App Developers Have Earned $120 Billion Since App Store Launched in 2008

App Store developers have earned a total of $120 billion since the ‌App Store‌ launched back in 2008, Apple announced today. More than a quarter of that total was earned in the past year alone, according to Apple.

The ‌App Store‌ has seen significant growth in revenue with each quarter and it brings in a major part of Apple's growing services revenue.

app store trio
The new ‌App Store‌ metric was highlighted as part of an Apple Newsroom article covering the launch of the Entrepreneur Camp, which allows female-founded app development companies to attend a program at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino.

Entrepreneur Camp is designed to provide female app creators with "the tools needed to thrive in today's global app economy." There are 11 female app founders who are joining the inaugural program, which will last for two weeks.

appleentrepreneurcamp
Each attendee will have access to an immersive hands-on technology lab where participants will be able to work one-on-one with Apple experts and engineers to accelerate their apps.

"In the past, starting a small business often meant having to invest in overhead, inventory or retail space. Today, a world of opportunity opens up with some coding skills and an entrepreneurial spirit," said Esther Hare, Apple's senior director, Worldwide Developer Marketing and executive sponsor, Women@Apple. "The App Store is the new digital Main Street, and creative developers are tapping into the vast potential of the global app economy. We hope that this program helps to inspire women around the world to learn to code, join the iOS development community and share in the thriving app economy."

Sessions on design, technology, and ‌App Store‌ marketing are included, as are ongoing guidance and support from an Apple Developer Relations representative. Apple says attendees will learn about new Apple technologies, including optimizing for the A12 chip, integrating CoreML into apps, building experiences for ARKit, and more.

Those who attend Entrepreneur camp will be provided with two tickets to the 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference and a complementary one-year membership to the Apple Developer Program. Apple has a list of the first app companies accepted to the program in its Newsroom article.

Going forward, Apple plans to hold Entrepreneur Camp sessions on a quarterly basis, with up to 20 app companies accepted for each round. As outlined when the program was announced, app-driven businesses need to be female founded, co-founded, or led, and must have at least one woman on the product development team.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Coming Next Week: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 AIR Loud Feature

iPhone 17 Air Could Start at $1,099 With 256GB Storage, 1TB for $1,499

Thursday September 4, 2025 2:54 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Air will have a $1,099 starting price providing 256GB of base storage and will max out at $1,499 with a 1TB option, according to the latest TrendForce report. Apple will offer three price/storage tiers for the all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model, which replaces last year's iPhone 16 Plus in the lineup. Here's how TrendForce sees them breaking down: 256GB — $1099...

Top Rated Comments

jlseattle Avatar
86 months ago
The app store sucks now. I barely buy anything off from it nowadays (plus I got everything i wanted) because of the subscription model or the gems model that developers are going for.

I hate subscriptions. I hate purchases are for gems instead of purchasing features or extra for just cash.

I only buy apps that I can purchase the app forever. So an example is the Calm app. I don't want a subscription. They offer a lifetime membership. I purchased that. I'll pay more to avoid subscriptions. It's like a death by a million cuts.

What I would like to see is any app that exists put an "purchase" price out there as well for the app. So like 1Password offers subscription but you can also get the one time purchase of the current version. I go that route. The more apps that want a subscription amount. The more they have to "justify" the monthly costs.

Give me a quality app with very aggressive changes to make the app better and more useful. I might go subscription then. But subscribing to an app that's static (like most are minus minor bug fixes) no thank you.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
86 months ago
120 Billion for Developers
51.4 Billion for Apple

There are a few legal disputes right now regarding Apple's 30% take for apps and 15% take on app subscriptions after 12 months. Apple still provides I think a service and that service isn't free to run (review, guidelines, hosting, marketing, search, App Stores).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DeepIn2U Avatar
86 months ago
MacRumors content image ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/28/app-store-developers-120-billion-earned/')

Entrepreneur Camp is designed to provide female app creators with "the tools needed to thrive in today's global app economy." There are 11 female app founders who are joining the inaugural program, which will last for two weeks.

MacRumors content image

Article Link: App Developers Have Earned $120 Billion Since App Store Launched in 2008 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/28/app-store-developers-120-billion-earned/')
I maybe a man through n through, yet I LOVE the representation of women in the developer community. I'm not afraid of strong willed, strong minded and happy enterprising women who control their own destiny. Mom and my sista are of this nature.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
86 months ago
I’d love to know how that $120B is split up by developer. Is it one big game developer getting most of the payout?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
86 months ago
After that report in the NYT about Apple's problems with getting manufacturing going in the U.S. it seems that Apple is going all out today to show that they contribute a lot to the U.S. economy.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainMac Avatar
86 months ago
I have purchased a lot of apps in that time. I wish I could see a chart of how much I spent broken down by app purchases, original purchase, upgrades, and how much I spent that was lost when the app was pulled because it was 32-bit, developer left appstore, no longer works, etc. And broken down by year.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)