# Android vs iOS: which makes more money for a solo developer?

Source: https://rushilo.com/blog/android-vs-ios-which-makes-more-money
By om.assets, Rushilo. Updated 2026-11-03.

> iOS makes more money per user: benchmark data puts revenue per install around $2.12 on iOS versus $0.85 on Android, and developers on both platforms often report Android bringing about 70% of installs while iOS brings about 70% of revenue. Android can still win on total revenue for free, ad-supported or high-volume apps, and in markets where few people own iPhones.

You have one app idea, limited evenings, and two stores. Every thread you read says the same thing: iPhone users pay, Android users do not. Then you see a solo developer on Reddit saying most of their money came from Google Play, and the advice stops making sense.

Both things are true. The question "which makes more money" has two answers depending on whether you mean **money per user** or **money in total**. This guide separates the two, runs the arithmetic, and shows what developers who launched on both actually saw.

Two terms first. **Revenue per install (RPI)** is the money an app earns divided by how many people installed it. **Volume** is the raw number of installs. iOS usually wins the first, Android usually wins the second.

## Which platform makes more money per user?

iOS, by a wide margin. A benchmark roundup from Mirava, compiling industry reports, lists revenue per install of about **$2.12 on iOS versus $0.85 on Android**, and average per-user app earnings of $12.77 versus $6.19. That is roughly 2 to 3 times more money from each iPhone user.

Developers who run both versions say the same. The top-voted rule of thumb in a large r/ios thread from developers with apps on both stores: **"Android is 70% of the installs, iOS is 70% of the revenue."** A developer whose apps have been live for close to 15 years, with a few hundred thousand subscribers worldwide, reported a 60/40 iOS to Android revenue split. Another, who managed an award-winning Bay Area app, said Android was the majority of installs but a single-digit percentage of revenue.

Why the gap exists:

- **Who owns the phone.** iPhones cost more and dominate richer markets (the US, UK, Japan, Australia). Android dominates India, Brazil and most of Africa.
- **Payment friction.** Apple Pay and Face ID make a purchase one tap. The same Mirava roundup reports billing failures cause 14% of App Store subscription cancellations versus 31% on Google Play.
- **Cost to serve.** In that r/ios thread, a developer at an app-based bank said Android users generated more fraud and more support load, and another described "astonishing amounts of fraud and chargebacks" on Android.

## Which platform gets more installs?

Android, almost everywhere outside North America and Japan. Android runs on roughly 70% of the world's phones, so the same app with the same store listing usually collects more downloads on Google Play.

Solo developers see this clearly in their own numbers. One r/AppBusiness developer who hit $5,000 in 28 days said their Android version was "still farming more" because it had more traffic, with **765 ratings on Android against 200 on iOS**. A habit tracker developer reported 64,000+ Android downloads before even launching on iOS, while noting iOS users were more likely to subscribe once it shipped there.

Volume matters because it feeds everything else: more ratings, better store ranking, more ad impressions, and a bigger number to show a buyer if you ever sell the app.

## Worked example: when does Android out-earn iOS?

Android wins on total revenue when its install advantage is bigger than iOS's per-user advantage. Using the benchmark RPI figures above, iOS earns about 2.5 times more per install ($2.12 divided by $0.85). So Android needs more than 2.5 times the installs to catch up.

| Scenario | iOS installs | iOS revenue (at $2.12) | Android installs | Android revenue (at $0.85) | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US-focused subscription app | 4,000 | $8,480 | 6,000 | $5,100 | iOS |
| Global utility, typical 70/30 split | 3,000 | $6,360 | 7,000 | $5,950 | Close to even |
| Emerging-market or ad-funded app | 1,000 | $2,120 | 9,000 | $7,650 | Android |

These are illustrations using averages, not predictions: your own RPI could be ten times higher or lower than the benchmark. The point is the shape. **If your audience is mostly in rich English-speaking countries and you sell a subscription, iOS wins. If your installs skew heavily to Android, Android can win outright.**

That matches the one detailed solo case in our research. A developer who shipped 9 apps in a year across iOS, Android and macOS reported about $1,200 total revenue, with **about $800 of it from Android alone**, plus a separate $4,000 sale of an Android app with 200,000 installs. Commenters called the Android result a surprise, which tells you how rare people assume it is.

> **Watch out:** a small app on either store usually makes very little. Our breakdown of [how much indie apps make per month](/blog/how-much-indie-apps-make-per-month) shows the median subscription app earns under $50 a month after a year. Platform choice moves your odds; it does not guarantee income.

## Do fees and setup costs change the answer?

Barely on fees, a little on setup. Both stores take about the same cut from a small developer, so the per-user gap above survives after commission.

| Cost | Apple App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Developer account | $99 per year | $25 one time |
| Commission for small developers | 15% (Small Business Program, under $1M proceeds) | 15% on first $1M a year |
| Subscription commission | 15% in the program | 15% on auto-renewing subscriptions |
| Gate before going live | App Review, usually a day or two | New personal accounts: closed test with 12 testers for 14 days |
| Devices to test | A handful of iPhone sizes | Many manufacturers and Android versions |

Fees and rules are as of November 2026, from Apple's Small Business Program page and Google Play Console Help. The Google testing rule trips up a lot of first-timers: if your personal account was created after November 13, 2023, you need 12 people opted into a closed test for 14 days straight before you can publish to production. Plan for it, or it adds two weeks to launch.

Our guide to the [cost to publish an app on the App Store](/blog/cost-to-publish-app-on-app-store) covers the Apple side in more detail.

