Apple's U.S. App Store Over $400B Developer Bills and Sales, 2024

At next month’s global developer meeting, Apple announced new figures on Thursday related to the financial success of the U.S. app store. The company said its U.S. app store ecosystem had generated $40.6 billion in developer bills and sales in 2024, a figure that has almost tripled since 2019, when it generated $142 billion.

Apple also noted that 90% of developers do not pay any commissions in the bills and sales promoted by the App Store.

The new figures come from a study funded by Professor Andrey Fradkin and economist Jessica Burley, Ph.D., of the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. In the growing antitrust review, the analysis team has worked with Apple for many years to create reports and research to demonstrate the App Store’s market capabilities with more favorable light and use it as a net net worth for developers.

In particular, these studies highlight that only a small percentage of Apple developer bases even pay for the Apple Commission, and most people who do so reduce from 30% to 15% of the standard based on small business plans or other plans.

But these findings have not protected Apple from being forced to open app stores to increase competition in the United States

Last month, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple violated a court order arising from a lawsuit by Fortnite Maker Epic Games that requires Apple to reform its App Store’s policy around external payments. Due to this ruling, Apple was forced to let developers add links to web payment options, where Apple does not allow commissions.

Apple is now appealing the ruling.

The struggle of the multi-year App Store committee has led to an increase in hostility and disappointment among members of the iOS developer community who believe their apps are part of the success in iPhone history. Many people think that their efforts should be more grateful than the resources that draw money from them.

On the other hand, Apple firmly believes that the app store itself is the reason for developers’ success, as it provides a marketplace that allows consumers to discover new applications and easily pay for developers’ software and services.

This also passes Apple's latest report, which has noted over the past five years that revenues for small business developers have increased by 76% from 2021 to 2024.

Apple also reminds U.S. developers that its App Store allows them to access global markets in 175 countries and regions and prevents billions of dollars in fraudulent transactions. Its developer investment includes 250,000 APIs as part of frameworks such as HealthKit, Metal, Core ML, Mapkit and Swiftui.

Additionally, the new report highlights how many developers are earned from the App Store in areas where you don’t have to pay a commission.

Apple said, for example, last year, the U.S. app stores ecosystem fueled $277 billion in total billing and sales of physical goods and services, $75 billion in in-applicants advertising, and $53 billion in digital goods and services. It also noted that since 2019, spending on physical goods and services has exceeded three times and in-app spending more than twice as much as in-app spending digital goods and services and in-app advertising. General retail spending and grocery delivery have increased more than fourfold.