App Store Sales Saw Unprecedented Growth in 2020, Grossing Over $64 Billion

Apple's App Store saw unprecedented growth in 2020, grossing more than $64 billion in sales, according to a report by CNBC.

app store blue banner

The figure is up from an estimated $50 billion in 2019 and $48.5 billion in 2018. This is a significant growth of 28 percent in 2020, compared to growth of just 3.1 percent in 2019.

Apple does not disclose how much revenue its ‌App Store‌ makes every year, but it has released data points every January since 2013 that include the total Apple has paid to developers since the start of the ‌App Store‌ in 2008. ‌App Store‌ revenue is reported as part of Apple's Services division, which reported sales of $53.7 billion at the end of Apple's 2020 fiscal year, which ended in September.

According to an Apple press release from earlier this week, the company has paid developers $200 billion since 2008. This is up $45 billion from the figure that was announced in January 2020. Equal to 70 percent of ‌App Store‌ sales, allowing for Apple's 30 percent cut of digital sales, the ‌App Store‌ grossed around $64 billion last year.

Prior to this information being available, the analytics firm Sensor Tower calculated that ‌App Store‌ spending reached around $72 billion in 2020 and the majority of spending across all app stores occurs on Apple's ‌App Store‌, with about 70 percent of sales.

The ‌App Store‌ is a core area of growth for the company, and Apple recently announced that New Year's Day saw a new single-day spending record of over $540 million.

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Top Rated Comments

-DMN- Avatar
59 months ago
That’ll happen when you’re forced to sit at home all day.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
59 months ago
this is what happens when Apple goes the extra mile in App Review, strict guidelines, and free developer resources.

these things cost extra money to do. Apple deserves their cut.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iapplelove Avatar
59 months ago
The App Store app has given me anxiety for years now. Just the new layouts alone drive me nuts. Thankfully now apps update on their own. No need to even open the app unless I must download something new, which again has not happened for a long long time.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bawstun Avatar
59 months ago

Normally, I’m a pretty calm individual. Something about the App Store drives me crazy. Hate it.
It’s their horribly confusing user-interface. They couldn’t make a more unintuitive app if they tried. Actually, Apple Music may actually be worse, so I take that back. But their developers really suck as of late. Horrible design choices internally...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iapplelove Avatar
59 months ago

Have you tried Yoga? It really helps reduce stress and anxiety
Normally, I’m a pretty calm individual. Something about the App Store drives me crazy. Hate it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Red Oak Avatar
59 months ago
CNBC is wrong. They assume Apple’s take is 30% for all App revenue. A meaningful and growing % is at 15%

So, the total gross generated by the App Stire is well over $70 billion
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)