Consumer spending on mobile apps continues to rise

Global consumer spending in the top 100 non-game subscription-based apps grew to a record $13bn in 2020, representing a 34% year-on-year increase from the $9.7bn spent in 2019.

This accounted for about 11.7% of the $111bn that consumers spent on in-app purchases last year, according to new analysis from Sensor Tower, a mobile insights firm.

Other key findings

• In Q4 2020, 86 of the top 100 earning non-game apps worldwide offered subscriptions, slightly down from 89 in the same period in 2019.
• US consumers spent nearly $5.9bn in the top 100 non-game subscription-based mobile apps in 2020, up 26% year-on-year from $4.6bn in 2019.
• Subscription apps accounted for 91 out of the top 100 earning apps in the US in Q4 2020, slightly down from 93 in Q4 2019.
• Globally, the top 100 subscription apps on the App Store generated $10.3bn in 2020, up 32% from $7.8bn in 2019.
• Meanwhile, the top 100 earners on Google Play generated $2.7bn last year, up 42% year-on-year from $1.9bn in 2019. YouTube was the top subscription app across both Google Play and the App Store.

Key quote

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have been spending more on the top subscription apps than in the past” – Stephanie Chan, mobile insights analyst at Sensor Tower.

Sourced from Sensor Tower