Apple Beats Google In App Revenue For Developers

The top app publishers in Apple’s App Store are making about 64 percent more gross income than those on Google Play, according to a report by CNET.

Mobile app analytics company Sensor Tower did a study and found that during Q1 of this year, 100 publishers in the App Store made $83.8 million in average gross income, compared to Google Play’s $51 million, for the same number of publishers.

Spending on apps continues to rise as well. During the same time period, users spent $130 million, compared to $33.9 million five years ago. Spending has risen 289 percent in the Google Play Store over five years, and 291 percent in the App Store.

Non-gaming apps on the App Store earned three times as much as Google Play Store ones did, at $23 million versus $7 million on Google Play. When it comes to gaming apps, the gap lessens. App Store customers spent $70 million versus $48 million in the Google Play Store for the quarter.

“The difference in average spending between the App Store and Google Play was closest here — but still greatly in favor of Apple,” Sensor Tower said.

The difference in gross income didn’t affect the fact that Apple was recently sued over fees it charges developers in the App Store.

Pure Sweat Basketball and Donald R. Cameron brought a suit against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit says that Apple uses anticompetitive methods in the App Store, which include a 30 percent commission rate, mandates for how much an app can be sold for and an almost $100 annual fee.

“Apple blatantly abuses its market power to the detriment of developers, who are forced to use the only platform available to them to sell their iOS app,” said Steve Berman, the attorney representing the developers. “In a competitive landscape, this simply would not happen.”