Since 2008, Apple has published the total earnings generated by App Store developers each January, providing analysts and investors with insights into the revenue generated by the App Store.
Apple reported that it has paid developers $320 billion, up from $260 billion last year. Developers receive between 70% and 85% of gross sales, depending on their eligibility for Apple’s reduced rate.
If Apple’s payments to developers were cut by 30%, the App Store revenue in 2022 would have exceeded $85 billion, according to an analysis by CNBC. With Apple’s 15% commission rate, the estimated gross App Store revenue was closer to $70 billion.
This is an approximate estimate and can vary since it’s unclear how many developers pay the reduced 15% commission versus the 30% rate, and Apple’s figures are rounded.
Attempts to extrapolate the scale of the App Store’s business based on developer revenue are inaccurate, according to Apple, because the commission rate varies from 15% to 30%. The vast majority of developers pay the lower commission rate through the App Store Small Business Program, which offers a reduced rate for app creators with annual revenue under $1 million.
In its announcement, Apple stated that 2022 was a “record-breaking” year for the App Store, reporting 900 million subscriptions, up from 745 million in 2021. Apple’s statistics include everyone subscribing to a service through the App Store, not only Apple’s own services like Apple TV+ and Music.