App Developers Have Earned $120 Billion Since App Store Launched in 2008 - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

App Developers Have Earned $120 Billion Since App Store Launched in 2008

App Store developers have earned a total of $120 billion since the ‌App Store‌ launched back in 2008, Apple announced today. More than a quarter of that total was earned in the past year alone, according to Apple.

The ‌App Store‌ has seen significant growth in revenue with each quarter and it brings in a major part of Apple's growing services revenue.

app store trio
The new ‌App Store‌ metric was highlighted as part of an Apple Newsroom article covering the launch of the Entrepreneur Camp, which allows female-founded app development companies to attend a program at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino.

Entrepreneur Camp is designed to provide female app creators with "the tools needed to thrive in today's global app economy." There are 11 female app founders who are joining the inaugural program, which will last for two weeks.

appleentrepreneurcamp
Each attendee will have access to an immersive hands-on technology lab where participants will be able to work one-on-one with Apple experts and engineers to accelerate their apps.

"In the past, starting a small business often meant having to invest in overhead, inventory or retail space. Today, a world of opportunity opens up with some coding skills and an entrepreneurial spirit," said Esther Hare, Apple's senior director, Worldwide Developer Marketing and executive sponsor, Women@Apple. "The App Store is the new digital Main Street, and creative developers are tapping into the vast potential of the global app economy. We hope that this program helps to inspire women around the world to learn to code, join the iOS development community and share in the thriving app economy."

Sessions on design, technology, and ‌App Store‌ marketing are included, as are ongoing guidance and support from an Apple Developer Relations representative. Apple says attendees will learn about new Apple technologies, including optimizing for the A12 chip, integrating CoreML into apps, building experiences for ARKit, and more.

Those who attend Entrepreneur camp will be provided with two tickets to the 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference and a complementary one-year membership to the Apple Developer Program. Apple has a list of the first app companies accepted to the program in its Newsroom article.

Going forward, Apple plans to hold Entrepreneur Camp sessions on a quarterly basis, with up to 20 app companies accepted for each round. As outlined when the program was announced, app-driven businesses need to be female founded, co-founded, or led, and must have at least one woman on the product development team.

Popular Stories

intel macs no more updates

Mac App Store Apps Can Now Drop Support for Intel Macs

Tuesday September 1, 2026 4:50 pm PDT by
Apple today informed developers that universal Mac App Store apps that require macOS 13 or later can remove support for Intel-based Mac computers. We're reaching out to let you know that universal macOS apps on the Mac App Store that require macOS 13 or later can now remove support for Intel-based Mac computers. By removing support for Intel-based Mac computers, you can simplify your...
Liquid Glass App Store Feature

Apple Plans to Squeeze More Revenue From the App Store, Report Says

Monday September 7, 2026 3:19 am PDT by
Apple is looking at further ways to monetize the App Store and increase the company's recurring revenue from the platform, according to a new report. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that newly appointed Apple CEO John Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue are behind the effort to raise margins from the App Store, which already generates Apple an estimated ...
X twitter logo

X's Standalone Messaging App XChat Disappears From App Store

Monday September 14, 2026 3:25 pm PDT by
X's XChat app is no longer available from the App Store. The app does not come up when searching for it in the App Store, and clicking a link to it on the web returns an unavailable error. XChat allows X users to communicate with one another using end-to-end encryption and disappearing messages. The app's description says it is a "private, focused space built for conversation." XChat launched...

Top Rated Comments

100 months ago
The app store sucks now. I barely buy anything off from it nowadays (plus I got everything i wanted) because of the subscription model or the gems model that developers are going for.

I hate subscriptions. I hate purchases are for gems instead of purchasing features or extra for just cash.

I only buy apps that I can purchase the app forever. So an example is the Calm app. I don't want a subscription. They offer a lifetime membership. I purchased that. I'll pay more to avoid subscriptions. It's like a death by a million cuts.

What I would like to see is any app that exists put an "purchase" price out there as well for the app. So like 1Password offers subscription but you can also get the one time purchase of the current version. I go that route. The more apps that want a subscription amount. The more they have to "justify" the monthly costs.

