Google Gains Share in Apps Downloads, Still Trails Apple

Apps & Software

Published: March 11, 2014 2:10 pm

Last Updated: April 27, 2020 10:30 pm

Apps downloads for the month of February show that the Google Play store from Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) gained another point of market share in the two-company battle with the App Store from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL). Google Play now claims 39% of the market between the two players, up from 38% in January and 35% in August 2013.

Since September 2013, App Store revenues have risen by 18%, while revenues at Google Play have risen by 40%. Google Play continues to trail the App Store in relative market share with 39%, compared with the App Store’s 61% share. The Appstore from Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is not yet included in this particular data point reported by research firm Distimo.

The big story in apps downloads for February was Flappy Bird, which was pulled by its Vietnam-based developer on February 9. Even so, it was the second-most downloaded free app from the Apple App Store. A copycat game, Flappy Wings (not Flappy Bird), was the top free download at Amazon’s Appstore.

Looking at revenue-generating apps, of the five most popular apps at Google Play, four are either productivity, personalization or music player apps. Minecraft — Pocket Edition is the only game in the top five paid apps at Google’s store. These are the same apps that led Google Play in January.

Minecraft was also the most popular paid download at the App Store, but a new puzzle game, Threes, rose to second place, and three new games replaced January’s leaders in the App Store’s paid download sweepstakes. Only one, Card Wars — Adventure Time, was delivered by a publicly traded company, Time Warner Inc.’s (NYSE: TWX) Cartoon Network.

The Appstore’s best-selling paid download in February was also Minecraft, and Warner’s Scribblenauts Remix stayed in the top five paid app downloads at Amazon’s store.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) supplies two or three of the top five free apps at Google Play: Facebook, Facebook Messenger and the soon-to-be-Facebook-owned WhatsApp. Candy Crush Saga remains the only game in the top five free downloads at Google Play.

Combined revenues at the App Store and Google Play slipped by 4% in February, compared with January revenues. That is primarily a function of a 28-day month compared with a 31-day month.

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