Speaking of luxury, while Google Play delivers downloads, it's the App Store that drives revenue!
Zooming in on the U.S. (pun not really intended), Tinder was September's top app in terms of revenue. Our estimates put its monthly haul at $84M of net revenue in the U.S., the most it's earned in a single month to date. That's a lot of swiping!
Tinder's move dethroned incumbent YouTube, which has been the top dog for a very long time now. But Tinder wasn't the only app to push YouTube down. HBO Max, my favorite streamer, managed to climb into the #2 spot with $64M in estimated net revenue. Also it's biggest month to date!
While the rest of the list should look pretty familiar, there's one app that's jetting its way up quick. If you've been following the newsletter you'll know which app I'm referring to here. If not, look no further than #8 — TikTok. The one app that's seriously threatening YouTube right now is quickly advancing up the ranks, raking in millions more every month.
I expect it to rise even higher in October and won't be surprised to see if it breaks the top 5.
Together, the apps with most revenue in the U.S. earned $372M in net revenue, meaning after Apple and Google got their fees. It's on par with August's total.
May’s top app charts were mostly stuck, but ChatGPT kept growing in downloads while TikTok kept leading revenue and Google One climbed into the top five.
Apple's WWDC 2026 app song named a tiny slice of the App Store, but the apps behind the lyrics are far bigger, older, and more successful than average.