iOS apps are generally more profitable than Android apps. You can read about that on other sites. But have you ever wondered how much money iOS apps actually make per download?
We wondered the same thing. So we dug into our Store Intelligence data and took a look the revenue per download, for all iOS apps, worldwide.
Some categories, like games, are not surprising. But there are other categories that may make more than you think. If you are looking to create a new app, this data might help you pick a category that will give you the best return per download.
This data is also taken from before and after the holiday period, it is a good look at how profitable each download is during the holiday season. We all know that downloads and total revenue typically increase during December, but is each download actually more profitable?
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Here is what we discovered…
All iOS Apps
We started by looking at all iOS apps worldwide, to establish an average of what iOS apps make per download. The average revenue per download is quite good, with a slight bump in December, due to the holiday season. Now let’s take a look a each individual category.
Business
It’s a little ironic, but Business apps have one of the lowest revenue per download numbers. There is a slight seasonal tendency, but it is pretty flat across the board.
Books
Book apps are slightly more profitable than Business apps, but not by much. Again, the revenue is pretty flat during the holiday season.
Catalogs
These apps don’t make a lot of money per download. This is not surprising, given that companies usually don’t charge for the apps and users typically don’t purchase through the app.
Education
Education apps actually see a small bump in revenue in January. That is probably due to the fact that people are on break during the holidays and get back to studying after New Years. Overall, this is not a bad category to be in.
Entertainment
Now we are talking! Entertainment apps make roughly double the revenue per download, compared to the previously mentioned categories. This is definitely a category to consider if you are looking for a higher return per download.
Finance
You would think that Finance apps make a lot of money, but this is certainly not the case. The reason is that most apps are value add services for banks and other companies. So they don’t generally generate revenue and they don’t have in-app purchases.
Food and Drink
These apps are almost as bad as Finance apps. Again, people don’t do a ton of buying within the app and they are usually free.
Games
No surprises here, Games make significantly more money per download than any other category. In fact, it is the only category that makes more than $1 per download. You can see why the biggest game companies can afford to pay so much money for advertising.
Health and Fitness
It is kind of surprising to me that these apps don’t make more per download. But I guess there are a lot of free workout apps out there, so it keeps the average return low.
Lifestyle
I really didn’t know what to expect from Lifestyle apps. But the average revenue is pretty low, so you would really have to do your homework when it comes to monetizing your app.
Medical
Revenue from Medical apps is slightly better than average. This is because people are typically willing to pay a little more for these apps.
Music
Music apps are generally pretty cheap, so I didn’t expect the average revenue per download to be that high…and it’s not. But it is higher than I expected, relative to categories like Lifestyle and Finance.
Navigation
Some Navigation apps on the top charts cost $149 or more. But that doesn’t translate into a much higher average revenue per download.
News
The return per download for news apps has been declining since October. It’s could be a seasonal thing and we wouldn’t worry about it.
Newsstand
If you aren’t going to make a game, you probably want to look at Newsstand apps. Really good revenue per download and it almost cracks the magic $1 per download mark.
Photo and Video
No surprise here. Free photo and video apps rule. Apps like Instagram usually strive to build a user base, instead of aggressively selling.
Productivity
Productivity apps help you organize your life, but they aren’t too productive when it comes to revenue per download. These apps can be fun to create, but you really have to examine how you will monetize effectively.
Reference
Ios Games That Pay Money
Reference apps don’t typically make a lot of money per download. But if you can come up with a very niche reference guide, it could do well.
Social Networking
This is a little surprising. Although the revenue per download is not high for these apps, it is higher than I would have expected.
I would have thought that apps like Facebook would bring the average way down. But as I looked through the apps on the Top Charts, it made sense. Dating apps hold up the average.
Sports
As you learned in our previous post, Sports apps get a significantly higher portion of their downloads and revenue on the weekends. But as you can see, sports apps do fairly well on a revenue per download basis.
Travel
With people traveling so often during the holidays, one might expect the return per download to be higher in November through January. Like in other categories, however, this is not the case. Again, total revenue and downloads are probably higher, but just not more profitable, per download.
Utilities
Utilities apps aren’t that profitable, but that makes sense. Free apps tend to do better and this is a pretty crowded category.
Weather
Finally, we come to Weather apps. There are quite a few apps that use proprietary weather data and can therefore charge for the app. So unless you have access to this type of data, making a lot per download can be a little tough.
Conclusion
So that is what we estimate app publishers make per download, worldwide. This doesn’t mean that you can’t make a very profitable app in any category. There may also be other ways to monetize an app, outside the App Store, but this is the revenue that we can quantifiably estimate.
