Non-gaming apps have generated more in-app purchase (IAP) revenue than mobile games since 2016, according to a new report from AppMagic marking the company’s 10th anniversary. The analysis covers the past decade and points to platforms such as TikTok and AI chatbots as drivers of the shift.
TikTok has been the top-grossing app each year since 2020, while ChatGPT was the world’s most-downloaded app in 2025. Among games, TiMi Studio Group’s Honor of Kings and Garena’s Free Fire featured prominently in the report’s charts from 2016 to 2026.
Honor of Kings has ranked first in IAP revenue in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2026. It earned $830 million in its 2017 debut year and surpassed $1.1 billion in 2026, according to AppMagic.
Free Fire led the download charts, recording 272 million installs in 2019, 225 million in 2021, 269 million in 2024 and 221 million in 2026. AppMagic said the game generated no revenue at launch but has since earned $3.3 billion.
The report also highlighted differing relationships between downloads and revenue. Among Us recorded 930 million downloads and $52 million in revenue, while Umamusume generated $1.6 billion from 19 million downloads.
AppMagic said only a small number of top-grossing games continue to grow their revenue. From January to October this year, Micro Fun’s Gossip Harbor: Merge & Story increased revenue by 95% year over year. Century Games’ Kingshot grew by 126%, while Honor of Kings was up 5%.
Sources: GamesIndustry.biz.