11 Mobile App Success Stories [2024]
Ever thought about turning that brilliant idea into a mobile app? It’s more feasible than you might think. Developing a mobile app involves creating a software application that can run on smartphones and tablets, catering to various user needs, from productivity tools to gaming.
Starting a mobile app business requires a clear vision, basic coding knowledge, or the ability to hire a skilled developer. Your primary tasks will include planning the user experience, designing engaging interfaces, and testing for functionality and bugs. Marketing your app effectively is crucial to attract users and achieve downloads.
Why should you consider this venture? Mobile apps have become an integral part of everyday life, offering immense opportunities for innovative solutions. With dedication and the right strategy, your app could gain significant traction and generate substantial revenue. If you have an idea that can solve a problem or entertain millions, the world of app development awaits.
In this list, you'll find real-world mobile app success stories and very profitable examples of starting a mobile app that makes money.
1. BACH ($6M/year)
Mike Petrakis, the Co-Founder and CEO of BACH, came up with the idea for the app when his lead investor presented it to him. After building successful e-commerce businesses and experiencing viral growth with a waitlist, Petrakis knew he was onto something big and decided to launch BACH, which has now grown to over $1M in net revenue and 40,000+ parties using the app.
How much money it makes: $6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1M
How many people on the team: 12
BACH, an app that plans and books bachelorette parties, has grown from $0 to >$1M net revenue run rate in less than 6 months, gained over 100,000 users in their first 60 days, and has over 40,000 parties using the app this month.
2. RipenApps Technologies ($1.8M/year)
After working in the IT field for a decade, Ishan Gupta realized that digitalization was the future and wanted to contribute at a larger scale. He partnered with three friends who had expertise in business consulting, IT and sales, and programming to launch RipenApps in 2017. Since then, they have grown from a team of 4 to 169+ and have delivered 500+ successful projects, resulting in a USD 1.5M turnover.
How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5M
How many people on the team: 169
RipenApps is a fast-growing mobile app development company with a 100% industry success rate, and in just four years, it experienced a high turnover rate of $1.5M and increased its team from four to 169+.
3. Wholesome Yum ($1.01M/year)
Maya started her healthy low-carb lifestyle in 2010 and was amazed at how fabulous it made me feel.
She had struggled with low energy, mood swings, anxiety, and sugar addiction since age 14, and eating this way made these issues virtually disappear.
In 2015, she decided to start a website to have a place to record these recipes – Wholesome Yum was born!
How much money it makes: $1.01M/year
How many people on the team: 8
Wholesome Yum helps health-conscious individuals with easy and delicious keto recipes, generating an impressive $84K per month and $1.01M per year, mostly from Pinterest and search engine traffic, offering valuable content and meal plan subscriptions to beginners of the ketogenic diet.
4. 1Page ($120K/year)
Pooran Prasad Rajanna came up with the idea for 1Page after experiencing the pain of preparing for sales meetings. He realized that salespeople spend too much time searching for information across various platforms, so he created a mobile app that delivers a customized summary of everything they need to know before a meeting. With over 25 integrations and partnerships with data providers such as Standard & Poor and Crunchbase, 1Page aims to help salespeople connect better with prospects and close deals.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $240K
How many people on the team: 8
1Page CEO and founder Pooran Prasad Rajanna developed a mobile app that helps salespeople search less and sell more by delivering customized one-page summaries for every meeting and call, with the aim of helping salespeople get enough information to help them closer on the deal.
5. Christian Hypnobirthing ($120K/year)
Tara Menzies, the creator of the Christian Hypnobirthing App, came up with the idea after experiencing anxiety and fear during her own pregnancy and difficult labor. As a Christian, she wanted a scripture-based alternative to traditional hypnobirthing methods. With no app-building or software background and limited funds, she used a free app-building platform and recorded the tracks herself to create an app that helps expecting mothers feel more relaxed and connected to God during pregnancy and birth.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 1
Tara Menzies created the Christian Hypnobirthing App, which has 5,000 downloads a month and average revenue of US$10K a month, to help expecting mamas feel more relaxed and connected to God throughout pregnancy and birth, and later expanded to include a childbirth education course.
6. Panda Wish ($90K/year)
Mohammed Khonizi came up with the idea for Panda Wish after struggling to book a massage while traveling in the Philippines. He saw the need for a platform that would make it easier for clients to request beauty and spa services, while also helping massage therapists earn a good income. After conducting market research and piloting the app in Naga City, it quickly gained traction and attracted hundreds of therapists and clients.
How much money it makes: $90K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
How many people on the team: 1
Panda Wish, an on-demand beauty and wellness platform, built by Mohammed Khonizi, a Wayne State University MBA graduate, earned over $7.5k per month, following its successful pilot in the Philippines in 2019.
7. Miventure ($60K/year)
Jason Crystal and Luiggi Pera founded Miventure based on their passion for democratizing investing and supporting early-stage startups. Initially focused on small business debt, they discovered a stronger market in investment crowdfunding, particularly in the friends and family round. Since launching their equity crowdfunding mobile app, Miventure has attracted over 2,000 potential investors and has 7 active campaigns with over $500,000 in funding capacity.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1M
How many people on the team: 3
Miventure, an equity crowdfunding app, has raised over $500,000 in funding from 2,000 potential investors since launching a month ago, with one campaign already reaching its minimum funding goal and six campaigns remaining active.
8. Finale To Do ($48K/year)
Grant Oganyan, founder of Finale To Do, came up with the idea after struggling to find a task management app that suited his needs. Inspired by his success with his first app, Finale: Daily Habit Tracker, Grant wanted to create a customizable and aesthetically pleasing task management app without the need for monthly subscriptions. After experiencing displacement due to the war in Russia, Grant fully invested himself in running his own business and has seen promising growth, with a 500% increase in users in the first month and monthly revenue of $4,000.
How much money it makes: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 2
Finale To Do is a mobile task management app that offers a highly customizable and aesthetically pleasing experience, boasting a $4,000/month net and gaining a 500% increase in users in its first month.
9. Purpur ($36K/year)
Elena Zaharova and Anfisa Savchenko leveraged their marketing expertise from a skincare company to launch Purpur, a therapy-game app that deepens relationships through conversation, after their printed card games generated over $300K in sales. With an app launch in spring, they aim for $3K monthly revenue by mid-October.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $7K
How many people on the team: 5
Purpur App, a therapy-game app to develop relationships through talking, generated over $300K in sales from printed card games and have launched a new app that has the potential to reach $3K monthly revenue by mid-October.
10. Lotus ($252/year)
Vadim, a software engineer, came up with the idea for his business, Lotus, while working as an open-source maintainer. He struggled to keep up with GitHub notifications and was inspired by the transformative email service, HEY, to create a similar tool for GitHub developers. Since launching last week, Vadim has already earned $261.74 and has been sharing his journey through a weekly newsletter to maintain accountability and keep readers updated on Lotus's development process.
How much money it makes: $252/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0
Lotus app creator Vadim shares the story of how he created a Mac app for managing GitHub notifications and earned $261.74 in his first week as an indie developer, through consistency, careful feature selection, and a powerful toolset including Excalidraw, Buttondown, and Vercel.
11. Sunnah Helper ($12/year)
Mammad, a full-time software engineer and practicing Muslim, noticed a lack of tools for setting up notifications for voluntary deeds in the Muslim community. With little time on his hands, he decided to create his own mobile application, Sunnah Helper, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Within three months, he released the app for both Android and iOS devices, receiving positive feedback and acquiring the first 100 downloads through word of mouth. Mammad plans to continue improving the app, adding more languages, and implementing widgets for iOS in the future.
How much money it makes: $12/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 1
Sunnah Helper is a multilingual mobile application that serves the Muslim community, offering notifications for voluntary and obligatory prayers and more, with AdMob monetization earning an estimated $4-5 per month and plans for iOS widget implementation.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
