Worldwide consumer spending in mobile apps reached an all-time high in 2021. Data from Sensor Tower shows that App Store users spent more than double the amount of money on subscription services that Google Play users did.
Worldwide, the top 100 non-game subscription apps on the App Store produced $13.5 billion. That’s nearly three times as much as Google Play’s revenue of $4.8 billion.
However, Google Play saw significantly more growth, as it increased 78% since 2020. App Store spending had seen a 31% year-over-year increase from $10.3 billion.
YouTube was the top subscription app in the App Store in both the US and the rest of the world. It generated $1.2 billion worldwide with $566.5 million of that within the US. Tinder was the second most popular subscription app in both categories.
How will this data shift in the future? Subscription services are continuing to gain traction as consumers view premium content on platforms like HBO Max, Amazon, and Netflix, among others.
Social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram are creating their own subscription models to encourage content creation and consumption. With this in mind, we are likely to see an uptick in App Store spending on subscription apps in the near future.
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