---
title: "Mobile App Revenue by Category: Which Categories Make the Most Money?"
description: "Every app category ranked two ways — how often its apps earn, and how much they earn when they do — from store data on tens of thousands of iOS and Android apps."
url: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/app-revenue-by-category/
markdown: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/app-revenue-by-category/index.md
updated: 2026-09-11
apps: 59282
source: TrendApps
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Mobile App Revenue by Category: Which Categories Make the Most Money?

TrendApps Research · updated 2026-09-11 · 59,282 apps

Across 33 app categories with at least 200 tracked apps, the share earning more than $1,000 a month ranges from a few percent to 60.4%. Dating apps earn most often. Entertainment apps earn the most when they do, with a median of $200k a month among earners. Games earn more than $1,000 a month 40.8% of the time. Every other category combined earns 16.8% of the time. Store revenue only; advertising income is not included, so ad-supported apps show as not earning here.

- **60.4%** — Dating apps earn $1k+ — highest rate
- **$200k** — Entertainment median among earners — highest
- **15.7%** — earning rate in the median category
- **33** — categories with their own report

## Two questions: how often, and how much

Dating apps earn more than $1,000 a month 60.4% of the time, yet when one earns the median is $20k. Entertainment apps earn only 22.7% of the time, but an earning one has a median of $200k.

"Most profitable category" hides two questions: the probability an app in the category earns anything, and the size of the prize when it does. The upper-right corner is where you want to be — and where the fewest categories sit.

Each dot is a category (200+ apps). Right = earns more often; up = earns more when it does. Dot size = number of apps.

| Category | Earn $1k+/mo | Median (earners) | Apps |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dating | 60.4% | $20k | 260 |
| Social Networking | 43.7% | $80k | 1,338 |
| Games | 40.8% | $60k | 3,930 |
| Communication | 31.6% | $30k | 474 |
| Graphics & Design | 26.7% | $30k | 1,542 |
| Photo & Video | 25.8% | $80k | 1,761 |
| Entertainment | 22.7% | $200k | 2,489 |
| Health & Fitness | 21.8% | $100k | 2,353 |
| Education | 21.0% | $80k | 2,407 |
| Navigation | 20.1% | $20k | 1,939 |
| News | 19.3% | $20k | 1,753 |
| Music | 18.9% | $40k | 2,360 |
| Productivity | 18.7% | $100k | 2,445 |
| Books & Reference | 18.3% | $40k | 3,420 |
| Utilities | 17.7% | $90k | 3,195 |
| Finance | 17.5% | $20k | 2,383 |
| Lifestyle | 15.7% | $70k | 3,013 |
| Business | 14.6% | $60k | 2,043 |
| Shopping | 14.5% | $10k | 1,466 |
| Parenting | 11.9% | $30k | 645 |
| Weather | 11.8% | $20k | 1,854 |
| Libraries & Demo | 11.2% | $10k | 418 |
| Medical | 11.0% | $10k | 2,211 |
| Sports | 10.9% | $50k | 2,347 |
| Beauty | 10.5% | $8k | 513 |
| Travel | 10.2% | $20k | 2,459 |
| Comics | 9.7% | $30k | 472 |
| Food & Drink | 8.5% | $10k | 2,224 |
| Auto & Vehicles | 8.4% | $10k | 670 |
| House & Home | 8.4% | $10k | 665 |
| Developer Tools | 5.2% | $10k | 1,275 |
| Personalization | 4.6% | $10k | 1,844 |
| Events | 3.9% | $10k | 868 |

## The whole catalogue at a glance

33 categories have at least 200 tracked apps; the largest, Games, has 3,930 and the median category has 15.7% of its apps earning.

Apple and Google name things differently — Social Networking and Social, Photo & Video and Photography, Utilities and Tools — and those pairs are merged. Each category links to its own page with every chart in this report for that category alone.

App categories, coloured by share earning $1k+/month

| Category | Apps | Earn $1k+/mo | Median (earners) | Revenue per download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Games | 3,930 | 40.8% | $60k | $1.43 |
| Books & Reference | 3,420 | 18.3% | $40k | $2.00 |
| Utilities | 3,195 | 17.7% | $90k | $1.00 |
| Lifestyle | 3,013 | 15.7% | $70k | $2.00 |
| Entertainment | 2,489 | 22.7% | $200k | $3.33 |
| Travel | 2,459 | 10.2% | $20k | $1.00 |
| Productivity | 2,445 | 18.7% | $100k | $1.00 |
| Education | 2,407 | 21.0% | $80k | $1.50 |
| Finance | 2,383 | 17.5% | $20k | $1.50 |
| Music | 2,360 | 18.9% | $40k | $1.00 |
| Health & Fitness | 2,353 | 21.8% | $100k | $2.00 |
| Sports | 2,347 | 10.9% | $50k | $4.00 |
| Food & Drink | 2,224 | 8.5% | $10k | $1.20 |
| Medical | 2,211 | 11.0% | $10k | $1.25 |
| Business | 2,043 | 14.6% | $60k | $3.00 |
| Navigation | 1,939 | 20.1% | $20k | $1.17 |
| Weather | 1,854 | 11.8% | $20k | $1.00 |
| Personalization | 1,844 | 4.6% | $10k | $0.05 |
| Photo & Video | 1,761 | 25.8% | $80k | $1.00 |
| News | 1,753 | 19.3% | $20k | $3.33 |
| Graphics & Design | 1,542 | 26.7% | $30k | $0.83 |
| Shopping | 1,466 | 14.5% | $10k | $1.00 |
| Social Networking | 1,338 | 43.7% | $80k | $1.50 |
| Developer Tools | 1,275 | 5.2% | $10k | $1.00 |
| Events | 868 | 3.9% | $10k | $0.23 |
| Auto & Vehicles | 670 | 8.4% | $10k | $0.40 |
| House & Home | 665 | 8.4% | $10k | $0.50 |
| Parenting | 645 | 11.9% | $30k | $0.63 |
| Beauty | 513 | 10.5% | $8k | $0.25 |
| Communication | 474 | 31.6% | $30k | $0.43 |
| Comics | 472 | 9.7% | $30k | $0.50 |
| Libraries & Demo | 418 | 11.2% | $10k | $0.25 |
| Dating | 260 | 60.4% | $20k | $1.29 |

Data table — all categories with 200+ apps

| Category | Apps | Earn $1k+/mo | Median (earners) | Platforms |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Games | 3,930 | 40.8% | $60k | Android + iOS |
| Books & Reference | 3,420 | 18.3% | $40k | Android + iOS |
| Utilities | 3,195 | 17.7% | $90k | Android + iOS |
| Lifestyle | 3,013 | 15.7% | $70k | Android + iOS |
| Entertainment | 2,489 | 22.7% | $200k | Android + iOS |
| Travel | 2,459 | 10.2% | $20k | Android + iOS |
| Productivity | 2,445 | 18.7% | $100k | Android + iOS |
| Education | 2,407 | 21.0% | $80k | Android + iOS |
| Finance | 2,383 | 17.5% | $20k | Android + iOS |
| Music | 2,360 | 18.9% | $40k | Android + iOS |
| Health & Fitness | 2,353 | 21.8% | $100k | Android + iOS |
| Sports | 2,347 | 10.9% | $50k | iOS |
| Food & Drink | 2,224 | 8.5% | $10k | Android + iOS |
| Medical | 2,211 | 11.0% | $10k | Android + iOS |
| Business | 2,043 | 14.6% | $60k | Android + iOS |
| Navigation | 1,939 | 20.1% | $20k | Android + iOS |
| Weather | 1,854 | 11.8% | $20k | Android + iOS |
| Personalization | 1,844 | 4.6% | $10k | Android |
| Photo & Video | 1,761 | 25.8% | $80k | Android + iOS |
| News | 1,753 | 19.3% | $20k | Android + iOS |
| Graphics & Design | 1,542 | 26.7% | $30k | Android + iOS |
| Shopping | 1,466 | 14.5% | $10k | Android + iOS |
| Social Networking | 1,338 | 43.7% | $80k | Android + iOS |
| Developer Tools | 1,275 | 5.2% | $10k | iOS |
| Events | 868 | 3.9% | $10k | Android |
| Auto & Vehicles | 670 | 8.4% | $10k | Android |
| House & Home | 665 | 8.4% | $10k | Android |
| Parenting | 645 | 11.9% | $30k | Android |
| Beauty | 513 | 10.5% | $8k | Android |
| Communication | 474 | 31.6% | $30k | Android |
| Comics | 472 | 9.7% | $30k | Android |
| Libraries & Demo | 418 | 11.2% | $10k | Android |
| Dating | 260 | 60.4% | $20k | Android |

## Categories that earn most often

Dating, Social Networking and Games lead on earning rate; Dating apps earn 60.4% of the time against 15.7% for the median category.

The categories at the top sell access to people or progress, and the purchase is part of the product. The ones at the bottom — travel, weather, news — sell information a free alternative one tap away also sells.

Share of apps earning $1k+/month, top 10 categories

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Dating | 60.4% |
| Social Networking | 43.7% |
| Games | 40.8% |
| Communication | 31.6% |
| Graphics & Design | 26.7% |
| Photo & Video | 25.8% |
| Entertainment | 22.7% |
| Health & Fitness | 21.8% |
| Education | 21.0% |
| Navigation | 20.1% |

Share of apps earning $1k+/month, bottom 8 categories

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Travel | 10.2% |
| Comics | 9.7% |
| Food & Drink | 8.5% |
| Auto & Vehicles | 8.4% |
| House & Home | 8.4% |
| Developer Tools | 5.2% |
| Personalization | 4.6% |
| Events | 3.9% |

## Categories with the biggest earners

Among apps that earn, Entertainment has the highest median at $200k a month, followed by Health & Fitness and Productivity. At the other end, an earning Beauty app has a median of $8k.

This list rewards large audiences and subscription pricing. Dating earns often but modestly because most dating apps are regional. When you read "profitable category", check which list the claim comes from.

Median monthly revenue among earning apps, top 10 categories

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Entertainment | $200k |
| Health & Fitness | $100k |
| Productivity | $100k |
| Utilities | $90k |
| Social Networking | $80k |
| Photo & Video | $80k |
| Education | $80k |
| Lifestyle | $70k |
| Games | $60k |
| Business | $60k |

## Games vs apps

Games earn more than $1,000 a month 40.8% of the time against 16.8% for apps outside games, with a median of $60k among earning games.

Games lead because free-with-IAP is universal there. They are also the most crowded and most expensive category to acquire users in; a high earning rate is not the same as an easy category.

Share of apps earning $1k+/month

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Games | 40.8% |
| All other categories | 16.8% |

Games vs everything else in the catalogue

| Slice | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Games | 3,930 · 6.7% |
| Other categories | 55,106 · 93.3% |

## Low-competition categories that still earn

Among categories with fewer than 1,000 tracked apps, Dating has the highest earning rate at 60.4%, followed by Communication at 31.6%.

A few hundred charting apps and a high earning rate is the closest thing store data offers to an open niche: proven demand, a small field. The top-trending pages show who is winning each one and with how many ratings.

Categories under 1,000 tracked apps, by share earning $1k+/month

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Dating (260 apps) | 60.4% |
| Communication (474 apps) | 31.6% |
| Parenting (645 apps) | 11.9% |
| Libraries & Demo (418 apps) | 11.2% |
| Beauty (513 apps) | 10.5% |
| Comics (472 apps) | 9.7% |

## What this means if you're building an app

Pick the category by the question you are asking: highest chance of clearing $1,000 a month, go where apps earn often. Largest outcome, go where earners are large — Entertainment earners have a median of $200k.

Do not pick Games because it tops the chart; a utility, health or photo app with the same free-with-IAP model gets most of the earning rate at a fraction of the acquisition cost. Use the low-competition list as a shortlist and open each category page.

Next step: Explore every category with live data → — https://trendapps.dev/statistics/categories/

## Questions developers ask

### Which app category makes the most money?

It depends on the question. Dating apps earn more than $1,000 a month most often (60.4%). Entertainment apps earn the most when they do, with a median of $200k a month among earners.

### What are the most profitable apps to make?

Free apps with IAP or subscriptions in a category where users already pay: social, dating and games earn most often; entertainment, utilities and photo & video earn the most per app. The median category has only 15.7% of its apps earning, so the model matters more than the category.

### Are games more profitable than apps?

Games earn $1k+ a month 40.8% of the time, against 16.8% for apps outside games, and the median earning game makes $60k. Games are also the most competitive and most expensive category to acquire users in.

### Which app categories have the least competition?

Among categories with fewer than 1,000 tracked apps, Dating (60.4% earning) and Communication (31.6%) combine a small field with a high earning rate. Each category page shows the rating counts of the apps currently winning, which is the practical measure of competition.

### What is the most profitable iOS app category?

Each category page shows the iOS-only figures. Across the catalogue, entertainment, utilities and photo & video have the highest medians among earning apps. The overall iOS earning rate is 16.4%.

### Which Android app categories make money?

Android apps clear $1,000 a month 21.0% of the time overall. Social, dating and games lead on Android as on iOS; Android-only categories such as Personalization and Tools appear with their own figures on the category pages.

## Methodology

- An app counts as earning when its estimated monthly store revenue is above $1,000. Estimates below that sit at a floor of $1,000, so every population-wide figure is the share of a segment above that floor; medians are computed only among apps above it.
- Revenue and downloads are estimates in bands ($5k–10k by $1k, $10k–100k by $10k, then by $100k and $1M). Medians among earners are the median band.
- Store revenue only — paid downloads and IAP (in-app purchases, including subscriptions). Advertising income is never included, so ad-supported apps show as not earning.
- Apps enter the catalogue from the US top charts, including Top Paid, so paid apps are over-represented. Ratios by monetization model are unaffected; overall ratios lean slightly paid.
- Delisted apps are excluded; unrated apps are excluded from rating charts. Recomputed after every crawl.

## Related

- [How Much Do Mobile Apps Make? Revenue Data From Every Tracked App](https://trendapps.dev/statistics/how-much-do-mobile-apps-make/index.md)
- [Free vs Paid Apps: Which Model Actually Makes Money?](https://trendapps.dev/statistics/free-vs-paid-apps-revenue/index.md)
- [App statistics by category](https://trendapps.dev/statistics/categories/index.md)

Source: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/app-revenue-by-category/ · Markdown: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/app-revenue-by-category/index.md · Methodology: https://trendapps.dev/methodology/