As of September 2021, only *** percent of apps on the Google Play Store needed an upfront payment for downloading and using the app. By comparison, approximately *** percent of apps on the Apple App Stores were paid apps. In recent years, in-app purchase (IAP) or subscription have become the most popular app monetization methods, despite the majority of apps available on the two leading app stores still being free for users. Approximately **** percent of apps in the Apple App Store offered subscriptions and in-app payment options in the examined period.
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Appfigures. (September 24, 2021). Distribution of apps in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store worldwide as of September 2021, by monetization method [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 03, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269868/distribution-of-apps-worldwide-by-monetization-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Appfigures. "Distribution of apps in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store worldwide as of September 2021, by monetization method." Chart. September 24, 2021. Statista. Accessed August 03, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269868/distribution-of-apps-worldwide-by-monetization-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Appfigures. (2021). Distribution of apps in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store worldwide as of September 2021, by monetization method. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 03, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269868/distribution-of-apps-worldwide-by-monetization-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Appfigures. "Distribution of Apps in The Apple App Store and in The Google Play Store Worldwide as of September 2021, by Monetization Method." Statista, Statista Inc., 24 Sep 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269868/distribution-of-apps-worldwide-by-monetization-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
Appfigures, Distribution of apps in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store worldwide as of September 2021, by monetization method Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269868/distribution-of-apps-worldwide-by-monetization-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited August 03, 2025)
Distribution of apps in the Apple App Store and in the Google Play Store worldwide as of September 2021, by monetization method [Graph], Appfigures, September 24, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1269868/distribution-of-apps-worldwide-by-monetization-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
