Top 10 Apps Earned Over $1.4 Billion in May Alone – TikTok Leads the Pack
We use social media apps daily for entertainment, but have you ever wondered how these apps earn money—and how we contribute to their growth? In May, user spending on mobile apps surged, with the top 10 apps generating a combined $1.4 billion in revenue—a 17% increase from April. Interestingly, while revenue soared, download numbers remained relatively stable.
TikTok Dominates Revenue Charts
TikTok retained its top spot, earning $380 million in May—a $51 million jump from April. The majority of its revenue ($261 million) came from iPhone users via Apple’s App Store, reinforcing iOS’s dominance in monetization.
ChatGPT secured second place with $180 million in earnings (after fees), marking a 22% monthly growth. Its revenue breakdown:
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$145 million from iOS
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$34 million from Android
The AI chatbot’s rising popularity extends beyond business use, with more consumers adopting it for everyday tasks. It also climbed app store rankings, securing #2 on iOS and #6 on Google Play.
Entertainment & Utility Apps Drive Profits
The top five apps alone generated nearly $1 billion, proving that entertainment and utility apps remain highly lucrative:
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TikTok – $380M
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ChatGPT – $180M
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YouTube – $142M (8% increase)
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Tinder – $134M
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Disney+ – $121M
Other top earners included:
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Max – $97M
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Tencent Video & CapCut – $72M each
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LinkedIn – $68M
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Google One – $88M (mostly from Android)
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Amazon – $45M
iOS Outperforms Android in Revenue
Apple’s App Store continued to lead in profitability, with all top apps earning significantly more on iOS than Android. This trend influences how developers prioritize features and marketing strategies.
Here’s the May revenue breakdown for top apps:
| Rank | App | iOS Revenue | Android Revenue | Total Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TikTok | $261M | $119M | $380M |
| 2 | ChatGPT | $145M | $34M | $180M |
| 3 | YouTube | $142M | — | $142M |
| 4 | Tinder | $97M | $36M | $134M |
| 5 | Disney+ | $71M | $50M | $121M |
| 6 | Max | $65M | $32M | $97M |
| 7 | Google One | — | $88M | $88M |
| 8 | CapCut | $72M | $10M | $82M |
| 9 | Tencent Video | $72M | — | $72M |
| 10 | $55M | $13M | $68M |
Downloads Saw a Slight Increase
Total downloads for the top 10 apps reached 313 million in May—a 4% rise from April. However, most apps maintained their positions.
ChatGPT Leads in Downloads
The AI chatbot topped download charts with 50 million installs:
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14M from iOS
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36M from Android
Instagram followed with 42 million downloads, while TikTok secured 40 million. Other notable performers:
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Facebook – 34M (mostly from Google Play)
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WhatsApp – 30M
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Temu – 26M
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CapCut – 25M
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Threads – 23M
Social & Messaging Apps Dominate
Most top-downloaded apps were social media or messaging platforms, with CapCut (video editing) and Temu (e-commerce) being exceptions.
Top downloaded apps in May:
| Rank | App | iOS Downloads | Android Downloads | Total Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | 14M | 36M | 50M |
| 2 | 6M | 36M | 42M | |
| 3 | TikTok | 7M | 33M | 40M |
| 4 | 4M | 30M | 34M | |
| 5 | 6M | 24M | 30M | |
| 6 | Temu | 8M | 18M | 26M |
| 7 | CapCut | 11M | 14M | 25M |
| 8 | Threads | 11M | 12M | 23M |
| 9 | Telegram | 6M | 16M | 22M |
| 10 | Snapchat | 5M | 16M | 21M |
Key Takeaways
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Revenue growth outpaced downloads, indicating users are spending more within apps (via subscriptions, in-app purchases, etc.).
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TikTok isn’t gaining many new users but is earning record revenue.
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ChatGPT continues expanding beyond business use, with rising consumer adoption.
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Success isn’t just about downloads—retention, premium features, and engagement matter more than ever.
The data shows that monetization strategies (like su