Give me a quality app with very aggressive changes to make the app better and more useful. I might go subscription then. But subscribing to an app that's static (like most are minus minor bug fixes) no thank you.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
100 months ago
120 Billion for Developers
51.4 Billion for Apple

There are a few legal disputes right now regarding Apple's 30% take for apps and 15% take on app subscriptions after 12 months. Apple still provides I think a service and that service isn't free to run (review, guidelines, hosting, marketing, search, App Stores).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
100 months ago
Entrepreneur Camp is designed to provide female app creators with "the tools needed to thrive in today's global app economy." There are 11 female app founders who are joining the inaugural program, which will last for two weeks.

app store developers 120 billion earned image

Article Link: App Developers Have Earned $120 Billion Since App Store Launched in 2008 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/28/app-store-developers-120-billion-earned/')
I maybe a man through n through, yet I LOVE the representation of women in the developer community. I'm not afraid of strong willed, strong minded and happy enterprising women who control their own destiny. Mom and my sista are of this nature.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trusso Avatar
100 months ago
120 Billion for Developers
51.4 Billion for Apple
I’d love to know how that $120B is split up by developer. Is it one big game developer getting most of the payout?
I'm willing to make a coffee bet that 90% of that 120b went to only a few small dozen developers, and the bulk of the apps in the App store aren't very profitable on their own.
This.

You can almost guarantee the bulk of the profits are going to the heavy-hitters: Microsoft, Aspyr, Feral, Affinity (perhaps Apple's own apps are included as well), while the independent houses and solitary developers see very little of that pie by comparison.

It's unfortunate that Apple (and other corporations) can pull the wool over most people's eyes by releasing numbers like this, without the benefit of much context. Not all of us are chumps, however. o_O
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dmbaggie Avatar
100 months ago
I feel like mom jeans are a joke...and the joke is on the people that wear them.

Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
100 months ago
I’d love to know how that $120B is split up by developer. Is it one big game developer getting most of the payout?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
New 'AirFly Drive' Accessory Turns Wired CarPlay Into Wireless CarPlay
New 'AirFly Drive' Accessory Turns Wired CarPlay Into Wireless CarPlay
22 minutes ago
Apple Shares Photos Shot on iPhone Duo
Apple Shares Photos Shot on iPhone Duo
2 hours ago
Apple Says iPhone Duo Has Replaceable 'Cover Layer' Above the Display
Apple Says iPhone Duo Has Replaceable 'Cover Layer' Above the Display
3 hours ago
Apple's Smart Home Camera Will Apparently Have 'No Video Recording'
Apple's Smart Home Camera Will Apparently Have 'No Video Recording'
5 hours ago
Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies
Apple TV Just Updated Its Selection of 'Bonus' Movies
6 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Colors Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
iPhone 18 Pro Colors Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
6 hours ago
Early Prime Big Deal Days: Best Discounts on Accessories, TVs, and More at Amazon
Early Prime Big Deal Days: Best Discounts on Accessories, TVs, and More at Amazon
7 hours ago
MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Rumored to Launch in October or November
MacBook Pro With OLED Touch Screen Rumored to Launch in October or November
8 hours ago
Apple's All-New Home Hub Rumored to Launch in These Four Colors
Apple's All-New Home Hub Rumored to Launch in These Four Colors
9 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Aperture Control Goes Fully Manual in Halide 3.2
iPhone 18 Pro Aperture Control Goes Fully Manual in Halide 3.2
10 hours ago
Apple Stores Receive 'Do Not Open' Boxes Ahead of Smart Home Products Launch
Apple Stores Receive 'Do Not Open' Boxes Ahead of Smart Home Products Launch
11 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
11 hours ago
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
12 hours ago
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
12 hours ago
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
23 hours ago
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
1 day ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
1 day ago
Apple Event on October 13?
Apple Event on October 13?
1 day ago
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
1 day ago
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
1 day ago
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
1 day ago
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
1 day ago
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
1 day ago
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
1 day ago
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
1 day ago
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
1 day ago
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
2 days ago
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
2 days ago
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Owners Complain of Speaker Crackling or Popping
iPhone 18 Pro Owners Complain of Speaker Crackling or Popping
2 days ago

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors