Top Apps Used in Europe: What’s Trending in 2024

Europe's app market has witnessed significant shifts recently, with overall revenue soaring to new heights and mobile gaming taking center stage. As we dive into the latest trends on the top apps used in Europe, one thing is abundantly clear: the landscape is evolving rapidly. Keep reading to explore the trends shaping the European app ecosystem.

European App Market Trends

According to Statista, the European app market has been on a continuous incline. Revenue will rise through 2027 to reach more than $77.6 billion. Mobile revenue as a share of digital advertising will also grow at a continuous clip. From 2023 to 2028 mobile revenue will grow a total of 5.8 percentage points to reach almost 54%. This indicates that the majority of mobile revenue generated by the European app market by 2028 will be driven by digital advertising strategies.

European App Downloads

Last year, European app users downloaded over 16.6 billion mobile games, making it the most popular app category by far for users in the region. Photo and video apps were the second-highest most downloaded category of apps with approximately 1.83 billion downloads. The third-highest most downloaded categories of apps were utilities apps with over 1.57 billion downloads.

Mobile app downloads in Europe in 2023, by category (in millions)

Source: Statista

Mobile Game Apps in Europe

As top apps used in Europe, the mobile games market in Europe is projected to reach a revenue of $8.23 billion in 2024. This revenue is expected to grow at a 6.71% CAGR to reach $10 billion by 2027. By 2027, it’s projected that there will be 221.5 million european mobile game players. User penetration of the European mobile game market will reach over 26% by 2027 as well. The average revenue per user (ARPU) in Europe's mobile games market is also set to reach $41.16 this year.

By revenue Germany is the leading country in Europe’s mobile game market, with a strong focus in strategy and simulation genres. ARPU of players in Germany will reach $90.99 this year.

Top game apps used in Europe: A Snapshot

A Q1 2024 review of top real-time strategy (RTS) game apps among Android users in the European market gives a snapshot on the types of games that thrive in the region. Data from Sensor Tower.

1. We Are Warriors! (by Lessmore UG) As of Q1 2024, this popular war game strategy app saw a peak of nearly 600K downloads in January and a weekly active user (WAU) count of 1 million. In March, downloads dipped down to 85K, and WAUs also declined to around 643K. Revenue trends mirrored this rise and fall, initially spiking at $56K and then settling at around $32K by the end of March.
2. Mob Control (by VOODOO) Downloads also surged for this app in January to over 200K. WAUs rose to over 414K. Revenue remained stable, reaching over $52K in the final week of March.
3. Tower War - Tactical Conquest (by SayGames Ltd) This game peaked at 190K downloads in February and 630K Active Users. Revenue reached $26K in March
4. Stick War: Legacy (by Max Games Studios) While not a major revenue driver, this game started with 306K active user base at the beginning of the year which then dropped to 250K by the end of Q1. Downloads reached 81K in the last week of March.
5. Clash Royale (by Supercell) This game drove notable revenue, starting at $688K in January and revving down to $574K in early March. Downloads hovered around 78K by the end of March. However, weekly active users remained robust, with the quarter beginning at over 17M and closing at nearly 16M.

Food Takeaways Apps in Europe and The Value of App Retargeting

While some app categories — like mobile game apps — have seen continued growth in 2024 and following the pandemic, other categories, such as food takeaways apps, have faltered.

Top Takeaway Apps Used in Europe: A Snapshot

According to Sensor Tower, food takeaway apps in Europe have struggled to cement their growth since the pandemic. Across the three top apps used in Europe in terms of food takeaway, there has been an average of 13% decline in monthly active users (MAUs) since 2022. In contrast, grocery apps in Europe saw a 24% YoY increase in installs, indicating a spike in at-home cooking and dining.

• Top Takeaway Apps in Europe See Declines: As mentioned above, the three largest food delivery apps in Europe — Uber Eats, Just Eat Takeaway and Deliveroo — saw MAU growth fall by ~13%. This is in contrast to 12% growth in the previous year. Furthermore, installs of Just Eat Takeaway, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Foodpanda fell 30% YoY, collectively, in 2022.
• Top Grocery Apps in Europe See Gains: On the other hand, grocery apps saw installs grow 24%. This indicates the rise of customers dining at home in the face of rising inflation. It also highlights effective re-engagement strategies by grocery apps to retain customers via in-app coupons and promotions.

While food takeaway apps have been unable to retain their users (according to the data, both Uber Eats and Deliveroo saw a significant uptick in average user churn), grocery apps capitalized on declining consumer spending power with in-app promotions. Leveraging the power of in-app coupons, special deals and rewards programs, grocery apps have been able to enhance installs and retain their growth.

Takeaways

Europe's app market has witnessed significant shifts recently, with overall revenue reaching new heights and mobile games at the forefront of that growth.

• Mobile Revenue Surge: The European app market will exceed $77.6 billion by 2027, with digital advertising driving the majority of mobile revenue.
• Mobile Game Dominance: Mobile games reign supreme in Europe, with over 16.6 billion downloads in 2023 alone. Revenue from mobile games is set to surpass $8.23 billion in 2024.
• Key Players in European Gaming: Top gaming apps like "We Are Warriors!" and "Mob Control" are setting the benchmark, with millions of downloads and substantial revenue streams.
• Food Takeaway App Challenges: Food takeaway apps are facing headwinds, with a decline in monthly active users (MAUs) amidst growing competition and changing consumer behavior.
• Grocery App Resilience: In contrast, grocery apps are thriving, retargeting users with in-app promotions and rewards to retain them, driving a 24% increase in installs.

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