Global consumer spending on app store subscriptions reached new heights in 2021.
According to new data from analytics firm Sensor Tower, consumer spending on subscription apps reached new heights of $18.3 billion USD in 2021.
“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,” reads the report. “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.”
Worldwide, the top 100 non-game subscription apps on Apple’s App Store produced $13.5 billion USD. That’s nearly three times as much as Google Play’s revenue of $4.8 billion USD.
However, Google Play saw significantly more growth, as it increased 78 percent since 2020. App Store spending had seen a 31 percent year-over-year increase from $10.3 billion.
“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.”
The top subscription apps by revenue for the App Store in 2021 were YouTube, Tinder, and Disney+.
Check out all the data here.
