I crunched the numbers and ranked the most downloaded and highest earning apps in December, and while you'd expect the holiday month to deliver across the board, the results tell a more nuanced story about where the mobile app economy is headed.
ChatGPT was the most downloaded app in the world in December, pulling in 49.6M downloads globally across the App Store and Google Play, according to our estimates. That's a commanding lead driven largely by Android's 37.4M downloads as ChatGPT continues converting curious users into regular ones.
TikTok came in second with 41.9M downloads. Still massive, but the gap between it and ChatGPT is growing. Instagram rounded out the top three with 40.2M downloads, showing Meta's flagship photo app remains a force even as newer platforms compete for attention.
Google Gemini and Facebook complete the top five. Gemini's 35.7M downloads show Google is making real progress in the AI assistant race, even if it's still trailing ChatGPT by a significant margin.
What's notable here isn't just who won, but the overall trend. Together, the top 10 most downloaded apps brought in 320M downloads in December. Compare that to 327M in December 2024, and you're looking at a 2% decline year-over-year.
That might seem small, but it's the continuation of a trend we've been tracking. November 2025 saw 277M downloads versus 338M in November 2024 - a much steeper drop. December's numbers suggest the decline is real, but the holiday surge softened the blow.
Breaking into the top 10 is harder than ever. But remember, this is just the top 10 - the opportunity for developers is in niche categories and tools that solve specific problems really well. The shift now is toward engagement and monetization, not just user acquisition.
While downloads declined, revenue surged.
TikTok was the highest earning app in December, raking in $284M of net revenue after store fees from the App Store and Google Play according to our estimates. That's an astronomical number that demonstrates just how effectively ByteDance has monetized its user base, but also 9% lower than November. I wonder if that has anything to do with its US ownership changing.
ChatGPT came in second with $229M in net revenue, an impressive 25% increase over November. ChatGPT's growth is a clear signal that users are willing to pay for AI tools and that not just the case for ChatGPT.
YouTube took third place with $148M. While it's "only" third on this list, YouTube's revenue continues growing steadily as premium subscriptions and ad-free viewing become more appealing to users tired of constant interruptions to the tune of 12% month-over-month.
Tinder and Google One round out the top five highest earning apps. Tinder managed to grow a bit while Google One dropped by $14M. Two very different categories and two very different results to end the year.
Together, the top 10 highest-earning apps brought in $1.3B of net revenue in December according to our App Intelligence. That's lower than November but nearly 30% higher than December 2024.
This split between downloads and revenue isn't new, but December made it impossible to ignore. We started observing this trend back in 2024 and it's accelerating into 2026.
For developers, the implications are clear. User acquisition is getting harder and more expensive. The low-hanging fruit is gone. But monetization opportunities are expanding as users become more comfortable paying for premium features, subscriptions, and digital goods.
This is a maturity signal. The mobile app economy is shifting from growth-at-all-costs to sustainable business models. That's good news for developers who understand their users and can deliver real value. It's challenging news for those still chasing vanity.
The other trend worth noting: AI is everywhere. ChatGPT dominated downloads and earnings. Google Gemini made the download top five. Grok pops into the top charts pretty normally now. The shift toward AI-powered tools isn't just hype, it's fundamentally changing how people interact with their devices.
December's numbers prove that the mobile app economy isn't slowing down, it's just growing up. Downloads might be plateauing, but revenue is climbing, and the apps that understand this shift will be the ones that thrive in 2026.
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