Average App Conversion Rate per Category [2020]
by
Candice Cheng
, Customer Success at AppTweak
App Market Insights
![Average App Conversion Rate per Category [2020]](https://apptweak-blog.imgix.net/images/2021/03/15/750x375-2.png?fit=crop&auto=format&q=65)
Most app developers and marketers refer to conversion rate (CVR) - the proportion of store visitors that download your app after viewing its page - as a key ASO metric to monitor. With AppTweak’s Conversion Rate Benchmark feature, you can easily find out the average conversion rates of apps in any category on the App Store and/or the Play Store.
For the App Store, you should also consider your install rate - the proportion of store visitors that download your app after seeing it elsewhere in the store. Unlike on Google Play, visitors on the App Store can download apps directly from search or browse results. As a result, the install rate demonstrates how well your app stands out in search and browse results.
Between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, AppTweak found that the average conversion rate across categories in the US was 33.7% on the App Store and 26.4% on the Google Play Store. The average install rate across all categories on the App Store was 3.6%.
Conversion rates and install rates vary widely between the different categories. In this blog, we provide the conversion rates and install rates (iOS only) of each major app category on the US App Store and Google Play Store. These insights are valuable in helping you choose the most relevant category that has the most potential to drive downloads to your app.
Optimize your app product page to boost your conversion rate
Conversion Rate Metrics on the App Store and Google Play
There are two metrics you should consider when analyzing your app store conversion rate:
- Conversion Rate (App Unit/Page Views): The percentage of users that download your app after viewing its page. This metric is used across the ASO community when referring to app store conversion rates. It can give you an idea of how well your app page convinces users to download your app.
- Install Rate (App Unit/Impressions): The percentage of users that download your app directly from the app store search or browse results, without clicking through to your app page. The install rate tells you how well your app stands out in the app store search/browse results.
Note: The App Unit is the number of first-time app purchases made on the app store (including both paid and free apps). Furthermore, on the App Store, it is possible to have a conversion rate greater than 100%. In this case, the number of first-time installs would exceed the number of app page views. This would indicate that most people download your app directly from the search or browse results, without visiting your app page first.
Discover how to optimize your app’s conversion rate and drive downloads!
Find App Store Conversion Rate Benchmarks on AppTweak
At AppTweak, we track millions of apps on a daily basis. As a result, we have a lot of data available to help compare your app’s conversion rate with other apps. Thanks to our Conversion Rate Benchmark feature, we can provide you with the average conversion rates per store, category, country, and channel (iOS).
On AppTweak, you can see average app conversion rates for each store, category, country, and channel (iOS). The first column shows the Click-Through Rate (page views/impressions); the second column shows the Conversion Rate (app units/page views); the third column shows the Install Rate (app units/impressions).
Learn more about AppTweak’s conversion rate benchmark feature.
Average Conversion Rate on the App Store:
In 2020, the average conversion rate in the US Apple App Store was 33.7%. However, this figure fluctuated greatly between categories and should therefore be handled with caution. For instance, the highest average conversion rate was observed in the Weather category, with an average CVR of 76.9%. On the other hand, we saw the lowest average conversion rate in the Food & Drink category, with an average CVR of 7.6%.
The average conversion rate on the US App Store was 33.7%. However, this metric varied widely between different categories. Source: www.apptweak.com - January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020.
| Category | Average Conversion Rate (US App Store) |
|---|---|
| Weather | 76.9% |
| Games - Music | 69.2% |
| Medical | 63.6% |
| Utilities | 63.3% |
| Games - Trivia | 59.9% |
| Music | 57.8% |
| Productivity | 57.0% |
| Shopping | 56.5% |
| Magazines & Newspapers | 52.5% |
| Navigation | 52.0% |
| Social Networking | 51.6% |
| Business | 50.1% |
| Reference | 49.1% |
| News | 48.4% |
| Games - Racing | 43.5% |
| Health & Fitness | 42.8% |
| Finance | 39.8% |
| Lifestyle | 37.6% |
| Books | 33.6% |
| Education | 32.9% |
| Games - Sports | 30.1% |
| Sports | 24.9% |
| Games - Adventure | 20.2% |
| Photo & Video | 17.6% |
| Entertainment | 14.7% |
| Games - Simulation | 13.6% |
| Games - Casual | 13.1% |
| Games - Puzzle | 12.0% |
| Games - Family | 11.6% |
| Games - Action | 11.5% |
| Travel | 10.8% |
| Games - Word | 10.4% |
| Games - Board | 9.6% |
| Games - Card | 9.3% |
| Games - Role Playing | 8.5% |
| Games - Strategy | 8.3% |
| Games - Casino | 8.3% |
| Food & Drink | 7.6% |
| AVERAGE | 33.7% |
Average Conversion Rate on the Google Play Store:
In 2020, the average conversion rate on the US Google Play Store was 26.4% and thus lower than the average CVR on the App Store (33.7%). The Business category had the highest average conversion rate (58%), while the Casino Games category had an average CVR of only 11.1% on the Google Play Store.
