Appfigures: Apple Generated Over $10 Billion in US App Store Commissions Last Year

Apple’s App Store in the U.S. generated over $10 billion in revenue last year, according to a new analysis by app intelligence firm Appfigures.

The firm’s estimates show that U.S. App Store revenue from commissions more than doubled from 2020 to 2024, climbing from about $4.76 billion in 2020 to over $10.1 billion by 2024.

According to Appfigures, developers in the U.S. earned $33.68 billion in gross revenue from their apps and games through Apple’s payment system in 2024, resulting in $23.57 billion after Apple’s commission is deducted.

While Apple typically does not disclose specific App Store revenue figures during earnings calls, it announced in May 2023 that the App Store generated an estimated $104 billion in global billings for digital goods and services in 2022.

Conversely, Appfigures’ analysis suggests that the App Store made $61.5 billion globally in 2022, with projections to reach $91.3 billion by 2024. This led to Apple earning over $27.39 billion in commissions worldwide last year, according to Appfigures.

This indicates a discrepancy between Appfigures’ findings and Apple’s own reporting.

This difference can be explained by a crucial detail in Apple’s report. Below its chart, Apple makes it clear that its “billings and sales” figures are “not the same as App Store billings.” This distinction is essential.

In preparing its report, Apple aimed to highlight the App Store’s significance to the broader economy, combining App Store revenue with earnings from external sales for the overall “Billings and Sales” total.

In the report, Apple evaluated the portion of an app’s total revenue attributed to the App Store, even when purchases were made elsewhere. For instance, if a user subscribes to Hulu online but watches 60% of their content on Apple devices, Apple claims facilitation of 60% of that spending. (This estimation was based on third-party market research regarding device usage.)

Additionally, Apple allows businesses to distribute apps that include in-app purchases, although these transactions are not reflected in the App Store.

“Grave Irreparable Harm?”

Examining the figures surrounding U.S. App Store revenue has become increasingly relevant after a recent court ruling that prevents Apple from collecting a 27% commission on transactions made outside the App Store.

Initially, Apple aimed to comply with the court’s injunction from its antitrust case with Epic Games by implementing changes that would not affect App Store revenue.

To achieve this, Apple created a mechanism last year allowing developers to request exemptions from App Store rules, enabling them to include external purchase links in their apps. However, Apple maintained its 27% commission on these sales and imposed guidelines on how these links were presented, even incorporating “warning screens” to inform buyers of potential risks associated with external purchases.

Last week, a judge ruled that Apple was in “willful violation” of the 2021 injunction by continuing to impose fees on external app purchases and by setting up new anticompetitive obstacles.

This ruling forced Apple to change its U.S. App Store policies to allow developers to link to alternative payment methods without barriers or commissions. Since then, several apps, including Spotify, Amazon Kindle, and Patreon, have begun utilizing web-based payment options. A lesser-known gaming emulator, Delta, has also started funding through Patreon memberships.

Apple is appealing this ruling, claiming in its latest filing that it suffers “grave irreparable harm” as a result of the decision.

“These restrictions will result in considerable annual losses for Apple, based on actions previously judged to be lawful,” the filing stated. “Instead, they have been imposed to penalize Apple for perceived non-compliance with an earlier state-law injunction that is itself invalid.”

Such a stance may not resonate well with developers, many of whom feel that Apple should have lowered commissions for all developers, not just smaller businesses.

Appfigures also analyzed U.S. App Store revenue by category, reporting that apps contributed approximately $6.28 billion and games generated $3.83 billion for Apple in 2024.

These figures further emphasize the critical role of App Store revenue in Apple’s financial success, explaining its drive to maintain control.