Discover the Most Profitable Apps: A Data-Driven Guide to Maximizing Revenue

Anyone can come up with an app idea. With so many mobile applications available on the App Store and Google Play Store, it seems like everyone is putting those ideas to use.

But how many of those apps are actually making money?

Before you go through the long and often expensive process of learning how to code and developing an app, you need to sit down and come up with a plan.

Is it worth it build an app for your business?

Depending on which type of app you’re planning to create, the answer may vary. Different types of app categories have more success than others. The most profitable mobile apps cater to the broader mobile app market. Some of the top apps include gaming apps, dating apps, fitness apps, entertainment apps, lifestyle apps and more. These app categories generate revenue on the app stores through a wide range of methods.

First, you’ve got to segment yourself into one of two buckets.

1. You’re building an app as an extension of your existing brand or business.
2. You have an idea for the next great mobile app (like Snapchat, Instagram, or Tinder).

If you fall somewhere within the first option, your app would be used to improve the experience for your existing customers.

As you continue to cater toward the wants and needs of your customer, you’ll see an increased revenue stream.

Mobile apps are also a great way to acquire new customers, which also generates more money.

That’s especially true if you’re an ecommerce business. Look how many mobile shoppers there are in the United States alone.

There’s plenty of room for you to succeed if you think your app would be the next big hit as well.

That may be a more difficult road, but it could potentially be a home run if you’re successful.

You’ve got to understand the breakdown of your revenue.

How will you actually generate a profit?

• Subscriptions
• In-app purchases

Those are the most common options for you to choose from.

Another business concept that you’ll need to grasp is the difference between profit and revenue.

It’s possible for your app to have a high revenue without generating any profits.

In fact, you could end up with a net loss.

Here’s what I mean.

Let’s say your app makes money through in-app purchases.

You generate $5,000 per month, so your annual revenue is $60,000.

But if it costs you $56,000 to run and operate the app, your profit is only $4,000 for the entire year.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s better than being in the red.

But I see this all too often when I’m consulting for different companies. They get so focused in on their revenue, that they don’t realize their profits are so low.

The basic formula to determine profit is by subtracting your total costs from the total revenue.

As an industry expert, I’ll explain to you which types of apps make the most money so your company can be profitable.

Here’s what you need to know.

List of apps that make the most

When in doubt, I always like to follow the path set by other people who were successful.

We can apply that same concept here.

In theory, if you can replicate their strategy, then your app could see similar results.

According to AndroidPIT, these apps have the highest sales revenue across the globe between iOS and Android platforms combined.

1. Spotify
2. Line
3. Netflix
4. Tinder
5. HBO NOW
6. Pandora Radio
7. iQIYI
8. LINE Manga
9. Sing! Karaoke
10. Hulu

What do some of these apps have in common with one another?

Think back to what we discussed earlier for the different ways to generate a profit from your mobile app.

Spotify, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu, all offer subscriptions for their users.

Tinder and Pandora Radio both have premium subscription options that unlock additional features to increase the overall user experience.

The other apps on the list such Sing! Karaoke has various in-app purchase options that range from $0.99 to $99.99 per item.

Even if you have a subscription services or in-app purchases, it doesn’t mean that you need to charge users to download the app.

There are more free apps than paid apps available on the market.

In fact, all of the mobile applications that we just saw on that top 10 list are free to download.

Now let’s take a look at a look at another type of app.

Games.

Users love to play games.

30% of time spent playing games occurs while the players are on the toilet.

18% of people in the United States play mobile games while they are at work.

Here’s a look at the top iOS mobile games in the United States based on daily revenue.

However, these numbers change slightly when you add in Android users and combine that information with data on international revenue.

Overall, these are the top 10 games that have the most revenue.

1. Monster Strike
2. Clash of Clans
3. Pokemon Go
4. Game of War – Fire Age
5. Clash Royale
6. Mobile Strike
7. Puzzle & Dragons
8. Fantasy Westward Journey
9. Candy Crush Saga
10. Fate/Grand Order

If you’re planning to develop a game, using this list or the above graphic is a great place to start looking for suggestions.

The main source of revenue for all of these games is in-app purchases.

You can download the games for free and play basic versions.

However, the in-app purchases make the user experience better.

Take an app like Pokemon Go as an example.

In order to get items like Poke balls, lucky eggs, lure modules, incense, or egg incubators, you’ll need to level up after getting certain achievements.

However, users need these items in order to level up faster.

So it’s a double edged sword.

Sure, it’s possible to reach a new level without making a purchase, but buying something makes it so much easier.

People are impatient.

They want to get good at the game but have fun at the same time.

It’s frustrating for users if they are stuck on a certain level for too long.

That’s no fun.

But a simple in-app purchase can speed up that process.

Like most games, Pokemon Go uses a coin system for purchases.

Psychologically, it’s more enticing for the user.

Rather than saying an item costs $0.99, they say it costs 100 coins.

So the game makes money as soon as players buy coins, as opposed to when they purchase an actual item.

Here’s a breakdown of the cost per coin amount for Pokemon Go.

As you can see, it’s enticing for people to purchase additional coins because they get more per each dollar spent.

If you buy 100 coins, it pretty much translates to a penny per coin.

How Buildfire can help develop these apps depending on the complexity and budget

Now that you know which types of apps make the most money, it’s time to put your idea to the test.

But where do you get started?

If you’ve never done this before, Buildfire can help.

Obviously, I’m a little biased, but I think it’s one of the most simple and user friendly development tools that I’ve seen available on the market.

Buildfire	Traditional Development
Simple and user-friendly	Requires coding knowledge
Affordable	Potentially expensive
Predesigned templates available	Custom design needed

You can build an app from scratch without ever needing to learn how to code.

It’s also a much more affordable alternative compared to paying someone else to develop your app.

Even if your idea is complex, you can chat with our Pro Services Team if you have any questions.

Buildfire also allows you to choose from predesigned templates based on the type of app you’re developing.

This is extremely helpful, especially now that you know which kinds of apps are making the most money.

The templates make it super easy for you to design a layout and set everything up for subscriptions or in-app purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions