AI Coding Boom Floods App Stores, But New Apps Earn Just 3% of Revenue

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The number of new subscription apps launched monthly has surged from around 2,000 in January 2022 to over 14,700 by January 2026, driven largely by AI coding tools, according to RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps 2026 report. Despite the flood of new entrants, apps launched before 2020 still capture 69% of all subscription revenue, while apps released in 2025 or later collectively share just 3%. Global app downloads fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, dropping 2.7% to 106.9 billion, even as consumer spending on non-game apps rose 33.9% to $82.6 billion. The data suggests users are spending more on familiar, established apps rather than discovering new ones. The median new app earns roughly $72 per month one year after launch, and only 17.3% of new apps reach $1,000 per month within two years.

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