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App Store sees massive growth, generated 93% more revenue than Google Play in Q3

It’s no secret that Apple’s App Store makes more than Google’s Play Store when it comes to revenue. However, the latest data recorded by Sensor Tower (via TechCrunch), shows that in Q3 of 2018, Apple widened the gap by a huge amount.

According to the data, the App Store earned nearly 93% more in revenue than Google Play, making it the largest revenue gap recorded by Sensor Tower (since at least 2014).

In total, the firm says roughly 66% of the $18.2 billion in mobile app revenue generated in Q3 of 2018 was from Apple’s App Store. That equates to roughly $12 billion earned from the App Store alone, up 23.3% from the year-ago quarter. For Google Play, it earned $6.2 billion in the quarter, up 21.5% from the year-ago quarter.

Based on the data, subscriptions are continuing to boost revenue for both stores. For example, Netflix is the top non-game grossing app for the third quarter in a row, adding an estimated $243.7 million in revenue across both platforms.

On the mobile gaming side, spending on both platforms is up 14.9% year-over-year, with a total revenue of $13.8 billion for the quarter. Gaming alone accounted for nearly 76% of all app revenue for both platforms in the quarter.

However, it’s not all good for the App Store. Google Play edged out the App Store in terms of overall app downloads thanks to lower-cost Android devices in certain markets. App installs are up 10.9% across both platforms.

Read Sensor Tower’s full report here.


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