Most popular Google Play app categories 2024

Mobile internet users are spoilt for choice when it comes to the sheer variety and availability of mobile apps. As of the second quarter of 2024, gaming apps were the most popular app category in the Google Play Store, accounting for 11.7 percent of available apps worldwide. Mobile education apps ranked second with a 11.5 percent share. 

Google Play and app monetization

Google Play is the biggest digital distribution platform for Android apps worldwide, offering users over 2.26 million mobile apps to choose from. However, Google Play offers more than just apps – the platform also provides users with music, video, e-book downloads and rental services. Most mobile apps on Google Play are available for free. As of March 2024, around 97 percent of Android apps could be downloaded without having to pay for them upfront, although this does not preclude other mobile app monetization strategies such as in-app advertising and in-app purchases. As of June 2023, the ranking of leading Android apps in the Google Play Store worldwide based on revenue consists mainly of streaming and video apps.

Google Play main competitor: the Apple App Store

The worldwide gross app revenue of the Google Play store amounted to 11.2 billion U.S. dollars in the second quarter of 2024, a steady climb from the 10.6 billion U.S. dollars a year before. However, in terms of app revenue, Google Play is lagging behind its eternal rival, the Apple App Store. During the same period, Apple’s own digital store generated 24.6 billion U.S. dollars in mobile app revenues, with mobile gaming being the leading category for consumer spending on the platform. In June 2023, mobile-first apps DouYin and TikTok were the highest-grossing app among global iPhone users, generating roughly 372 million U.S. dollars and 324 million U.S. dollars in revenues, respectively.