Answer · data from 761,898 iOS apps
How much does an app make?
The median iOS app makes approximately $0. Across the 761,898 App Store apps we track, only 5.5% show any meaningful revenue signal, and just 2.2% clear an estimated $1,000/month. Among apps that do earn, the median is ~$643/month — and the top 10% of earners make $17,250+/month.
Figures are labeled estimates generated by GetAppNiche's proprietary multi-signal model. Data snapshot: May 2026. Check any specific app free with the app revenue checker.
By category
App revenue by App Store category
| Category | Apps tracked | % earning ≥$1k/mo | % with any revenue | Median (earning apps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 27,799 | 10.0% | 16.8% | $1,714 |
| Graphics & Design | 6,034 | 4.7% | 9.3% | $1,069 |
| Photo & Video | 17,667 | 4.3% | 8.9% | $750 |
| Finance | 36,828 | 4.0% | 11.8% | $536 |
| Music | 18,263 | 3.2% | 7.9% | $643 |
| Book | 8,011 | 2.8% | 7.3% | $643 |
| Navigation | 8,905 | 2.8% | 6.5% | $643 |
| Entertainment | 31,025 | 2.7% | 6.8% | $643 |
| Health & Fitness | 47,518 | 2.6% | 6.1% | $643 |
| Reference | 15,003 | 2.5% | 6.3% | $643 |
| News | 10,916 | 2.4% | 7.7% | $536 |
| Medical | 17,137 | 2.3% | 5.7% | $643 |
| Social Networking | 16,430 | 2.2% | 5.1% | $643 |
| Sports | 22,081 | 1.8% | 4.8% | $536 |
| Lifestyle | 56,115 | 1.8% | 4.5% | $643 |
| Utilities | 75,952 | 1.8% | 4.6% | $643 |
| Shopping | 30,504 | 1.8% | 4.6% | $536 |
| Travel | 30,071 | 1.8% | 5.2% | $429 |
| Productivity | 48,548 | 1.7% | 4.1% | $643 |
| Education | 86,732 | 1.3% | 3.7% | $643 |
| Food & Drink | 40,891 | 1.2% | 4.3% | $321 |
| Business | 97,521 | 0.7% | 2.1% | $429 |
Source: GetAppNiche analysis of 761,898 iOS App Store apps, May 2026 snapshot. Estimates, not audited figures — methodology in how app revenue estimation works. For the handful of apps whose owners published real numbers — verified, sourced, $1K to ~$1.4M/mo — see the app revenue case studies. Wondering about the famous outliers instead? We publish labeled App Store estimates for Duolingo, Tinder, Candy Crush and nine more in the Famous app revenue series.
Estimated share of apps in each App Store category that clear $1,000/month. The dashed line is the 2.2% store-wide winner rate — Games runs ~5× it, Business under a third. The dollar and 'any revenue' columns stay in the table above. Labeled proprietary-model estimates, May 2026 snapshot.
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How much does an app make per download?
$0 — a download itself pays nothing. Revenue arrives only when a user later subscribes, buys, or watches ads, so "per-download revenue" is really monetization divided by installs. For ad-funded apps, a widely cited blended benchmark is roughly $0.01–$0.10 of lifetime ad revenue per download (an industry rule of thumb, not our data — a single ad impression pays a benchmark $0.0001–$0.025 depending on format); subscription apps routinely earn several dollars per install because one $5 subscriber outweighs thousands of ad impressions. That's why "an app with 100,000 downloads" can gross anywhere from a few hundred dollars to six figures — the model, not the download count, sets the rate. The ad-side arithmetic is broken down in how much apps make from ads, and download benchmarks by percentile are in how many downloads is good.
Free apps
How much do free apps make?
Store-side, almost nothing — unless they sell something inside. In our July 7, 2026 snapshot of 744,874 iOS apps, free apps without in-app purchases are 81.6% of the store, yet only 1.81% of them clear an estimated $1,000/month — the worst rate of any model — and the median earning one makes an estimated $321/month. Add in-app purchases and the picture flips: 13.76% of freemium apps clear $1,000/month, with a median earning app at an estimated $2,571/month. One honest caveat: ad revenue is paid outside Apple's rails and is invisible to store-side estimates, so the free-app figures are a floor. The full split is in free vs paid vs subscription apps.
