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Apple reports a new record for 2025: The global App Store ecosystem has generated revenues of more than $1.4 trillion. Apps offering physical goods and services accounted for the largest share of this revenue – and increasingly, those with AI capabilities.
Just days before WWDC 2026, Apple has released fresh figures on its App Store business. These figures are based on a new study by economists at the Analysis Group, which quantifies the total revenue generated through the App Store in 2025. The key message: The ecosystem continues to grow strongly, and a growing portion of this growth is driven by applications that utilize artificial intelligence for their users. Apple is also using this opportunity to emphasize the platform's economic importance to developers.
A record value of 1.4 trillion dollars
In 2025, according to Apple, the global App Store ecosystem generated over $1.4 trillion in revenue. Developers paid no commission to Apple on more than 90 percent of this revenue. Since 2019, the ecosystem's volume has thus nearly tripled.
Tim Cook described developers as the heart of the App Store and the achievement of this milestone as proof of their creativity; Apple sees it as its responsibility to provide them with the tools, technologies, and reliable platforms for the future. The reference to the high commission-free percentage is no coincidence: it's an argument Apple regularly uses in the ongoing dispute over App Store commissions.
What the total is composed of
By far the largest segment was physical goods and services, at $1.1 trillion, driven primarily by groceries, food delivery and pickup, general retail, and travel. Digital goods and services accounted for $149 billion, fueled by games, business apps, and video streaming apps. An additional $151 billion came from advertising revenue generated by developers through ads within their own apps.
The platform's reach is further demonstrated by another metric: the App Store recorded an average of over 850 million weekly users in 175 countries and regions. Purchasing groceries, productivity tools, health and fitness services, and connecting with friends and family were among the most frequent usage patterns.
AI will become a growth driver
The role of artificial intelligence is particularly striking. By 2025, more than 40 of the 100 highest-grossing apps offered features directly related to AI for users – and these apps experienced significantly stronger revenue growth than the rest of the top 100. Overall, the growth of applications with consumer-oriented AI was roughly four times higher than in the rest of the top-performing apps.
In this context, Apple points to its own technologies, such as the Foundation Models framework. Using the large, device-integrated language model within Apple Intelligence, developers can implement intelligent features that protect privacy, are available offline, and whose AI calculations are free of charge. In addition, there are AI-powered developer tools: In Xcode 26, for example, so-called agent-based programming can work more independently toward a developer's goals, thus accelerating workflows.
Significant regional differences
Growth was global, but varied regionally. Over the past six years, revenues processed through the App Store have more than doubled in China and more than tripled in the US and Europe.
In every region, physical goods and services accounted for the largest share, with general retail holding the top position everywhere. Furthermore, local customs shaped the picture: in the US, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil, travel ranked second. In Korea, it was food delivery and pickup, and in China, groceries and food delivery moved into second and third place, respectively.
What Apple invests in developers
In addition to the figures, Apple emphasizes its support for developers throughout the entire development lifecycle – from building and testing with Xcode and TestFlight, through performance analysis with App Analytics, to individual product pages and editorial visibility in the App Store. By 2025, Apple Developer Centers were welcoming thousands of developers in the US, China, India, and Singapore. A new Apple Developer Center is opening in Berlin later this year to serve the European developer community.
This is complemented by nearly 20 Apple Developer Academies in Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the USA, as well as numerous Apple Foundation Programs. Apple also offers online and in-person formats, including "Meet with Apple" sessions, consultations, labs, and support in nine languages. Services like Pathways and the Apple Developer Forums are designed to further facilitate developers' access to tools, documentation, and community exchange.
The figures are coming just in time for WWDC
The timing of the release just before the developer conference is well-chosen: Next week at WWDC, Apple plans to unveil new features, APIs, and technologies, including over 100 new video sessions and Group Labs. This record number serves as a prelude – it's intended to demonstrate the platform's economic value just before Apple shows developers what they can expect to work with next year. (Image: Shutterstock / ImagineDesign)
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