Google Play vs the Apple App Store: App Stats and Trends

The history of innovation is a history of great rivalries – Coke versus Pepsi, Ford versus General Motors, the Beatles versus the Stones, and, in the world of mobile apps and games, Android versus iOS.

Indeed, the rivalry between Google Play and the iOS App Store has generated countless opportunities for mobile technologists. It has led to the creation of new technologies and business models; more accessible gaming and digital entertainment; and more affordable consumer goods and services.

For this article, we used our unique arsenal of machine learning algorithms to conduct a side by side comparison of Google Play and the iOS App Store to analyze the state of the rivalry.

Google PlayvsiOS App Store

If you’re interested in learning more about the global app market, as well as the rich app store data that we at 42matters can provide, be sure to check out our full Google Play and iOS App Store analyses. For more information about our data contact our team. Or, try the 42matters Explorer for free!

How many apps are currently available?

Google Play Apps
3,574,322
iOS App Store Apps
1,859,339

As of 30 Dec 2023, there are 3,574,322 apps on Google Play and 1,859,339 apps on the Apple App Store.

Apps vs Gaming Apps
Google Play vs iOS App Store
- Apps available on Google Play: 3,574,322
  - Apps
    3,116,723
    87.2%
  - Games
    457,599
    12.8%
- Apps available on the App Store: 1,859,339
  - Apps
    1,637,618
    88.08%
  - Games
    221,721
    11.92%
Broadly speaking, mobile apps fall into two primary categories: apps and games. Google Play currently offers 3,116,723 mobile apps and 457,599 mobile games. The App Store, meanwhile, offers 1,637,618 apps and 221,721 games.
Free vs Paid
Google Play vs iOS App Store
- Apps available on Google Play: 3,574,322
  - Free
    3,459,130
    96.9%
  - Paid
    110,594
    3.1%
- Apps available on the App Store: 1,859,339
  - Free
    1,766,467
    95.06%
  - Paid
    91,746
    4.94%
While the vast majority of iOS and Android apps are free to download, some need to be purchased. There are 3,459,130 free apps on Google Play, compared with 110,594 paid apps. Meanwhile, on the App Store, there are 1,766,467 free apps and 91,746 paid apps.

What is the distribution of Android and iOS apps by category?

Top 7 Categories by Number of Apps
Total Categories: See All 49 Categories
The chart above ranks the top categories on Google Play based on the number of apps that compose them. Blue represents free apps, while teal represents apps that need to be purchased. Currently, 'Education' is the top Android category, with 377,046 free apps and 14,509 paid apps. Hover over the chart to learn more!
Top 7 Categories by Number of Apps
Total Categories: See All 26 Categories
Along the same lines, this chart ranks the top iOS genres according to the number of apps that comprise them. Once again, blue represents free apps and teal represents paid apps. Currently, 'Games' is the top iOS Genre. It's made up of 206,249 free apps and 14,682 paid apps. Hover over the chart to learn more!

Contact our team to learn about all Google Play or iOS App Store categories!

How many new apps are released per day, per week, and per month?

New apps per day

New apps per week

New apps per month

The charts above track the number of apps released on Google Play and the Apple App Store over the past day, week, and month. 1,617 Android apps and 1,293 iOS apps were published to the app stores in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 10,093 Android apps and 8,568 iOS apps were published in the last week. Finally, 63,422 Android apps and 38,057 iOS apps were published in the last month.

The Distribution of Apps by Rating

Apps with ratings

1,774,816
49.65%
Apps available on Google Play:3,574,322
790,494
42.51%
Apps available on the App Store:1,859,339

Apps without ratings

1,799,506
50.35%
Apps available on Google Play:3,574,322
1,068,845
57.49%
Apps available on the App Store:1,859,339

Average Rating Distribution

Google Play

the iOS App Store

Next up, app ratings. Currently, our data indicates that 1,774,816 Android apps and 790,494 iOS apps have been rated by at least one user, while 1,799,506 Android apps and 1,068,845 iOS apps have not received a single rating.

We also collected the ratings for all 2,565,310 apps available on Google Play (green) and the Apple App Store (blue) and plotted them in the chart above. The y-axis represents number of apps, while the x-axis represents star rating

How much do Android apps cost versus iOS apps?

Number of Apps per Price - For paid apps priced below $10.00 (USD)

Google Play

the iOS App Store

Finally, we plotted all 1,951,769 iOS and Android apps available on Google Play (green) and the Apple App Store (blue) by price. The y-axis in the chart above represents number of apps, while the x-axis represents app price.

More App Store Statistics from 42matters!

Google Play and the iOS App Store are two of the most popular digital marketplaces on the planet. But to acquire a truly comprehensive understanding of the mobile app and game economy, you’ll need to look beyond these two app stores.

Check out our full Google Play and iOS App Store reviews, as well as our analyses of other popular mobile and connected TV (CTV) app stores:

Click on an app store to learn more about it!

If you have any questions about our data, feel free to contact our team. In the meantime, try the 42matters Explorer for free!

Google Play vs the Apple App Store: App Stats and Trends

How many apps are currently available?

3,574,322

1,859,339

Apps vs Gaming Apps