Apple-Sponsored Study Highlights progress of Small Developers during previous two years

As per information from an Apple-commissioned study that was arranged by Analysis Group, many startups and small developers have grown successfully during the last two years. A statistical representation of data was displayed that shows how the Apple Store has benefited independent developers.

Apple-sponsored data survey

Small App Store developers saw a 71 percent gain in revenue between 2020 and 2022, with earnings growth in the US reaching 83 percent. More than 90% of developers on the App Store fall into the category of small developers, which is defined by Analysis Group as those with fewer than one million annual downloads and incomes of up to $1 million.

The survey found that earnings increased across all app categories, with small developers’ income growth outpacing that of large developers. The report highlights the opportunities offered by the App Store, including tools that assist developers in reaching a global audience. Nearly 80% of small developers operate several stores, earning 40% of their total revenue from app downloads outside of their home city.

Over time, developers have experienced success, and the report suggests that many apps expected to generate over $1 million in revenue in 2022 originally came from tiny developers. In five years, 40% of these developers had earned less than $10,000 or were not on the App Store.

In response to mounting pressure to make iOS more accessible to sideloading and other app stores, Apple has hired Analysis Group to conduct several app store studies. Apple is rumored to be integrating functionality in iOS 17 for Europe that will permit apps to be installed outside of the App Store at the request of the European Union, for instance.

As for the US, government officials are focusing on designing a law that’ll let these developers use non-Apple platforms and alternatives for getting paid over iOS devices. Although Apple is taking these changes seriously, it is adapting them from the Analytical Group to convince regulators and the public of the benefits of the App Store.