## When should you pick Android first?

Pick Android first when your money comes from volume rather than from each user paying. Specifically:

- **Ad-supported or free apps**, where every install is worth a little and you need lots of them.
- **Audiences in Android-heavy countries**, such as India, Brazil, Indonesia or most of Africa.
- **You only own an Android phone and a Windows PC.** Building for iOS needs a Mac; Google Play is the cheaper place to learn shipping.
- **You plan to sell the app.** The 200,000-install Android app above sold for $4,000; buyers pay for installs and ratings.

Pick iOS first for everything else, especially subscription apps, paid unlocks, productivity, health and anything aimed at professionals in the US or Western Europe. The [App Store Apps pack](/app-store) teaches the iOS-first path in order: niche, listing, paywall, then installs.

## What goes wrong when choosing a platform?

The common mistakes come from treating platform as the main decision when distribution is. From the threads we read:

1. **Building both at once before either has users.** Two codebases, two store listings, two review processes, half the speed. Several r/AppBusiness developers describe months of building before a first dollar.
2. **Judging Android by subscriber count alone.** A free app with 64,000 installs and $45 a month in subscriptions may still be worth more through ads or a sale.
3. **Ignoring support and fraud cost.** Developers on both stores report more chargebacks and support tickets per Android user. Count your time, not just revenue.
4. **Comparing global averages to your niche.** A US fintech developer in that r/ios thread said 70% of their users were on iOS. Your category and country mix beats any headline number.
5. **Forgetting the Google testing gate.** Twelve testers for 14 days is easy with friends and family, and painful if you find out on launch day.

> **Tip:** if you build with a cross-platform framework, shipping the second store is weeks of work instead of a rewrite. Our [React Native vs Swift comparison](/blog/react-native-vs-swift-first-app) walks through that trade.

## How to decide in one evening

Use your own audience, not the internet's averages. This takes about an hour.

1. **Look up your top three competitors** on both stores. Compare their rating counts: that ratio is a rough proxy for where their installs come from.
2. **List the countries your users live in.** Mostly US, UK, Japan, Australia or Western Europe means iOS first.
3. **Decide how you will charge.** Subscription or paid unlock leans iOS; ads or free with tips leans Android.
4. **Check your hardware.** No Mac means Android first, or a cloud Mac later.
5. **Ship one platform, then measure revenue per install** after 30 days. Port when the number justifies it.

## Where to go from here

The honest answer: **iOS makes more money per user, Android makes more installs, and a small solo app usually earns more on iOS unless it lives on ads or emerging-market volume.** Your plan:

1. Pick the platform your paying audience uses.
2. Ship the smallest version with one core action.
3. Write a keyword-first store listing and screenshots that say what it does.
4. Track revenue per install, not downloads.
5. Add the second store once the first one shows paying users.

The [App Store Apps pack](/app-store) gives you the full 24-lesson path across 6 modules, with the niche research checklist, the listing and paywall templates and the pricing tests, for $19, and all 16 Money Printer packs are $39.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do iOS apps really make more money than Android apps?

Per user, yes, in almost every published benchmark and in most developer reports. One summary of industry data puts revenue per install at $2.12 on iOS versus $0.85 on Android. Total revenue can still favor Android when an app gets far more Android installs, runs on ads, or targets markets like India or Brazil where Android dominates.

### Should a solo developer launch on iOS or Android first?

Launch on iOS first if the app sells a subscription or paid unlock to users in the US, UK, Western Europe or Japan. Launch on Android first if the app is free with ads, aimed at emerging markets, or needs a big install base to work. Add the second platform once the first one shows real paying users.

### Why do iPhone users spend more on apps?

iPhone owners skew toward higher incomes and richer countries, Apple Pay makes purchases one tap, and payments fail less often. One benchmark summary reports 14% of App Store subscription cancellations are billing failures versus 31% on Google Play. Developers on Reddit also report more fraud and support tickets per Android user.

### Are Apple and Google fees different for small developers?

Not much. Apple's Small Business Program charges 15% on paid apps and in-app purchases for developers under $1 million in proceeds. Google Play charges 15% on the first $1 million a year and 15% on auto-renewing subscriptions. Accounts differ more: Apple costs $99 a year, Google $25 once.

### Is it worth building for Android at all as an indie developer?

Often, yes, once the app already works on one platform. Solo developers on r/AppBusiness have reported Android bringing most of their revenue through sheer install volume, and one sold an Android app with 200,000 installs for $4,000. If you use a cross-platform framework, the second store costs weeks, not months.

### What is the best way to learn to make money from apps?

The App Store Apps pack from Rushilo is the most direct route for a beginner: 24 lessons across 6 modules on picking a niche with proof of money, ranking in store search, pricing and paywall tests, and getting installs without ads, for $19. Pair it with shipping one small app and reading your own revenue per install.

## Sources

- [r/ios: Developers who have both Android and iOS apps, how true is it that iOS generates much more revenue?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/1kquym8/developers_who_have_both_android_and_ios_apps_how/)
- [r/AppBusiness: solo dev, 9 apps in 1 year, about $1,200 total revenue](https://www.reddit.com/r/AppBusiness/comments/1wyyuh5/journey_solo_dev_9_apps_in_1_year_with_95_job_and/)
- [r/AppBusiness: $5,000 revenue in 28 days](https://www.reddit.com/r/AppBusiness/comments/1uqltne/so_guys_i_have_officially_reached_the_5000/)
- [r/AppBusiness: My small app is making $45/month](https://www.reddit.com/r/AppBusiness/)
- [Mirava: iOS vs Android subscription revenue benchmarks](https://www.mirava.io/blog/ios-vs-android-subscription-revenue-benchmarks)
- [Google Play Console Help: service fees](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622)
- [Apple: App Store Small Business Program](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/)
- [Google Play Console Help: testing requirements for new personal accounts](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14151465)