How mobile apps can attract repeat subscribers

It’s tough out there for app developers, at least according to RevenueCat’s 2025 State of Subscription Apps report.

The report, which analyzed data from 75k+ apps that use its tool kit, revealed that nearly 20% bring in $1k per month, while just 5% earn $10k per month, per Ars Technica. Another stat to put this in perspective: The top 5% of apps generate over 400x more revenue than the bottom 25%.

RevenueCat’s report found that photo, video, and gaming apps are the most likely to hit $1k monthly revenue within two years, but shopping, travel, and utilities apps struggle. AI apps also grow quickly, but only those that are unique enough to stand out.

What’s an app developer to do?

The key to revenue growth is to attract paid subscribers. RevenueCat found apps fare better when they: 

• Immediately present their paywalls — 80% of trials occur on day one
• Require users to pay or subscribe before using the app at all
• Provide longer trials of 17-32 days
• Offer cheaper annual plans, most of which retain 36% of users after one year, compared to higher-priced plans, which only retain 6.7%

However, maintaining those users is tricky when everything is a subscription, and consumers are experiencing subscription fatigue. Customers want to see immediate value or they’ll drop a subscription. Case in point: 30% of annual subscribers bail within the first month.

Developers can also… 

… monetize with both subscriptions and other consumables or lifetime purchases — something 35% of the apps RevenueCat analyzed offer.

Examples include:

• Extra lives or premium loot in gaming apps
• In-game currency
• “Super likes,” profile boosts, or extra swipes in dating apps
• Premium and/or personalized features
• Additional content

This may be irritating for customers who are tired of constant upsells and paying for stuff that was once free, yet apps that find ways to offer consistent value can make it big.

Many of the top-grossing apps globally are games with in-app purchases, but there are exceptions. Language-learning app Duolingo made $448m in revenue in 2024, while health tracker MyFitnessPal earned $164m and dating app Tinder pulled in a whopping $1B+.

Y’all must have bought a lot of Super Likes.