App creators
How much do app creators and developers make?
The typical app creator makes approximately $0. Grouping our July 7, 2026 snapshot by developer account — 282,907 distinct developers — 91.6% of single-app developers show no estimated revenue at all, and only 3.47% clear an estimated $1,000/month across their apps. Among single-app developers who do earn, the median is an estimated $643/month. Income scales with portfolio: developers with 11+ apps clear $1,000/month at a 20.55% rate — nearly 6× the single-app odds. The full portfolio breakdown is in how much indie iOS developers make.
What this means
Three takeaways for founders
- Averages lie. The dataset's mean is ~$1,549/month — 24× the median reality — because a handful of giants skew it. Plan around medians and percentiles, not averages.
- Category choice moves your odds ~14×. 10% of Games clear $1k/month vs 0.7% of Business apps. Pick the pond before the fish: see finding profitable iOS niches.
- Research beats optimism. Before building, estimate what incumbents actually earn in your niche — free, in the revenue checker — then validate demand with a proper validation pass.
FAQ
How much apps make — quick answers
How much does the average app make?
The honest answer: the median iOS app makes approximately $0. Across 761,898 App Store apps we analyzed, only about 5.5% show any meaningful revenue signal at all, and just 2.2% clear an estimated $1,000/month. Among apps that DO earn, the median is roughly $643/month and the top 10% make $17,250+/month. Averages you see elsewhere (our dataset's mean is ~$1,549/month) are skewed by a tiny number of huge winners.
Which app category makes the most money?
Games, by a wide margin: 10% of games clear an estimated $1,000/month (5× the overall rate), and the median earning game makes ~$1,714/month. Graphics & Design, Photo & Video, and Finance follow. Business and Food & Drink are the hardest categories — under 1.2% of apps there reach $1,000/month.
How can I check how much a specific app makes?
Apple doesn't publish per-app revenue, so every figure is an estimate. You can look up any iOS app's estimated monthly revenue and downloads free with the GetAppNiche app revenue checker. Results come from our proprietary multi-signal model and are labeled so you can use them directionally.
Are these numbers exact?
No — they are labeled estimates generated by GetAppNiche's proprietary multi-signal model across 761,898 iOS apps (data snapshot: May 2026). No third party has exact revenue data; treat all figures here (and anywhere else) as directional.
What does it take to be in the top 10% of earning apps?
Among apps with any revenue signal, the 90th percentile is an estimated $17,250/month. Getting there almost always means a proven niche with demonstrated demand, subscription monetization, and consistent App Store keyword visibility — not a novel idea with zero competitors.
How much money does an app make per download?
Nothing per se — a download pays $0 by itself, and revenue only arrives when a user later subscribes, buys, or watches ads. For ad-funded apps, a widely cited blended benchmark is roughly $0.01–$0.10 of lifetime ad revenue per download (an industry rule of thumb, not our data), while subscription apps routinely earn several dollars per install. The monetization model, not the download count, sets the rate — which is why two apps with identical installs can differ in revenue by 100×.
How much do free apps make?
Through the App Store, very little: in our July 7, 2026 snapshot of 744,874 iOS apps, only 1.81% of free apps without in-app purchases clear an estimated $1,000/month — the worst rate of any model — and the median earning one makes an estimated $321/month. Freemium apps (free + in-app purchases) clear the same bar at 13.76% with a median earning app at an estimated $2,571/month. Ad revenue is paid outside Apple's rails and is invisible to store-side estimates, so the free-app figures are a floor rather than the whole picture.
How much do app creators make?
Typically, approximately $0. Grouping 744,874 iOS apps by developer account (282,907 distinct developers, July 7, 2026), 91.6% of single-app developers show no estimated revenue at all, and only 3.47% clear an estimated $1,000/month across their apps. Among single-app developers who do earn, the median is an estimated $643/month, and the odds scale with portfolio size — developers with 11+ apps clear $1,000/month at a 20.55% rate.