Apple Publishes Game-Heavy iOS App Bestseller List - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Publishes Game-Heavy iOS App Bestseller List

by

app store 25 billion1
Apple has posted its list [iTunes Link] of the top 25 bestselling apps of all time, following the download of the 25 billionth app from the App Store.

The list, transcribed by MacStories, gives some insight into the types of apps that users are buying, and how those differ between the iPhone/iPod Touch and the iPad.

The top 9 apps on the bestselling paid iPhone list are all games, with photography app Camera+ coming in tenth. In the entire top 25, there are only 5 non-games on the list.

The bestselling free iPhone list does include a number of games, but includes many more app-versions of popular websites and services. Facebook, Pandora, Skype and The Weather Channel are all in the top 5, with Words With Friends Free and Angry Birds Free the only games in the top 10.

Showing how the iPad differs from the iPhone in more than just screen size, the bestselling paid iPad list includes a large number of productivity applications. Apple's Pages word processing app comes in first, with sketching app Penultimate, GoodReader, Numbers, and Keynote all show up in the top 15.

The bestselling free iPad list looks similar to the free iPhone list, with a number of app-versions of popular websites and services, as well as a good number of free games as well.

The full bestselling lists can be viewed on iTunes, or at MacStories.

Top Rated Comments

186 months ago
I've always wished there was a checkbox in the App Store so I could filter out games and just see the top ten lists of all the other categories.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xenomorph Avatar
186 months ago
You'd think with *multiple* calculators showing up as some of the top apps of all-time on the iPad, Apple would realize that people WANT those missing "iPhone apps" on their iPad.

Where are Calculator, Stocks, Weather, etc, etc?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
186 months ago
Interesting, but logically the list HAS to be game-heavy; that really doesn’t say anything meaningful about how people use their devices.

Why would it be game-heavy? Because games as a genre are so varied and you can have fun with many similar games.

You’re probably not going to buy, use and recommend ten different word processors or calculators, even if you spend a ton of time using your favorite one or two.

But you may well buy and play ten dual-stick shooters or ten word games! Some you’ll use for hours at a time, some not, but you get value and enjoyment from the variety.

Put another way: there’s a good reason to stop buying apps in any productivity category: you’ve found a great one and now you’re happy. There’s no good reason to stop buying games....
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
186 months ago


Angry birds has got to be the first. Hands down.
I remember in the days before Angry Birds came along that Doodle Jump was the classic must have app. :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
186 months ago
I wish there was a way to look at the Top app list for all the categories with games excluded. They just dominate the Top list so heavily, and I rarely ever download game apps when compared to other categories. There might be a way already, but I don't know of one.

Edit: Yeah, what InfoTime said.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
186 months ago
It seems to be country specific. The list I get here in the UK is different from MacStories' list
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

HomePod mini and Apple TV Sage

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Are 'Nearly Ready' to Launch, New Siri Remote Also Rumored

Sunday May 31, 2026 8:47 am PDT by
New models of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini are "nearly ready to go," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Both devices have been ready "for months," but Apple is holding off on launching them until the more personalized version of Siri is available, he said. "I am told the hardware for the next Apple TV...
Apple Foldable Thumb

First 'Confirmed' iPhone Ultra Color Allegedly Revealed in Leaked Image

Monday June 1, 2026 4:39 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone later this year. Rumors suggest the "iPhone Ultra" will come in two color options, and a leaker shared an image today that allegedly shows one of them. Posted on Weibo by the Chinese leaker known as Ice Universe, the image purportedly offers a first glimpse of Apple's foldable in white. The device is believed to have entered early mass...
Meta Ray Ban Glasses

Apple Glasses Reportedly Launching in 'Late 2027' With These Features

Sunday May 31, 2026 9:21 am PDT by
Apple is now aiming to release its first smart glasses in "late 2027," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Meta Ray-Bans He previously said that Apple planned to begin shipping the glasses by early 2027, but he said the product has faced development delays. The glasses will feature "oval-shaped cameras, unique colors, and multiple frame styles," according to Gurman....

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors