AI-powered apps are outperforming a number of legacy classes and see income per set up above 63 cents after 30 days, matching well being & health apps on the similar fee, based on RevenueCat’s State of Subscription Apps 2025 of over 75,000 apps on its platform.
“Customers are prepared to pay extra for significant AI-driven experiences — however merely including AI isn’t sufficient,” mentioned Jacob Eiting, chief govt officer of RevenueCat. Builders should construct one thing that’s “distinctive and sticky,” he mentioned.
The report examined knowledge from 2024 and located that “subscriptions alone don’t minimize it any longer,” and 35% of apps now combine subscriptions with consumables or lifetime purchases, a pattern that’s rising, Eiting wrote individually in a weblog publish.
“Hybrid monetization fashions are a robust strategy to seize extra income with out dropping the advantages of subscriptions,’’ Eiting mentioned, noting that gaming (practically 62%) and social & way of life (39%) are “main the best way.”
One of many fundamental findings is that almost all apps fail to garner $1,000 in month-to-month income inside their first two years. The median variety of days to succeed in $1,000 is 60, based on the report.
A widening income hole between high apps and the remainder
The highest 5% of newly launched apps make $8,880 in earnings – over 400x as a lot income after two years as the underside 25%, which make not more than $19, based on the report. “This hole has widened dramatically since final 12 months’s 200x distinction, proving that the very best apps optimize pricing, iterate quick, and retain customers higher,’’ the report mentioned.
High app classes customers obtain to trial
The report exhibits that well being and health together with medical apps are most frequently bought for trial (24%), adopted by utilities together with climate, reference, and finance at 23%, schooling (21%) and photograph & video (20.5%).
Cancellations inside one month
Almost 30% of annual subscriptions are canceled within the first month, based on the report. “In case you don’t win them again over, on the finish of that first 12 months, they’re gone,’’ Eiting mentioned. “Probably the most profitable apps interact early and constantly ship worth, giving customers causes to stay round lengthy sufficient to resume.”
Month-to-month vs. annual plans
Month-to-month subscriptions drive the best reactivation charges, probably because of decrease dedication obstacles, the report mentioned, adopted by weekly plans at 9 %, whereas yearly plans “wrestle.”
By way of classes, photograph & video and productiveness lead in month-to-month reactivations, whereas gaming underperforms, and the report speculates that this can be because of participant fatigue. Buying additionally struggles, probably due to restricted recurring engagement, the report mentioned. Media & leisure and photograph & video present the strongest reactivations as each profit from steady content material refreshes, the report mentioned.
