What’s the better app store between Google Play Store and the Apple App Store? Which one is perfect for app developers? Are there any similarities and differences between the two rivals in app development, visibility, revenue, and publication? You’ll get all the answers in this blog to help you choose an app store to launch your application. Continue reading.
Are Google Play and App Store the Same?
Google Play Store and Apple App Store have the same aim. As a user of either Google Play or App Store, you can search for an app, download or install it.
Both applications also provide users with books, music, and movies. However, the applications have differences that an app developer needs to consider. Let’s jump into the Google Play and App Store Titanic battle.
How the Approval Process Works: Google Play vs App Store
One notable difference between the two app stores is the time it takes for each platform to review and approve your app.
Apple App Store
It takes longer for your app to pass the quality checks with App Store than with Google Play. You can expect the iOS App Store to take 24 or 48 hours to give you feedback. But these turnaround times may extend to more time if your app fails to impress the Apple team.
The App Store checks apps to see if they’re “reliable, perform as expected, respect user privacy, and are free of objectionable content.” There could be delays in accepting your app if it has some problems, bug issues, or is substandard. The longer it takes for your app to get approval, the more you could be frustrated.
However, the response you get from the review team at the App Store can help you improve your app’s quality. As a result, you can hone your mobile development skills.
Google Play Store
Google Play Store is more flexible when reviewing and accepting your app. The approval process is around two hours, which is pretty much quicker. There are higher chances for your application to make it on the Android platform. Because of this, you can quickly scale up and try your brand-new app idea.
Of course, there are some cons to fast-tracking apps. You’ll have to deal with hundreds of app developers in the app store. As a result, you must try to stand out from the crowd to grab the attention of potential users.
Though experts check your app, they may overlook some bugs. It can lead to quality problems down the line.
Does Google Play Have More Apps than the App Store?
Yes, Google Play has more apps than the App Store.
Source: Creative Commons/Openverse
How Many Apps Are on the Google Play?
The latest figures show that Google Play had 3.48 million apps in the first quarter of 2021. And in the previous year, people downloaded nearly 108 billion apps from the Google Play. The outlook for Google Play seems bright as Statista projects 168 billion downloads of apps from the app store in 2024.
Is this important to you? Google Play is the perfect platform to boost the chances of your app being downloaded. Again, the app store is available on many android devices, unlike the App Store. There’s no restriction to accessibility.
How Many Apps Are on the App Store?
According to Statista, 2.22 million apps were available on the App Store in the same quarter. It makes the App Store fall behind Google Play by a couple of millions. Also, people are likely to download 41 billion apps from the iOS Apple Store in 2024 globally.
The App Store is ideal if you’re focusing on Apple users. But it places a limit on the number of people you can reach. The difference between the expected downloads from each app store is huge. Google Play will continue leading by many billions.
How Much Revenue Each App Makes: App Store vs Google Play
Let’s talk about money and cost because they’re critical for your app development.
Google Play Store
You’ll pay $25 to enroll in an app with the Google Play, which is a once-off payment. After payment confirmation, you can check out Google Play Console for the app creation steps. Revenue-wise, you’ll get 70% of the sales of your app.
There are no restrictions regarding the number of apps you can develop and publish on the platform. However, Google Play users prefer downloading free apps. It’s a dent in your revenue efforts if you’re looking to make good money from your app ideas.
Apple App Store
The iOS Apple Store requires you to part with $99 every year to install and distribute your app on its forum. Like Google Play, the Apple app store will give you 70% of the revenue. Also, App Store users pay for every download.
People don’t get freebies on the App Store. As a result, you stand a good chance of receiving stable revenue for your app development efforts.
Talking of revenue, the App Store is way ahead of the Google Play. In 2020, Apple made about $72 billion from the sale of apps. But Google Play’s sales were $40 billion in the same financial year.
What about the market share for each app store? Google Play is leading the pack with a 71 % market share. The App Store is behind with 27%. But wait a second.
According to Conpaniesmarketingcap.com, Google Play isn’t a match for Apple in market cap. Apple’s market cap stands at $2.892 Trillion, while the market cap for Google is $1.951 Trillion. Apple is your company of choice if you’re interested in revenue and value.
Which Is More Secure, Google Play or App Store?
Apple customers insist that the app store is more secure than its rival. That’s because it can take what seems like ages to green-light your app. The App Store reviewers check everything about your application to ensure it meets its quality standards.
Because of the detailed app review process, Apple can get rid of substandard products. It leads to secure and top-class apps. However, that doesn’t mean Google Play is a site for low-quality applications. It has specialists who check your apps.
How Much Visibility Does Each App Store Offer? ASO in the Apple App vs Google Play
ASO stands for App Store Optimization. It’s crucial because it helps you increase the number of users and downloads. ASO makes your app more discoverable. It has to do with the keywords, description, app name, usage, and metrics. Let’s look at how much exposure you get from each app store.
Google Play Store
Potential users can find out about your app through the description (short &long), title, screenshots, image gallery, or video trailer. Short and long descriptions are essential because they’re the first elements a user sees. They sit right after the screenshots or image gallery.
Also, the Read More Button on Google Play receives lots of attention from potential users. As a result, the app store’s description fares better than the App Store’s first two lines about your app.
Google Play also improves visibility by matching customer queries with your app’s name and description. The app store acts as a search engine. But note that there are millions of apps resulting in stiff competition. You need to be outside the box to be exceptional.
Apple App Store
People can learn about your application on the app store in many ways. Examples include promotions, like App of the Week, Popular App Category, etc. The iOS Apple Store has several channels to create awareness about your tools, such as Apple TV.
Another way to improve your visibility is by using the right keywords when you submit your app. Your keywords must align with the info on the submission form. A potential customer will find your app if they use one of the keywords. However, they may find it challenging to access your tool if your keywords are different from the search intent.
Need more help with ASO? With Shyftup’s Apple Store Optimization service you can maximize your app’s visibility.
Google Play vs App Store: Using Video
Earlier, we mentioned using a video trailer to promote your app on both app stores. But there’s a slight difference that can make or break your success.
A video trailer may be less effective on Google Play than the App Store. That’s because potential customers are 20% more likely to engage and play app videos. However, they may not complete watching them.
It’s a different case with the App Store. There’s a 30% likelihood that visitors can interact and see videos until the end due to the 15-30 seconds that the app store requires of users. That means that videos are better on the Apple Store than on Google Play.
App Store vs Google Play: Developers Friendly
Source: Google Play Store
Google Play has minimal hurdles when it comes to app review and publishing. You can develop your app with the full knowledge that Google Play will accept it. It offers you peace of mind and more time to focus on promoting your tool. Because of this, the platform is user-friendly.
You can expect quite a long process with the App Store due to its strictness. But the quality standards pay dividends in the long term, even if the app creation process appears to be developer-unfriendly.
What Do Users Say About Google Play and App Store?
Opinions matter, too, in deciding which app store to use for your app.
A simple Google search shows that users give the two app stores a 1.6-star rating on Trustpilot. Not so rosy. However, some customers appreciate Google Play for its vast apps. It expands their choices and allows them to try many apps.
A sizable number of users complain about shoddy apps on Google Play. It’s something that the app store should treat as a top priority.
Those who use the App Store claim that the platform provides top-notch products. The apps are also available on several App devices, and it improves the accessibility of the tools. Customers are happy with Apple’s customer service, as well.
Is the Google Play Better than the App Store?
Your choice of each app store depends on your goals for launching an app. Here are some crucial features to note:
- Google Play is perfect if your goal is to test and see if your app is up to scratch.
- Google Play’s app development process, review, approval, and distribution are free of hassles.
- And if revenue isn’t a big issue and hanging in there for the long haul is okay, Google Play is also a better choice.
- But if you want quality for your app creation process, you’re better off with the Apple Store.
- Also, the app store is ideal if stable and reliable sales are your primary goal.
The two eternal rivals are brilliant platforms for launching an app. Not sure how to maximize your presence in the two app stores? Shyftup is a leading global User Acquisition Agency specialized in mobile app growth.
We help you grow your user base by focusing on App Store Optimization and Apple Search Ads. We provide you with ASO, Apple Search Ads, and Google UAC services. And all your Apple Search Ads FAQs have been taken care of.
Start your App Store optimization and Google UAC today.
How does the Approval Process Work: Google Play vs App Store?
It takes longer for your app to pass the quality checks with the App Store than with Google Play. You can expect the iOS App Store to take 24 or 48 hours to give you feedback however in Google Play Store the approval process is around two hours.
Which Store Has More Apps: Google Play vs App Store?
Google Play has more apps than the App Store. Google Play had 3.48 million apps in the first quarter of 2021 while 2.22 million apps were available on the App Store in the same quarter.
How Much Revenue Does Each App Make: App Store vs Google Play?
For Google Play, you will get 70% of the sales of your app. Apple App store is also the same but the App Store’s revenue is way ahead of Google Play. Apple made about $72 billion from the sale of apps while Google Play’s sales were $40 billion in 2020.
