending. The top 100 subscription apps on Apple’s App Store $13.5 billion in 2021, up 31 percent year-over-year from $10.3 billion. Consumers spent $4.8 billion on the top 100 subscription apps on Google’s Play Store, up 78 percent from $2.7 billion in 2020.
As in previous years, consumers spent more on subscription-based apps downloads from the App Store than on Google Play. The top 100 non-game subscription apps on the App Store generated $13.5 billion in 2021, up 31 percent Y/Y from $10.3 billion. Worldwide consumers spent $4.8 billion on the top 100 subscription apps on Google’s marketplace, up 78 percent from $2.7 billion in 2020. While the top subscription apps on Google Play experienced more growth, the top apps on the App Store saw nearly three times as much spending last year.
Consumer spending in the U.S. saw a similar breakdown, with the top 100 subscription apps generating $6 billion on the App Store, up 33 percent Y/Y from $4.5 billion. The cohort saw approximately $2.5 billion in consumer spending on Google Play, up 79 percent from $1.4 billion in 2020.
Alphabet’s YouTube generated the most revenue globally in 2021 followed by dating service Tinder and Japanese webtoon service Piccoma. Google One and Disney+ rounded out the top five. In the United States, Google One saw the most revenue, followed by Disney+, YouTube, HBO Max, and Tinder.
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