New apps appear on Google Play and the App Store every day. Some of them are destined to get just a few downloads and vanish into obscurity, while others immediately become popular with users and start generating substantial revenue for their developers and publishers.
Based on data from AppMagic, we’ve prepared a listing of the apps that got the most downloads and generated the most revenue for their publishers in April 2022. AppMagic’s revenue and download stats are based on apps’ performance on the Top Grossing and Top Free charts by country (on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store).
1. Xinyue Club
The Xinyue Club app is at the top of the list. It’s published by one of the largest game companies in the world, Tencent Mobile Games. The app was created for fans of their titles. It’s a space where gamers can chat, hone their skills together, level up their characters, and win special prizes. Most of Xinyue Club’s users live in China.
Xinyue Club was downloaded 249,000 times in April. The app is free, but has a number of paid functions that have earned the developer $9 million. Its average LTV (“lifetime value,” i.e., the revenue the company expects to generate from all of a customer’s interactions with the product) per user is $12.55.
2. PictureThis - Plant Identifier
An app from another Chinese publisher — Glority Global Group Ltd. — is second on the list. It allows users to identify the species of a plant just by taking a picture of it. It’s a striking example of the doors localization can open — despite the fact that PictureThis was developed by a Chinese company, most of its users live in the US (21%), France (8%), and Japan (7%). China is only fifth on the list of installs by country.
PictureThis was downloaded over 2.5 million times in April. The app can be used for free for a week, after which a premium account is required. Its publishers have made over $5.8 million off of it, 58% of which came from American users. The average user’s LTV is $2.12.
3. BOSS Direct Recruitment
Boss Direct Recruitment or BOSS Zhipin, a Chinese service for people looking to find a job or hire employees, came in third. BOSS Direct Recruitment was downloaded over 1.2 million times in April, and its paid services have earned its publisher Beijing Huapin Borui Network Technology Co. over $6.8 million. Its average LTV is $3.58.
4. MLB
This the Major League Baseball app. Its publishers earn revenue from paid subscriptions for streaming baseball games. The MLB is most popular in the US, but it also has fans in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Japan.
The app was downloaded over 800,000 times in April. Its total revenue is over $5.7 million. The average user’s LTV is $7.27.
5. MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter
MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter has information about over 14 million different foods.
It was downloaded over 1.5 million times last month. Its users are from the US, the UK, Germany, Brazil, Canada, and other countries. The app generated over $9.6 million in revenue, and its average LTV is $3.23.
6. Peacock TV: Stream TV & Movies
This is the app for NBC Universal’s streaming service. Most of its users live in the US. Peacock TV was downloaded over 2.2 million times last month, and its total revenue was over $14 million. Its average LTV is $2.71.
7. GameChanger
GameChanger is a streaming platform for sporting events. It’s published by GameChanger Media Inc. Like the last app, most of its users (98%) live in the US. GameChanger was downloaded over 600,000 times last month. Its total revenue is over $3.2 million, and its average LTV is $4.97.
8. LinkedIn: Network & Job Finder
LinkedIn is number eight on the list of top trending apps. It was downloaded over 4.8 million times last month, primarily in India (22%) and the US (17%). The app’s total revenue in April was over $18 million, the largest portion of which (51%) came from American users. Its average LTV is $3.96.
9. Audible Audiobooks & Podcasts
This is an app for listening to Audible audiobooks and podcasts. It’s popular with users in the US, India, Germany, the UK, Spain, and other countries. It was downloaded over 1.9 million last month. The app earned its publisher over $18.6 million. Average LTV is $1.48.
10. SHOWTIME: TV, Movies and More
This is an app for users of Showtime Networks’ streaming service. It’s used to watch movies, TV shows, and sporting events. The app is primarily used in the US. It was downloaded over 256,000 times in the last 30 days, and its total revenue was about $3 million. Its average user’s LTV is $6.24.
As you can see, a wide variety of apps made it to the top of this list. They include streaming services, a gaming platform, and even a plant identifier. If you want your app to be used by thousands or even millions of people, you need to stay up to date on current market trends and understand the characteristics of your target audience. And, needless to say, you can’t forget about a high-quality localization that will help you break into more lucrative markets.
Data source: AppMagic