The average conversion rate on the Google Play Store in the US was 26.4%. However, this metric varied widely between different categories. Source: www.apptweak.com - January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020.
| Category | Average Conversion Rate (US Google Play Store) |
|---|---|
| Business | 58.0% |
| Education | 42.0% |
| Family - Education | 37.7% |
| Productivity | 37.3% |
| Art & Design | 36.5% |
| Family - Pretend Play | 34.9% |
| Transportation | 34.9% |
| Tools | 34.9% |
| Maps & Navigation | 34.8% |
| Photography | 34.2% |
| Games - Educational | 33.9% |
| Music & Audio | 32.6% |
| Finance | 32.4% |
| Communication | 31.2% |
| Health & Fitness | 29.9% |
| Weather | 29.6% |
| Games - Casual | 28.9% |
| Games - Racing | 27.1% |
| Games - Sports | 25.7% |
| Dating | 25.6% |
| Games - Arcade | 24.2% |
| Games - Simulation | 24.0% |
| Games - Card | 23.6% |
| Video Players | 22.5% |
| Games - Board | 20.4% |
| Games - Role playing | 19.8% |
| Games - Action | 19.2% |
| Books & Reference | 18.9% |
| Family - Brain Games | 18.7% |
| Personalization | 17.9% |
| Games - Adventure | 17.6% |
| Games - Puzzle | 17.6% |
| Social | 17.4% |
| Entertainment | 16.8% |
| Games - Word | 16.2% |
| Lifestyle | 16.0% |
| Games - Strategy | 13.5% |
| Travel and Local | 11.3% |
| Games - Casino | 11.1% |
| AVERAGE | 26.4% |
Average Install Rate on the App Store:
In 2020, the average install rate on the US App Store was 3.6% - on average, 3.6% of users downloaded your app after seeing it in App Store search or browse results.
The install rate can vary between categories. From search or browse results, apps in the Shopping category converted store visitors at the highest rate of 9.9%, while apps in the Magazines & Newspapers category had the lowest install rate (0.4%).
The average app install rate on the US App Store was 3.6%. However, this metric varied widely between different categories. Source: www.apptweak.com - January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020.
| Category | Average Install Rate (US App Store) |
|---|---|
| Shopping | 9.9% |
| Finance | 8.9% |
| Utilities | 7.4% |
| Reference | 6.2% |
| Business | 6.1% |
| Lifestyle | 6.0% |
| Productivity | 6.0% |
| Music | 5.6% |
| Medical | 5.6% |
| Social Networking | 4.9% |
| Weather | 4.7% |
| Travel | 4.5% |
| Games - Music | 4.4% |
| Games - Trivia | 4.0% |
| Navigation | 3.7% |
| Games - Racing | 3.5% |
| Photo & Video | 3.5% |
| News | 3.5% |
| Food & Drink | 3.4% |
| Games - Casino | 3.3% |
| Games - Sports | 3.1% |
| Health & Fitness | 3.0% |
| Entertainment | 2.6% |
| Games - Casual | 2.6% |
| Sports | 2.5% |
| Education | 2.2% |
| Games - Word | 2.1% |
| Books | 2.1% |
| Games - Puzzle | 1.9% |
| Games - Simulation | 1.9% |
| Games - Card | 1.6% |
| Games - Action | 1.4% |
| Games - Adventure | 1.3% |
| Games - Strategy | 1.1% |
| Games - Role Playing | 0.9% |
| Games - Family | 0.7% |
| Games - Board | 0.7% |
| Magazines & Newspapers | 0.4% |
| AVERAGE | 3.6% |
TLDR
What were the average conversion rates and install rates on the App Store and Google Play Store in 2020?
Between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, AppTweak found that:
- The average conversion rate (CVR) across all categories on the US App Store was 33.7%
- The average CVR across all categories on the US Google Play Store was 26.4%
- The average install rate across all categories on the US App Store was 3.6%
- Conversion rates and install rates varied greatly between categories
- On the App Store, the Weather category had the highest CVR (76.9%) and the Food & Drink category had the lowest (7.6%)
- On the Google Play Store, the Business category had the highest CVR (58%) and the Casino Games category had the lowest (11.1%)
- On the App Store, the Shopping category had the highest install rate (9.9%) and the Magazines & Newspapers category had the lowest (0.4%)
With AppTweak’s Conversion Rate Benchmarks, you can compare your conversion rates, install rates, and click-through rates with other apps in your industry! Sign up for a free trial to discover how AppTweak can help you monitor vital ASO metrics.
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