Top 10 Apps Earned Over $1.4 Billion in May Alone – TikTok on Top
We use a lot of social media apps daily to keep ourselves entertained. But have you ever wondered how these apps are earning and how we are helping them to grow? In May, users spent a lot more on mobile apps. Total revenue from the top 10 apps reached $1.4 billion. That’s a 17% jump from April. However, the number of downloads stayed almost the same. TikTok topped the list with $380 million in revenue. Most of it came from iPhone users via Apple’s App Store. This was a $51 million increase in just one month. TikTok remains the leader in short videos.
ChatGPT came in second with $180 million in earnings after fees. Of that, $145 million was from iOS and $34 million from Android. Its revenue grew by 22% from April. More people are using it for various tasks, not just business purposes. It also climbed app store rankings—second on iOS and sixth on Google Play.
Top 10 Apps Earned Over $1.4 Billion in May Alone – TikTok on Top
YouTube followed with $142 million in revenue, an 8% rise from April. Tinder earned $134 million, while Disney+ brought in $121 million. These five apps alone generated nearly $1 billion, demonstrating that entertainment and utility apps continue to be popular.
Other top earners included Max with $97 million and Tencent Video and CapCut, each earning $72 million. QQ Video made $58 million, and LinkedIn earned $68 million. Google One also did well, especially on Android, with $88 million. Amazon’s app made $45 million.
iOS continued to outperform Android in revenue. All top apps made more money through Apple’s store. This trend affects how developers design and market their apps.
Here’s how the top apps performed in May:
| Rank | App | iOS Revenue | Android Revenue | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Were Up Slightly
In May, total downloads for the top ten apps hit 313 million. That’s a 4% increase from April. But most of the top apps stayed in the same spots.
ChatGPT led in downloads with 50 million installs—14 million from iOS and 36 million from Android. Instagram was second with 42 million. TikTok followed with 40 million. These apps saw only small increases.
Facebook gained 34 million downloads, mainly from Google Play. WhatsApp added 30 million. These platforms continue to lead in user growth.
Other popular apps included Temu (26 million), CapCut (25 million), and Threads (23 million). Telegram, Snapchat, Microsoft Teams, and Canva also remained strong.
Most top apps were for social media or messaging. Only CapCut and Temu were exceptions.
Here are the top downloaded apps:
| Rank | App | iOS Downloads | Android Downloads | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
What This Means
Although downloads grew a bit, revenue increased much more. This shows people are spending more money inside the apps they already have. TikTok and ChatGPT are great examples. TikTok isn’t gaining many new users, but it’s earning more than ever. ChatGPT is still new, but more people are paying to use it.
This shift suggests that success doesn’t depend only on getting more downloads. Apps that keep users engaged and offer value can earn more, even with fewer new installs. Subscriptions, premium features, and smart design now matter more than ever.
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