DOI: 10.46340/eujem.2024.10.4.1
Mykhailo Dubel, PhD in International Economic Relations
Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University, Ukraine
How to cite: Dubel, M. (2024). Development Trends in the Digital Distribution of Mobile Applications. European Journal of Economics and Management, 10, 4, 5-16. https://doi.org/10.46340/eujem.2024.10.4.1
Abstract
The article is devoted to studying trends in the development of digital distribution of mobile applications. Despite the existence of other platforms for the digital distribution of mobile applications, the main focus of the study is on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. A comparison was made between these two sites according to such criteria as the number of applications, the content structure for different target segments, the cost, the percentage of paid users to the total number, the number of downloads, and profit. Based on the study of trends in the development of digital distribution of mobile applications, it was determined that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which acted as a catalyst for the rapid growth of the popularity of some applications or games, as of 2024, the number of downloads has stabilized and, at some point, even declined. During the analyzed period, there is a significant advantage in the number of downloads through the Google Play platform. It was found that the number of offers on the two main platforms – the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store – decreased in a certain period (2018-2020) due to quality optimization and the reduction of low-quality products, and in the next period (2021-2023) it showed a gradual, slower growth. It can be considered as a certain paradox that, despite the higher price tags in the Google Play Store, their main competitor – the Apple App Store – still shows significantly better indicators of profit from sales, at the same time in a more balanced proportion between the categories of games and applications. This is partly because the Apple App Store is a more popular platform in high-income regions such as Japan and the United States, which tend to spend more on apps. At the same time, Google Play Store’s biggest markets are India, Southeast Asia, and South America, which typically generate lower revenue per user.
Keywords: digital distribution, Apple App Store, Google Play Store, mobile applications, market analysis.
JEL: С19, L86.
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