Android or iPhone: Where is the Mobile Developer Money?

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Android or iPhone: Where is the Mobile Developer Money?

Android has more developers, yet its percentage of paid apps is much smaller than the iPhone platform. Why is that?

One might think the "open" nature of Android attracts a larger base of developers willing to contribute for nothing, but the fact is it's hard to sell apps on Android. You can only pay for apps in 13 countries, and you can only sell priced apps from nine countries. This is nuts compared to the iPhone's 90 countries, and just another Android "dirty little secret." Take heart, though, you can always sign a petition to make it better.

I know it doesn't have to be about money. Many people do labors of love for "free." Maybe it's a learning experience, a way to unwind, or a sense of community or connecting with people. These could all be valid payments for your work. Not wanting monetary compensation is a personal choice that can't be judged. Indeed, though I buy a lot of apps I appreciate "free" software as much as anybody.

Having said that, if money's what you're looking for the iPhone platform is clearly where you want to be in mobile development.

Tagged Android App Store Apple Google Market Place Revenue Software mobile

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over 1 year ago thecreative (Twitter) responded:

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The one aspect that is missing in this comparison is apps that make money via advertising. Both platforms offer this for free apps. So which platform makes more money on free apps?

I personally would rather pay for an app than deal with annoying ads. Unless those ads are unobtrusive, don't collect info about me, and are we targeted. iAds are fine right now. How are the Google ads on Android?

Interesting comparison.

over 1 year ago calamod (Twitter) responded:

This to me suggests that Apple is in the App game for the long haul. Apple is the only company that really gives a damn about a robust App platform. This just proves it.

over 1 year ago Dru Richman responded:

From Tim Bajarin: "According to Lava Labs, " $6,000,000 has been paid out to developers for games, and $15,000,000 has been paid out on apps (for Android). That is a total of $21,000,000, nearly 1/50th the amount paid out to developers on iPhone."

Apple, meanwhile, has paid out $1 billion to its developers. Google is going to have to figure out a way for developers to make money directly off of apps—and not just through Google ads—if it is going to maintain a steady pace of app development."

over 1 year ago qka responded:

Even though the percentage of free apps for iOS is lower, the number of free apps is greater than the number of free apps for Android, due to the much larger number of iOS apps.

The pundits seem blinded by percentages and miss the real numbers behind them.

over 1 year ago honkj responded:

uhh, there are 50,000 publishers in the iPhone AppStore.... saying Android has more "developers" is just lying to yourself...

also saying that Android has more free apps is also lying to yourself... so are they doing it for the labor of love? if so they are doing it more for the iPhone..

iPhone free Apps: 75,000 apps..

Android free Apps: 32,500 apps....

iPhone paid apps: 175,000 apps...

Android paid apps: 17,500 apps...

over 1 year ago Tom Reestman responded:

Honkj,

"saying Android has more "developers" is just lying to yourself"

Then your beef is with Business Insider, from which piece I got that information (and linked to).

"also saying that Android has more free apps is also lying to yourself"

I didn't say that. I said the PERCENTAGE of Android free apps is a lot more, which is true.

over 1 year ago kbconsulting (Twitter) responded:

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Keep in mind that Admob / Google reported that iPhone still repents more than 55% of their ads volume - so one can assume that iPhone apps make more money from Ads than Android.

Until Google addresses the issues Android will be a distant second as a developer platform inlcuding:

1. Installed base - iPhone still is way ahead - more than 100 million iOS devices, and growing faster than Android when you include iPad, iPod and iPhone. The only time Android out sold (just the iPhone) was Apple's down quarter while everyone was waiting for the iPhone 4.

2. Low Friction App Store - Apple not only has a better functioning store that works in most countries, through iTunes they have many many millions of customer credit info on file creating a very low friction purchasing experience. The Android store still feel like an pre beta attempt.

over 1 year ago Walt French responded:

@tom sez, “Then your beef is with Business Insider, from which piece I got that information (and linked to).”

It wasn't that hard to follow the BI link, as I did weeks ago when its BS claim first appeared, to the original source. And it's always good, if your argument rests on others' work, to get the real deal, and ESPECIALLY not BI's heavily spun excerpt of it.

The original survey was by a firm that supports Java, especially JavaME development on phones. The survey was decidedly non-scientific in that it (a) asked a java-centric readership to participate, and to invite like-minded friends/colleagues, and (b) offered Android phones as prizes in a drawing based on participation. Of, by and for Java developers.

So the cited info is that MORE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE INTO JAVA PREFER TO DEVELOP IN JAVA.

Shocking!!!

But don't take MY word for it, chase down the links to the original source -- good exercise! -- and see if you don't find the same thing.

= = = = =

As to paid-vs-free on the two top app platforms: we all use 'em both, right? There was a while at first when I only used free apps on my iPhone, but as time went on, I found stuff that was worth many times more than the $0.99 or whatever. I happily use a Chinese dictionary program that, with optional features, is well over $50, and would be a bargain at twice that price.

When the Android usage base expands beyond the original, and very small EFF-inspired base, there will be a similar mix. Assuming Google ever gets more serious about the anti-piracy mechanism than the little hack that's in place now. Since the wireless carriers are now distributing locked-down Android customizations that prohibit sidegrades (apps not from the store) and/or rooting the OS (allowing ANY software to be installed), you should soon see parity on free/paid as well as curated/free.

over 1 year ago Tom Reestman responded:

Walt,

Fair enough on the BI article. Ultimately most surveys are biased, and if this one is, too, well, no surprise. But the upshot of your argument is that there are more developers for iPhone, which would strengthen the point of my article anyway.

As for your paid-vs-free argument, you lost me there. You're talking about user base, which doesn't seem relevant to the problem with selling apps in the Android Market. The market is simply not open in many countries, and Google seems in no hurry (with little incentive) to do anything about it.

over 1 year ago Walt French responded:

Not trying to argue, just elucidate/illuminate.

Android today presents a very real threat to all aspects of Apple's mobile business, including the app game, where developers have made the iPhone MUCH more attractive than other phones.

My point is that absent some sharp changes in the Apple situation (e.g., non-AT&T exclusive; the HTC lawsuit; Microsoft, BlackBerry or Nokia hitting home runs), Google/Android WILL marginalize Apple. The apps will come when there's a decent store, which Google will get right despite their to-date bumbling and the nonsense you see about more developers out there.

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over 1 year ago brendan responded:

iphone all the way the apps on Android are not as good

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