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Which App Store apps made the most money this year?
Rebecca Appleton • 18 December 2018
A new report published this week has revealed the highest grossing apps of the year on the App Store. Collectively, these iOS apps have generated hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue worldwide.
The report, compiled by Business Insider using data from Sensor Tower, picked out the ten highest grossing apps of the year, concluding that around half originate in China. What’s more, if you’re taking up our mobile app business opportunity, you’ll also be interested to know that it pays to design video streaming and social media apps – they generated the most revenue of all App Store categories according to the data analysis.
2018’s highest grossing apps
The highest grossing apps of this year are:
1. Netflix
It will probably come as no surprise to read that Netflix is the year’s highest grossing app with an estimated revenue of $790.2 million.
2. Tencent Video
Netflix’s nearest rival this year has been Tencent Video, a Chinese video streaming app which grossed $490 million.
3. Tinder
The dating app Tinder was third in the highest grossing revenue list with $462.2 million in revenue.
4. iQiyi
The third video streaming platform in the four highest grossing apps, iQiyi is owned by the Chinese search engine, Baidu and is often called the Chinese Netflix. It grossed $420.5 million.
5. Kwai
Kwai, based in Singapore, boasts over 700 million users worldwide. It is a social media app which allows users to share short videos. It grossed $264.5 million.
6. YouTube
Google’s YouTube app was sixth on the list of highest grossing apps for 2018 and yet another video and streaming tool. It grossed $244.2 million.
7. Pandora
Music streaming platform Pandora grossed $225.7 million, placing it seventh on the list. It gives users a ‘personalised music experience’ which evolves to suit the user’s tastes over time.
8. Youku
Yet another video streaming app! It claims to be China’s top rated video streaming provider, but was behind quite a few of its competitors in terms of revenue this year. Business Insider’s study calculates it grossed $192.2 million.
9. QQ
Instant messaging platform QQ offers video, voice and text messages. Developed in China, it first emerged in 1999 and grossed $159.7 million.
10. Hulu
Owned by the Hollywood studios power trio of Disney, 21st Century Fox and Comcast, this video steaming app grossed $132.6 million in 2018.
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