The remote work boom appears to be stabilising, with app download growth slowing.
- Productivity app downloads have decreased by 12% year-on-year, while business app downloads see a minor dip of 0.26%.
- Despite a slowdown, top business and productivity apps continue to enjoy substantial download figures.
- Emerging apps such as Lopay and PDF Reader experience significant growth, contrasting with established app stabilisation.
- The differences in cost-per-acquisition rates highlight the competitive landscape within app categories.
The remote working trend that surged during the pandemic seems to be stabilising, as indicated by a slowdown in app downloads for productivity and business applications. According to a SplitMetrics study based on data from the App Radar platform, there is a noted 12% decrease in productivity app downloads, along with a marginal 0.26% decline in business app downloads compared to the previous year.
However, the download numbers for top business applications remain impressive, with LinkedIn, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, OfficeSuite, and Indeed collectively achieving hundreds of millions in downloads in 2023 alone. Specifically, LinkedIn boasts 249 million downloads, while Zoom has 126 million, showcasing their ongoing relevance in the professional world.
In the productivity domain, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Assistant, and Google Keep maintain their lead with billions of lifetime downloads, highlighting the persistent demand for digital productivity tools. For instance, Google Drive alone has accumulated over 10 billion downloads, further emphasising its essential role for users.
Emerging players show significant download growth, particularly Lopay and PDF Reader, which see increases of over 300% year-on-year. Such growth suggests potential niches within these categories that new applications can explore to regain momentum in a stabilising market.
A secondary study conducted by SplitMetrics on Apple Search Ads illustrates the business category’s competitive environment. Although it boasts a high Tap-Through Rate (TTR) of 12.44%, the high Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA) of $2.93 suggests fierce competition for user acquisition. Conversely, productivity apps enjoy a more cost-effective user acquisition landscape, with a CPA of $1.64.
The data indicates a stabilisation in remote work app downloads, prompting developers to innovate and refine strategies to capture user interest.
