Apple’s App Store is starting to show clear signs of slowing growth in 2025, and the timing isn’t surprising. After regulatory changes in the European Union opened the door to alternative app marketplaces and more flexible payment terms for developers, the App Store’s once-steady momentum has cooled noticeably.
Fresh estimates from Sensor Tower highlight the shift: Apple’s year-over-year App Store spending growth dropped to 6 percent in November 2025. That’s down from 9 percent in October and 12 percent back in July, signaling a meaningful deceleration in consumer spending growth on the platform over just a few months.
One of the biggest drags is gaming, historically the App Store’s largest money-maker. Games account for about 44 percent of total App Store spending, but in November that category fell 2 percent year-over-year. That reversal stands out even more because gaming spending was still growing in October, up 3 percent year-over-year at the time. When the largest category turns negative, it tends to pull overall App Store growth down with it.
The slowdown also appears across Apple’s most important App Store markets. The top four geographies—the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada—make up roughly 52 percent of total spending, and each of them saw sequential declines in growth. In other words, this isn’t just a one-country issue or a temporary regional dip; the softness is showing up across the markets that matter most to overall App Store performance.
Even with near-term pressure on the App Store, expectations for Apple’s broader Services business remain more upbeat. Services revenue isn’t dependent on App Store commissions alone, and strength in subscription and payment-related offerings is still viewed as a stabilizing force. Areas such as iCloud+, AppleCare+, Apple Music, and Apple Pay are expected to help support continued Services growth even as App Store spending growth cools.
So what’s driving the App Store slowdown? Two major changes are reshaping the landscape.
First, Apple has been required to allow users in the European Union to install third-party app stores, following heightened antitrust scrutiny and the company’s classification as a “gatekeeper” under the EU Digital Markets Act. By making alternative app storefronts a practical option, Apple faces a more competitive distribution environment—one that can reduce the amount of spending flowing through its own marketplace.
Second, Apple has also allowed certain developers, starting in March 2024, to enroll in a modified structure that lets them pay a lower percentage of their app-related revenue to Apple. Lower take rates may be good for developers and competition, but they also reduce Apple’s ability to translate App Store activity into the same level of high-margin growth it once enjoyed.
Put together, increased competition from third-party app stores and reduced commission rates are weakening the App Store’s growth trajectory—both year-over-year and month-to-month. And with the regulatory environment continuing to evolve, this softer growth trend may be difficult for Apple to reverse quickly, especially as more users and developers test new distribution and payment options.
