Here are the top 10 apps where users spent the most money last year.
- In 2021, customers paid $131.6 billion for in-app subscriptions.
- In-app purchases produced more money on the App Store than on the Google Play Store.
- In-app purchases brought in $1.2 billion for YouTube globally.
Apps have become an integral part of our lives, and consumers are spending more money on them than ever before, according to a new survey. The study at hand, from Sensor Tower, lists the top 100 non-game applications where users spent the most money on in-app subscriptions in the previous year. According to the survey, consumer spending on subscription-based apps increased by 41% in 2021 to $18.3 billion, up from $13 billion in 2020. The list is dominated by dating and OTT applications, with a few other chat apps thrown in for good measure.
The revenue from these top 100 applications accounts for almost 14% of the $131.6 billion spent on subscriptions for both game and non-gaming apps by users. Customers in the United States spent $40.7 billion on in-app subscriptions in 2021, and $8.5 billion on non-game apps, which included around 21% of the top subscription applications. In addition, 90 of the top 100 highest-grossing applications in the United States contained in-app subscriptions in Q4 2021. However, in Q4 2020 and Q4 2019, there were 91 and 93 apps, respectively, compared to 91 and 93 in Q4 2020 and Q4 2019.
In 2021, iOS and Mac users spend more money on in-app purchases than Android users, according to the research. Users spent up to three times more money on the App Store than on the Play Store last year, producing $13.5 billion, up from $10.3 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, sales from the top 100 apps on the Google Play store was $4.8 billion in 2018, up 78 percent from 2020.
In the United States, the top 100 subscription apps produced $6 billion in revenue, up 33% year on year from $4.5 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, Google Play Store income increased by 79 percent to $2.5 billion in 2021, up from $1.4 billion in 2020.
In terms of app-specific spending, YouTube experienced the most increase in in-app payments last year, and once users were done with entertainment, they went on Tinder to spend their money on finding a match. The entertainment platform appears to be the most popular among users. Many OTT apps, such as Disney+, HBO Max, Twitch, Piccoma, iQIYI, and Tencent video, are among the top ten apps in terms of income worldwide. Line and Google One are the other two apps on the list.
In the United States, the situation is similar. Customers in the United States also spend the most on streaming apps such as Disney+, YouTube, HBO Max, Pandora, Twitch, ESPN, and Hulu, among others. The Google One is at the top of the rankings. Like the rest of the globe, even users in the United States, desire a soulmate and are willing to pay for it, whether it's Tinder or Bumble, which are among the top 10 revenue-generating applications.
When the facts are crunched, Alphabet emerges as the top publisher in terms of in-app payment revenue in the United States and around the world. In-app purchases brought in $1.2 billion worldwide and $566.5 million in the United States, according to YouTube, which is at the top of the list. Meanwhile, Google One, the company's subscription service, made $1.1 billion in worldwide revenue last year, including $698 million in the United States.
