According to a year-end report published by App Annie, mobile consumers from around the world will have downloaded 120 billion apps and disbursed $90 billion on consumer spending by the end of 2019.
These figures represent a significant increase from 2018 (5 percent and 15 percent respectively), given that these do not include re-installation or app updates yet. Check out their lists of most downloaded and profitable apps of 2019 below:
Top 10 Apps by Downloads
2019 is still Facebook's year, with its Messenger, main app, and WhatsApp as the top 3 most downloaded non-game apps of the year. The list is relatively consistent from the previous year's, with only one new entry on the list: the short video sharing app Likee.
1. Facebook Messenger by Facebook
2. Facebook by Facebook
3. WhatsApp Messenger by Facebook
4. TikTok by ByteDance
5. Instagram by Facebook
6. SHAREit by SHAREit
7. Likee by YY Inc
8. Snapchat by Snap
9. Netflix by Netflix
10. Spotify by Spotify
Top 10 Apps by Consumer Spend
Apps from the Photo and Video and Entertainment categories have seen the highest spikes in revenue growth this 2019. App Annie predicts that the trend will continue in 2020, thanks to the rise of new video services, such as Disney+, Quibi, HBO Max, and NBCU's Peacock.
1. Tinder by InterActiveCorp (IAC)
2. Netflix by Netflix
3. Tencent Video by Tencent
4. iQIYI by Baidu
5. YouTube by Google
6. Pandora Music by SIRIUS XM Radio
7. Youku by Alibaba Group
8. LINE by LINE
9. Kwai by OneSmile
10. LINE Manga by LINE
In 2018, Netflix topped the charts for the most profitable apps. This time, last year's second placer switched places with the no. 1 spot.
SEE ALSO: Top Mobile Games of 2019: From the Most Downloaded to the Most Profitable
Top 10 Breakout Apps by Downloads
The analytics also firm introduced a new category: the Breakout Apps of the Year. The winning apps are those that saw the largest growth in both downloads and consumer spend between 2018 and 2019. On this list, we see three apps from YY Inc: Likee, Noizz, and Hago.
1. Likee by YY Inc
2. Noizz by YY Inc
3. Helo - Share Your Life by ByteDance
4. Hago by YY Inc
5. YouTube Music by Google
6. AppLock - Fingerprint, PIN, & Pattern Lock by Hyper Speed
7. VMate by Alibaba Group
8. FaceApp by FaceApp
9. WhatsApp Business by Facebook
10. Cut Cut by Apus Group
Top 10 Breakout Apps by Consumer Spend
Meanwhile, Tencent Video, iQIYI, and YouTube remain on the list of top 10 apps by consumer spending. According to App Annie, brands will continue to drive consumer spending higher in 2020 by using subscription services.
1. YouTube by Google
2. Google One by Google
3. iQIYI by Baidu
4. Tinder by InterActiveCorp (IAC)
5. LINE Manga by LINE
6. TikTok by ByteDance
7. YouTube Music by Google
8. Tencent Video by Tencent
9. DAZN by Perform Group
10. Bumble App by Badoo
As App Annie previously noted, many of the most profitable apps are subscription-based. Based on a year's worth of data ending in September, more than 95 percent of the top 100 non-game apps by consumer spend were offering subscriptions through in-app purchases.
