---
title: "Social Networking Apps: Revenue, Downloads and Monetization Statistics"
description: "Store revenue, downloads, monetization model, ratings and app age for 1,338 tracked Social Networking apps on iOS and Android — what share earns, what earners make, and which platform pays more."
url: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/categories/social-networking/
markdown: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/categories/social-networking/index.md
updated: 2026-09-11
apps: 1338
source: TrendApps
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Social Networking Apps: Revenue, Downloads and Monetization Statistics

TrendApps Research · updated 2026-09-11 · 1,338 apps

TrendApps tracks 1,338 Social Networking apps across the App Store and Google Play. 43.7% of them earn more than $1,000 a month, above the 18.3% rate across all categories. Among Social Networking apps that earn, the median is $80k a month. Free Social Networking apps with IAP earn 69.8% of the time. Store revenue only; advertising income is not included, so ad-supported apps show as not earning here.

- **43.7%** — of Social Networking apps earn $1k+ a month
- **$80k** — median among earners
- **69.8%** — of free + IAP apps earn $1k+
- **$1.50** — median revenue per download

## How many Social Networking apps make money?

585 of the 1,338 tracked Social Networking apps earn more than $1,000 a month from store sales and IAP. That is 43.7% of the category. Among those earners, a quarter make $30k or less and a quarter make $300k or more. The top 10% of Social Networking earners clear $800k a month.

Revenue estimates below $1,000 sit at a floor, so "earning" means clearing that line. The comparison against all categories tells you whether Social Networking is a category where store purchases are a normal way to pay, or one where users expect everything free.

Social Networking apps above and below the $1,000/month floor

| Slice | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Earn more than $1k/month | 585 apps |
| At or below the $1k floor | 753 apps |

Share earning $1k+/month vs all categories

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Social Networking | 43.7% |
| All categories | 18.3% |

Monthly revenue among earning apps: 25th percentile, median, 90th percentile

| Item | 25th percentile | Median | Top |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Social Networking earners | $30k | $80k | $800k |
| All earners | $10k | $40k | $700k |

Data table

| Percentile (earning apps) | Monthly revenue |
| --- | --- |
| 25th | $30k |
| 50th (median) | $80k |
| 75th | $300k |
| 90th | $800k |

## Social Networking apps: iOS vs Android

iOS Social Networking apps earn more than $1,000 a month 32.2% of the time. Android Social Networking apps earn 65.2% of the time. Among earners, the iOS median is $100k a month. The Android median is $60k. Android Social Networking apps pass 1,000 monthly downloads 77.4% of the time, against 43.8% on iOS.

Read the two rows together: the earning rate tells you where a Social Networking app is more likely to make anything, the median tells you where the earners are larger. Across the whole catalogue Android earns slightly more often and iOS earns more per app; the category-level split above is the one that should decide your first platform.

Share of apps earning $1k+/month

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| iOS · 870 apps | 32.2% |
| Android · 468 apps | 65.2% |

Monthly revenue among earning apps by platform: 25th, median, 90th

| Item | 25th percentile | Median | Top |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| iOS earners | $50k | $100k | $2M |
| Android earners | $20k | $60k | $400k |

Crossing the floor: revenue vs downloads

| — | iOS | Android |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Earn $1k+/month | 32.2% | 65.2% |
| Pass 1k downloads/month | 43.8% | 77.4% |

How Social Networking apps split by model on each store

| — | Free + IAP (share) | Paid + IAP (share) | Paid, no IAP (share) | Free, no IAP (share) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| iOS | 48.9% | 8.7% | 27.8% | 14.6% |
| Android | 86.3% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 12.6% |

Data table

| — | iOS | Android |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apps tracked | 870 | 468 |
| Earn $1k+/month | 32.2% | 65.2% |
| Median revenue (earners) | $100k | $60k |
| Pass 1k downloads/month | 43.8% | 77.4% |
| Median revenue per download | $3.00 | $1.00 |

## Free vs paid Social Networking apps

829 Social Networking apps are free with IAP, and 69.8% of them earn more than $1,000 a month. 245 are paid with nothing to buy inside, and 0.8% of those earn. When a free-with-IAP Social Networking app earns, the median is $80k a month.

A free Social Networking app with no IAP has no way to earn store revenue, so its row reflects ads that this data cannot see, not failure. The fair comparison is between the models that sell something through the store.

Share of apps earning $1k+/month, by monetization model

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Free + IAP | 69.8% |
| Paid + IAP | 5.1% |
| Paid, no IAP | 0.8% |
| Free, no IAP | 0.0% |

How Social Networking apps split by model

| Slice | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Free + IAP | 829 · 62.0% |
| Paid + IAP | 78 · 5.8% |
| Paid, no IAP | 245 · 18.3% |
| Free, no IAP | 186 · 13.9% |

Data table

| Model | Apps | Earn $1k+/mo | Median (earners) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free + IAP | 829 | 69.8% | $80k |
| Paid + IAP | 78 | 5.1% | $10k |
| Paid, no IAP | 245 | 0.8% | $7k |
| Free, no IAP | 186 | 0.0% | — |

## Ratings and revenue in Social Networking

Social Networking apps with fewer than 100 ratings earn more than $1,000 a month 14.2% of the time. With between 1,000 and 10,000 ratings, 64.5% earn. With more than 100,000 ratings, 83.0% earn.

Rating count is the public signal of whether a Social Networking app has found its audience. Use it on competitors' store pages: the bands above convert a rating count into the probability that the app is clearing $1,000 a month.

Share of apps earning $1k+/month, by number of ratings

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| <100 | 14.2% |
| 100–1k | 34.0% |
| 1k–10k | 64.5% |
| 10k–100k | 80.3% |
| 100k+ | 83.0% |

How rated Social Networking apps split by number of ratings

| Slice | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Under 100 ratings | 381 · 32.0% |
| 100 – 1k | 188 · 15.8% |
| 1k – 10k | 245 · 20.6% |
| 10k – 100k | 228 · 19.2% |
| 100k+ | 147 · 12.4% |

Data table

| Ratings count | Apps | Earn $1k+/mo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Under 100 ratings | 381 | 14.2% |
| 100 – 1k | 188 | 34.0% |
| 1k – 10k | 245 | 64.5% |
| 10k – 100k | 228 | 80.3% |
| 100k+ | 147 | 83.0% |

## How long Social Networking apps take to earn

Social Networking apps under a year old earn more than $1,000 a month 22.9% of the time. Between one and three years old, 52.3% earn. Past three years, 47.6% earn.

Age is time since the app first appeared on the store. Across the catalogue the earning rate roughly doubles after the first year and then flattens; the Social Networking curve above shows whether this category rewards patience more or less than average.

Share of apps earning $1k+/month, by time since first release

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Under 1 year | 22.9% |
| 1 – 3 years | 52.3% |
| 3 – 6 years | 47.6% |
| 6+ years | 51.0% |

Share earning $1k+/month by app age, iOS vs Android

| — | iOS | Android |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Under 1 year | 13.8% | 37.2% |
| 1 – 3 years | 30.9% | 77.7% |
| 3 – 6 years | 33.6% | 68.7% |
| 6+ years | 43.1% | 80.4% |

Data table

| App age | Apps | Earn $1k+/mo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Under 1 year | 332 | 22.9% |
| 1 – 3 years | 323 | 52.3% |
| 3 – 6 years | 248 | 47.6% |
| 6+ years | 435 | 51.0% |

## Revenue per download in Social Networking

Among 514 Social Networking apps with both revenue and downloads above the floor, the median makes $1.50 per download. The middle half spans $0.33 to $4.50. 24.7% make $5 or more per download.

Multiply your download forecast by the band that matches your model. Subscriptions with good retention track the top quarter; cheap consumables track the bottom. Advertising revenue is not included.

Earning Social Networking apps by revenue per download

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Under $0.50 | 28.4% |
| $0.50 – $2 | 24.1% |
| $2 – $5 | 22.8% |
| $5+ | 24.7% |

Revenue per download: 25th percentile, median, 75th percentile

| Item | 25th percentile | Median | Top |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Social Networking | $0.33 | $1.50 | $4.50 |
| All categories | $0.38 | $1.43 | $4.29 |

Data table

| Revenue per download | Apps | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Under $0.50 | 146 | 28.4% |
| $0.50 – $2 | 124 | 24.1% |
| $2 – $5 | 117 | 22.8% |
| $5+ | 127 | 24.7% |

## Where Social Networking publishers are based

Hong Kong has the highest earning rate among Social Networking publisher countries with at least 50 apps, at 80.9%. China follows at 72.7%.

Publisher country is where the company is registered, not where the developers are. High rates in small jurisdictions usually mean established studios incorporating there, not a local talent effect.

Share of apps earning $1k+/month, by publisher country (50+ apps)

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Hong Kong (94) | 80.9% |
| China (55) | 72.7% |
| US (329) | 54.4% |
| United Kingdom (51) | 52.9% |

Data table

| Publisher country | Apps | Earn $1k+/mo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hong Kong | 94 | 80.9% |
| China | 55 | 72.7% |
| US | 329 | 54.4% |
| United Kingdom | 51 | 52.9% |

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

Social Networking is above the catalogue average on earning rate, at 43.7%. When a Social Networking app earns, the median is $80k a month.

The model that works here is free with IAP, at 69.8%. Start on the platform where Social Networking earns more often — iOS at 32.2% versus Android at 65.2% — unless your model is ads, which this data does not measure.

Before building, open the top-trending Social Networking list and check the rating counts of the apps already earning. That is the size of the audience you are competing for, and the ratings section above converts it into odds.

Next step: Explore top Social Networking apps → — https://trendapps.dev/top-trending-apps/ios/social-networking/

## Questions developers ask

### How much do Social Networking apps make?

43.7% of tracked Social Networking apps earn more than $1,000 a month from store sales and IAP. Among those that earn, the median is $80k a month and the top 10% make $800k or more. Ad revenue is not included.

### Do Social Networking apps make more on iOS or Android?

iOS Social Networking apps earn $1k+ a month 32.2% of the time, Android Social Networking apps 65.2%. Median revenue among earners is $100k on iOS and $60k on Android.

### Should a Social Networking app be free or paid?

Free Social Networking apps with IAP earn more than $1,000 a month 69.8% of the time, against 0.8% for paid apps without IAP. Free with IAP is the model that works in this category, as in most.

### How much is a Social Networking app download worth?

The median earning Social Networking app makes $1.50 per download, with the middle half between $0.33 and $4.50. Store revenue only, before the store commission.

## 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

- [Mobile App Revenue by Category: Which Categories Make the Most Money?](https://trendapps.dev/statistics/app-revenue-by-category/index.md)
- [Free vs Paid Apps: Which Model Actually Makes Money?](https://trendapps.dev/statistics/free-vs-paid-apps-revenue/index.md)
- [iOS vs Android App Revenue: Which Platform Pays Developers More?](https://trendapps.dev/statistics/ios-vs-android-app-revenue/index.md)

Source: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/categories/social-networking/ · Markdown: https://trendapps.dev/statistics/categories/social-networking/index.md · Methodology: https://trendapps.dev/methodology/