Apple has released its annual App Store ecosystem update ahead of WWDC 2026, claiming the platform facilitated over $1.4 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2025, with more than 90% of that total carrying no commission for Apple.
TL;DR
- Apple says its App Store ecosystem facilitated over $1.4 trillion in 2025.
- More than 90% of billings and sales reportedly involved no Apple commission.
- Consumer-facing AI apps saw 4x higher billing growth than other top apps.
Apple’s latest App Store update comes from an Apple-supported Analysis Group study authored by Jessica Burley, Juliette Caminade, and Markus von Wartburg. The study estimates that the App Store ecosystem generated $1.437 trillion in total billings and sales in 2025, up from the $1.3 trillion Apple reported for 2024.
However, the figure is broader than direct App Store revenue. The study defines “billings” as paid downloads and in-app purchases using Apple’s payment system, while “sales” covers money spent by customers on goods and services more generally. It includes commerce facilitated through iOS apps, such as retail, travel, food delivery, ride hailing, digital subscriptions, and advertising.
The largest share came from physical goods and services, which accounted for $1.137 trillion, or about 79% of the total. Digital goods and services, including games, enterprise apps, and video streaming apps, reached $149 billion, while in-app advertising revenue from ads placed by developers in iOS apps came in at $151 billion.
Apple also said the App Store reached more than 850 million average weekly users across 175 countries and regions. The company positioned the figures as evidence that the App Store remains a major business channel for developers, especially as apps become more central to shopping, work, fitness, entertainment, and communication.
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“Developers are the heartbeat of the App Store,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, while saying Apple remains committed to offering developers the tools and platforms needed to build for the future.
AI was a central theme in the update. Apple said more than 40 of the top 100 App Store apps in 2025 featured consumer-facing AI capabilities, and that those apps saw 4 times higher billing growth than other top 100 apps.
The study also said App Store economic activity has nearly tripled since 2019, with digital goods and services up 141%, physical goods and services up 185%, and in-app advertising up 186%. Grocery spending grew 437% in the same period, while digital payments rose 354%.
Yet, Apple’s commission framing arrives as the company continues to face pressure over App Store fees. In the U.S., the Supreme Court declined to pause a contempt-related order in Apple’s long-running dispute with Epic Games, while Apple has asked the court to review the contempt order. Reuters reported that the fight includes Apple’s earlier 27% commission on some purchases made through outside payment systems.
In the EU, Apple has also adjusted App Store rules and fees after regulators fined it €500 million over restrictions that allegedly prevented developers from steering users to cheaper deals outside the App Store.
The timing is notable as Apple prepares for WWDC 2026, which begins June 8. Apple says developers will get access to new sessions, technologies, APIs, and tools across Apple platforms, with AI and app development expected to remain central themes.