Ios Games That Pay Money
It just means that you have to really do your homework and find out what successful apps are doing. This is especially true in categories that typically have a low yield per download.
This data comes from our Store Intelligence product. If you would like to get the estimated downloads and revenue for your competition, schedule an Enterprise demo today.
What surprised you in this study? Let us know in the comments below…
How much time will you spend a week on entertainment/relaxation? 4-5 hours?
I guess most of us would like to relax by watching your favorite movies/TV shows, visiting a nearby shopping mall, playing video games on your Xbox or PlayStation etc.
Of course, playing games is the best option to relieve the stress for working professionals. Because it helps them to relax a bit after a tight work schedule of 8 hours/day for 5 days a week.
Now, let me ask you something.
Besides killing their free time, does playing games offer any kind of benefits to teens, college students or stay at home moms? Partially, Yes. How?
There are some mobile apps that actually pay the users to play/test their games for free. Yes. It’s really true and I’m not kidding. Let’s not worry about why should the game apps pay you to download, install and play their games.
Here Is the List Of Legit Apps That Pay To Play Games – (iOS/Android):
Definitely, this money making apps will not make you rich or help you to make $100-$500 per month. Instead, it rewards a few cents or dollars to do things you like.
1. InboxDollars
Many of you might have heard about InboxDollars as a paid survey site that rewards its members for taking surveys. However, it has a dedicated games section with some of the popular games like Solitaire, Bejeweled and more.
The reward varies based on the time spent in playing the games on the InboxDollarswebsite or app.
More time, More Money!
(Suggested Read:11 Ways To Make More Money From InboxDollars )
2. Swagbucks
You can find a lot of game apps from the Discover section of the Swagbuckswebsite and mobile app. And, you can easily earn SB to download and install those gaming apps.
Besides installing the game apps, you can earn easy SB for your various activities like searching the web, shopping products/services, watching videos and more.
( Also Read:15 Easy Ways To Make More Money From Swagbucks )
3. Swag IQ
Swag IQ is a live trivia game show where you can win huge cash prizes for answering 10 multiple choice questions correctly. You will get only 10 seconds to answer a question. If more than one person has answered all the questions correctly, then the prize money will be shared between the members.
Ios Games That Pay Bitcoin
The app is launched by the same company which owns Swagbucks. Swag IQ is available for both iOS and Android platforms.
4. Lucktastic
Do you believe in luck? Then, you can try this game. As per the name, Lucktastic allows the users to win cash/prizes by playing scratch cards. And, the scratch cards are valid only for a limited interval of time and it expires after that. You will get new scratch cards every day to try out your luck.
If you scratch reveals 3 identical symbols, then you will be considered as a winner. And, you will get either cash prize or tokens (can be used to redeem instant rewards or to enter contests). You can receive the cash via the Dwolla mobile wallet, check or gift cards.
App Link:iOS, Android
5. Bananatic
Are you some who is interested to explore and try new games? Then, you can check out the Bananatic app as it regularly adds new and interesting games. It is available for both iOSand Androidplatforms.
As you progress to the next level or achieve a milestone in your game, you will be rewarded with a few points for your efforts. And, you can redeem that points either to make purchases within the app or exchange them for gift cards from various retailers.
6. Gamehag
Gamehag rewards the users with points called Soul Gems (SG) to either play the games integrated to its platform or for downloading and playing the listed games. Besides games, you can earn SG to complete offers, watch app trailers or take surveys. It rewards the top 3 players every day with 1000, 500 and 300 respectively. It has an active forum where you can discuss with fellow users about the games, rewards and more.
Ios Games That Pay Real Money
Once you accumulate the minimum SG, you can spend them on buying games or add to your Steam Wallet.
Gamehag is available on both iOS and Android platforms.
7. Paid Game Player
Paid Game Player is not a mobile app. Instead, it is a website that pays you to play games for free. It claims that you can make free money by playing more than 600 games (casino, puzzle, poker etc) which are available on its database.
Plus, you can also make a few dollars to review the games. Just you need to create a free account on their website and start playing games for money.
8. Tap Cash Rewards
Ios Games That Pay Crypto
Basically, Tap Cash Rewards is an Androidapp that pays to play games, watch videos, install mobile apps and more. Also, you can earn coins if someone downloads the app using your referral code.
Plus, you will get a few coins for daily login as well. You can request the payout by PayPal or convert the coins to gift cards once your balance reaches $10.
9. WowApp
WowAppprovides a lot of options to make money like watching videos, reading news, chat, taking surveys, making phone calls at lower rates and more. It claims that it is sharing 70% of its revenue with its members.
Besides the above-listed ways, you can also earn wowcoins (100 wowcoins = $1) by playing a lot of games which are integrated into the app itself. Once you reach the minimum balance, you can redeem the wowcoins to cash via PayPal, Bank account or exchange them to gift cards. The minimum payout is $1.
10. Grab Points
There is no separate games section on the Grab Points. However, you can easily earn a few points by downloading and installing the game apps which are available in the offers section.
Grab Points is available in both web and mobile versions. Besides games, you can make money from Grab Points by watching videos, taking surveys, completing offers and more. The minimum payout is $3 (3000 points).
(Recommended Read:GrabPoints Review: Tips and Tricks to Earn More Points )
11. FitPlay
FitPlayis exactly like the AppLike as both the apps are released by the same company. I don’t find any difference between the two except the theme.
Like the AppLike Android app, FitPlay also rewards the users with coins to play mobile games for the specified duration of time. Plus, you will get 4444 coins as a bonus when you sign up for the first time.
12. App Flame
Like FitPlay and AppLike, App Flame also rewards you to download and play the games every day. And, will be credited with coins for playing every 10 minutes or so. Based on your location and age, the games will vary.
The minimum payout is $0.5 (4999 coins) via PayPal. Since the App Flame offers a signup bonus of 4444 coins, you can get your first payout quickly.
13. AppStation
AppStation works exactly like AppFlame and rewards the users to install and play games on their smartphones. Like all the other apps, it also offers a sign-up bonus of 4444 coins.
You can earn more coins by spending more time playing the games. Once you reach the minimum balance, you can convert the coins to cash via PayPal.
14. AppKarma
>AppKarma rewards the users with points called Karma Points for doing various activities like watching videos, playing games, installing apps and more. It also offers a daily check-in bonus for just opening the app daily.
The points can be redeemed via PayPal or Steam once the user reaches the minimum points balance.
(Also Read: 11 Apps That Pays You To Walk in 2019)
15. iCash
iCash pays “iCash coins” to play the games listed on the app. And, you can earn additional coins by downloading and playing the games on your phone. You can try our luck and earn more coins from the daily Lucky Spin as well. Besides games, you can also earn iCash coins by completing offers from Fyber, Tapjoy and more. Even though you cannot make a hundred dollars from this app, you should be able to make $5 to $10 every month.
Once your balance reaches the minimum payout, you can redeem that by converting to cash via PayPal or gift cards like Amazon, iTunes, Xbox Live and more.
Update on 02/22/2019: The app is not paying the rewards.
16. AppLike
Have you ever played the game CoinMaster? It is one of my favorites and the most addictive mobile game I have ever played. Every time you play that game for 15-20 minutes, you will be rewarded with coins which can be redeemed once you reach the minimum payout (4999 coins = $0.50).
Not only CoinMaster, you can find a lot of games like Solitaire, Wordcookies etc which are integrated with AppLike. To receive the rewards, you need to install and play the individual game from the AppLike app.
The minimum payout is $0.50 for PayPal and $2.5 for Amazon gift card. For all other gift cards, you need 47065 coins ($5).
Update 02/22/2019: This app has been removed from the Google Play Store.
17. WHAFF Rewards
Basically, WHAFF Rewards pays you to download, install and open the mobile apps. At least 30-40% of those apps are game apps so that you can make a few cents by playing those games.
Most of the games will pay you $0.005 to $0.01 daily (for at least 7-30 days) to play the game for at least 2-5 minutes. You can request the payment once your balance reaches $11.
(Also read:WHAFF Rewards: How Much Will You Get to Install Mobile Apps?)
Update 02/22/2019: Even though the app is listed on the Play Store, its official website has gone offline. Hence, it is not known, if the app still pays.
Become A Game Tester To Make Money Playing Games
Are you looking for a stable source of income for playing games? Then, the best option would be to become a game tester and make money to play and test games. PlayTestCloud is a website that rewards the users to test and share their voice-based feedback of mobile-based games.
To become a tester with PlayTestCloud, create a free account on their website, take the sample test where you need to install and play the game sent to your email. After you pass the qualification test, you will be sent invitations to test games.
You can earn up to $10 to test the game and for providing your feedback. The payments will be sent via PayPal.
Conclusion
Definitely, you are not going to become a millionaire by installing and using the above apps that pay to play games. However, you will be rewarded with a small amount to spend your valuable time on playing games.
Plus, it will also motivate the game lovers to improve their gaming skills and take part in competitions or giveaways to win prizes.
For teens, stay at home moms and college students, these apps will give extra cash or pocket money every month.
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