Purchases made in the App Store by American users alone brought Apple $10 billion in 2024, according to TechCrunch, citing analytics company Appfigures.
Apple generates revenue from every transaction made through the App Store’s payment system. Gross app revenue in 2024 reached $33.68 billion. Of this amount, $23.57 billion went to developers, while $10.1 billion became Apple’s share. Around $3.82 billion of Apple’s income came from games, and $6.27 billion from other types of apps.
Since 2020, Apple’s earnings from App Store commissions have more than doubled. That year, the company earned $4.67 billion. In the following years, revenue increased steadily to $6.66 billion in 2021, $7.37 billion in 2022, and $8.75 billion in 2023.
Legal Pressure and Risk to Revenue Streams
The company is making every effort to safeguard this important source of income. Recently, a court ordered Apple to allow developers to inform users about alternative payment options outside the App Store. The ruling also prevents Apple from charging fees for such external transactions. While Apple has lifted the previous restrictions, it filed a motion to stay the decision, citing potential damages that could amount to “hundreds of millions or billions of dollars” each year.
In parallel, Apple also faces risks regarding another major source of revenue, notes NIX Solutions. The company currently receives about $20 billion annually from Google for setting its search engine as the default on Apple devices. However, the court recently declared Google a monopoly in the search market. In response, Apple has started exploring other partnerships, which already triggered a drop in Google’s stock price.
Ongoing Developments
These shifts signal a period of uncertainty for Apple’s core revenue streams. As both regulatory decisions and market dynamics evolve, they could significantly reshape the company’s financial landscape. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.