The latest articles on DEV Community by Kaifi Asif (@kaifiasif). https://dev.to/kaifiasif https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F286091%2F022ac04d-de51-4f40-ba53-0ecdd39fe65a.jpg https://dev.to/kaifiasif en Kaifi Asif Sun, 15 Nov 2026 09:33:29 +0000 https://dev.to/kaifiasif/where-new-iphone-apps-earn-before-they-have-reviews-data-from-200-launches-41e0 https://dev.to/kaifiasif/where-new-iphone-apps-earn-before-they-have-reviews-data-from-200-launches-41e0 <p>If you're picking an app to build next year, it helps to look at where brand-new apps are already earning. Big names with millions of ratings don't count here.</p> <p>I pulled every iPhone app released between 16 August and 15 November 2026 (142,506 of them) and read the 200 with the highest estimated monthly revenue. 83 are games. The other 117 are more interesting, because most of them are tiny.</p> <blockquote> <p>These are estimates, not bank statements. I pulled them from appsout's catalog on 15 November 2026.</p> </blockquote> <h2> The column that matters </h2> <div class="table-wrapper-paragraph"><table> <thead> <tr> <th>Category</th> <th>Apps in top 200</th> <th>Est. revenue a month</th> <th>Under 500 ratings</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Entertainment</td> <td>12</td> <td>$1.28M</td> <td>8</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Photo &amp; Video</td> <td>11</td> <td>$1.28M</td> <td>10</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Productivity</td> <td>5</td> <td>$1.12M</td> <td>4</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Music</td> <td>18</td> <td>$1.07M</td> <td>18</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Utilities</td> <td>7</td> <td>$709K</td> <td>5</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Shopping</td> <td>7</td> <td>$606K</td> <td>7</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Graphics &amp; Design</td> <td>12</td> <td>$555K</td> <td>11</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Social Networking</td> <td>3</td> <td>$550K</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lifestyle</td> <td>5</td> <td>$414K</td> <td>3</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Developer Tools</td> <td>6</td> <td>$322K</td> <td>6</td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div> <p>Look at the last column. When almost every earner in a category has under 500 ratings, new apps are still getting in.</p> <h2> Four patterns </h2> <p><strong>Music tools people pay for up front.</strong> All 18 music apps have under 500 ratings, and 17 of them charge before you open them ($1.99 to $29.99). M8 Music Tracker costs $29.99 and is estimated at about $106K a month with 115 ratings.</p> <p><strong>Cameras that sell a look.</strong> 10 of the 11 Photo &amp; Video apps have under 500 ratings. ROLLIE'S: 35mm Film Camera ($6.99) is estimated at about $140K a month with 47 ratings.</p> <p><strong>Small developer tools.</strong> All 6 Developer Tools apps have under 500 ratings. Airswitch is free and estimated at about $75K a month with 10 ratings.</p> <p><strong>Creative tools with one job.</strong> 11 of the 12 Graphics &amp; Design apps have under 500 ratings. AltoPaint: Oil &amp; Watercolor ($5.99) is estimated at about $72K a month.</p> <h2> What this doesn't tell you </h2> <p>This only shows the apps that made it to the top. It can't show the ones in the same niches that earned nothing. Read it as a map of what is selling, not as your odds.</p> <p>The full write-up, with more apps per niche and the method, is here: <a href="https://www.appsout.app/blog/app-ideas-2027" rel="noopener noreferrer">App ideas for 2027, from apps earning right now</a>. If you want to test a specific idea first, I also wrote <a href="https://www.appsout.app/blog/validate-app-idea" rel="noopener noreferrer">how to check an app idea before you build it</a>.</p> ios startup indiehackers mobile