App Developers Have Earned $120 Billion Since App Store Launched in 2008

App Store developers have earned a total of $120 billion since the ‌App Store‌ launched back in 2008, Apple announced today. More than a quarter of that total was earned in the past year alone, according to Apple.

The ‌App Store‌ has seen significant growth in revenue with each quarter and it brings in a major part of Apple's growing services revenue.

app store trio
The new ‌App Store‌ metric was highlighted as part of an Apple Newsroom article covering the launch of the Entrepreneur Camp, which allows female-founded app development companies to attend a program at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino.

Entrepreneur Camp is designed to provide female app creators with "the tools needed to thrive in today's global app economy." There are 11 female app founders who are joining the inaugural program, which will last for two weeks.

appleentrepreneurcamp
Each attendee will have access to an immersive hands-on technology lab where participants will be able to work one-on-one with Apple experts and engineers to accelerate their apps.

"In the past, starting a small business often meant having to invest in overhead, inventory or retail space. Today, a world of opportunity opens up with some coding skills and an entrepreneurial spirit," said Esther Hare, Apple's senior director, Worldwide Developer Marketing and executive sponsor, Women@Apple. "The App Store is the new digital Main Street, and creative developers are tapping into the vast potential of the global app economy. We hope that this program helps to inspire women around the world to learn to code, join the iOS development community and share in the thriving app economy."

Sessions on design, technology, and ‌App Store‌ marketing are included, as are ongoing guidance and support from an Apple Developer Relations representative. Apple says attendees will learn about new Apple technologies, including optimizing for the A12 chip, integrating CoreML into apps, building experiences for ARKit, and more.

Those who attend Entrepreneur camp will be provided with two tickets to the 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference and a complementary one-year membership to the Apple Developer Program. Apple has a list of the first app companies accepted to the program in its Newsroom article.

Going forward, Apple plans to hold Entrepreneur Camp sessions on a quarterly basis, with up to 20 app companies accepted for each round. As outlined when the program was announced, app-driven businesses need to be female founded, co-founded, or led, and must have at least one woman on the product development team.

Top Rated Comments

jlseattle Avatar
54 months ago
The app store sucks now. I barely buy anything off from it nowadays (plus I got everything i wanted) because of the subscription model or the gems model that developers are going for.

I hate subscriptions. I hate purchases are for gems instead of purchasing features or extra for just cash.

I only buy apps that I can purchase the app forever. So an example is the Calm app. I don't want a subscription. They offer a lifetime membership. I purchased that. I'll pay more to avoid subscriptions. It's like a death by a million cuts.

What I would like to see is any app that exists put an "purchase" price out there as well for the app. So like 1Password offers subscription but you can also get the one time purchase of the current version. I go that route. The more apps that want a subscription amount. The more they have to "justify" the monthly costs.

Give me a quality app with very aggressive changes to make the app better and more useful. I might go subscription then. But subscribing to an app that's static (like most are minus minor bug fixes) no thank you.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
54 months ago
120 Billion for Developers
51.4 Billion for Apple

There are a few legal disputes right now regarding Apple's 30% take for apps and 15% take on app subscriptions after 12 months. Apple still provides I think a service and that service isn't free to run (review, guidelines, hosting, marketing, search, App Stores).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
54 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/28/app-store-developers-120-billion-earned/')

Entrepreneur Camp is designed to provide female app creators with "the tools needed to thrive in today's global app economy." There are 11 female app founders who are joining the inaugural program, which will last for two weeks.



Article Link: App Developers Have Earned $120 Billion Since App Store Launched in 2008 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/28/app-store-developers-120-billion-earned/')
I maybe a man through n through, yet I LOVE the representation of women in the developer community. I'm not afraid of strong willed, strong minded and happy enterprising women who control their own destiny. Mom and my sista are of this nature.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
54 months ago
I’d love to know how that $120B is split up by developer. Is it one big game developer getting most of the payout?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
54 months ago
After that report in the NYT about Apple's problems with getting manufacturing going in the U.S. it seems that Apple is going all out today to show that they contribute a lot to the U.S. economy.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainMac Avatar
54 months ago
I have purchased a lot of apps in that time. I wish I could see a chart of how much I spent broken down by app purchases, original purchase, upgrades, and how much I spent that was lost when the app was pulled because it was 32-bit, developer left appstore, no longer works, etc. And broken down by year.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...
iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...