Android apps will outsell iOS apps this year

by Alan Friedman / Mar 29, 2017, 11:56 PM

App sales should grow at an 18% compounded rate through 2021

App Annie is an analytical company that tracks various app platforms. For 2017, the analytical firm says that Android apps will outsell iOS apps for the first time ever. This includes revenue generated by third part Android app stores like the Amazon Appstore and Samsung Galaxy apps. Looking at the estimate, App Annie says that the Google Play Store will bring in $42 billion this year with third party Android stores producing an additional $36 billion in revenue. The total $78 billion in Android app revenue expected this year by App Annie, tops the $60 billion in revenue that iOS is forecast to achieve this year.

Take away the third party Android app stores, and the Apple App Store will continue to out sell the Google Play Store by $20 billion every year up through 2021. For the five-year period that ends that year, App Annie sees a compounded annual growth rate of 18% in total app sales. The Asian Pacific region is the area with the highest demand for apps, both Android and iOS flavored. That is followed by the Americas and the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Will Android (including third party app stores) continue to produce more revenue than iOS apps after this year? Android does have the advantage of having the largest market share globally and continues to show strong installed growth every year. One thing to consider. Regardless of which platform brings in the most revenue, when it comes to the bottom line, iOS has always produced more profits for its app developers than Android has.

source: AppAnnie via Android

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23 Comments

1. kiko007

Posts: 7493; Member since: Feb 17, 2016

"Regardless of which platform brings in the most revenue, when it comes to the bottom line, iOS has always produced more profits for its app developers than Android has." I see what you did there, Alan... :)

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:04 AM 3

4. lyndon420

Posts: 6715; Member since: Jul 11, 2012

What did he do...did I miss something? Are you referring to how this article started out as a shining moment for Google, only to become twisted somehow into apple's favor with the inclusion of the very last sentence?!? Yeah...I'm beginning to see it now lol.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:38 AM 10

6. mrochester

Posts: 975; Member since: Aug 17, 2014

This is one of those articles that starts out painting what looks like a positive picture, because of big numbers and Apple, but then comes back around to reality at the end to paint the correct picture of the situation.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:42 AM 0

8. trojan_horse

Posts: 5868; Member since: May 06, 2016

Paint which correct picture of which situation? Don't kid yourself.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 1:33 AM 1

14. lyndon420

I think he was being sarcastic, but I could be wrong.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 7:33 AM 0

16. mikehunta727 unregistered

I mean he is right though, iOS devs have been making more profit on iOS apps for years, Android will take the lead for the 1st time at the end of this year, which is good

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 7:56 AM 0

18. AmashAziz

Posts: 2898; Member since: Jun 30, 2014

Only in revenue.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 8:19 AM 0

19. mikehunta727 unregistered

Profits as well. http://bgr.com/2016/07/20/ios-vs-android-developers-profits-app-store-google-play/ Less apps on iOS app store vs Play Store, smaller user base on iOS vs Android, but noticeably higher revenue...also = higher profits for devs

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 8:36 AM 0

12. Settings

Posts: 2943; Member since: Jul 02, 2014

Plot twist.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 5:19 AM 0

13. HansP

Posts: 542; Member since: Oct 16, 2011

The revenue will be higher on the Android platform. There are, on average, a lower fee for developers on Android platforms. Yup, that sentence definitely sounds like it's got everything to do with facts and not a personal desire/opinion based on unicorn farts, right? :D

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 6:08 AM 1

7. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Does Apple making big buck off their users really bring joy to Apple fans?? What a strange oxymoron.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:51 AM 12

20. lyndon420

It is strange that's for sure considering that iOS caters to a very small percentage of the population. Which has me wondering...do iOS users actually buy apps more frequently or are they just charged more for their apps? And either way...what apps are they buying?

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 8:45 AM 0

21. mikehunta727 unregistered

Almost 700 million iOS users isn't exactly a "small population" imho lol

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 9:27 AM 1

23. lyndon420

True...but it paints a different picture when you compare percentage. Not sure of the exact numbers but it seems to stay consistent over the last few years...80-90% use Android and 10-20% use iOS.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:14 PM 0

11. SIGPRO

Posts: 2815; Member since: Oct 03, 2012

iSheep......always in denial!

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 4:45 AM 0

2. MrElectrifyer

Posts: 3960; Member since: Oct 21, 2014

Something is not adding up here. How does apple's income from the app store (or apple services) suddenly jump from 7.17 B in 2016 here ( https://goo.gl/dGILV9 ) to 60 B in this article? So much inconsistencies and contradiction in reports from apple presstitutes...

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:10 AM 0

9. nithyakr

Posts: 161; Member since: Jun 20, 2014

The previous article says the revenue which Apple brought in (25% out of total revenue, since the 75% is for the app developers ) from the app store. Here it says the total revenue of the app store. so 15B (25% out of 60B) will be this year's revenue which Apple will be getting from the App store. I might be wrong, but that's how I understood it.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 3:30 AM 0

3. Leo_MC

Posts: 7190; Member since: Dec 02, 2011

Apple revenue is a percent of App Store generated revenue.

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:24 AM 0

5. Unordinary unregistered

Nice!!

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 12:38 AM 0

10. tedkord

Posts: 17296; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Um, yay?

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 4:36 AM 0

15. mikehunta727 unregistered

I see nothing wrong with the article here, iOS has always produced more in profits for developers than on Android, that is the current situation atm but will finally change by the end of this year

posted on Mar 30, 2017, 7:54 AM 0

17. toukale

Posts: 624; Member since: Jun 10, 2015

While some may see this as a positive, I see it as a big negative. How in the world Apple who historically held a 15-18% market shares beating Android 80-85% in revenue for a decade on? The kicker is revenue, not profits or payouts to developers. This shows how high the level of piracy is on Android and how few people actually pay for stuff on the platform.