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As of May 2026, the majority of apps both on Google Play and Apple App Store were available for free. In particular, ** percent of apps on Android were free, with around the same share attributed to free apps on iOS. 

Mobile apps and consumer spending

Mobile apps have become integral to our daily routine, offering convenience and entertainment. In the second quarter of 2024, the total value of the global consumer spending on mobile apps was almost ** billion U.S. dollars, highlighting the massive role that mobile apps play in the digital economy. As of the third quarter of 2023, consumers spent an averageÌý´Ç´ÚÌý**** U.S. dollars on mobile apps per smartphone, which underlines the high demand for these digital solutions.

App store commission rates under scrutiny

As of September 2024, the standard commission rates on revenues generated from apps hosted on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store were set at ** percent. However, between the end of 2020 and mid-2021, both Apple and Google were forced to address the criticism of their app store policies. In 2020, the European Union drafted the Digital Market Act, with the purpose of ensuring a healthy degree of competition in the tech environment. In December 2022, Apple was reported to start planning to allow sideloading and the presence of alternative app stores on its devices. By August 2021, the United States Senate presented the Open Apps Market Act to reduce tech giants‘ control over the digital app market. As regulations are expected to promote competition in the tech and mobile environment, in March 2023, Microsoft was reported to preparing to launch a new mobile gaming store, which will compete with the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.