Games and entertainment apps are the most popular categories in mobile app stores, with over one billion downloads combined in 2021. Netflix led the way with 173 million downloads per year. According to State of Mobile 2022, entertainment apps are particularly popular among Gen Z, which have migrated much of their entertainment to mobile. Games also generate a large amount of revenue for developers. But what are the top categories of mobile games?
There are several app categories on the app store, each with its own unique mix of strategies and monetization models. Despite the diversity of app categories, a few stand out as the most profitable. The top-earning categories are: gaming, dating, fitness, entertainment, and lifestyle. Several factors contribute to these categories’ revenue. However, starmusiq it is important to remember that less than one percent of all apps make it to the top 100, and that only a small portion of them earn millions of dollars each year.
Paid downloads and in-app advertising are the two biggest ways to monetize mobile apps. Advertising is the most common monetization model, and will reach a total of $290 billion by 2021. But in-app purchases are expected to surpass advertising in the next few years. Streaming apps, which are typically free to download and are available for a monthly or annual subscription, are expected to be the most profitable non-gaming categories webtoon.