2021 saw the app ecosystem grow in installs and sessions industrywide, with the fintech, e-commerce and gaming verticals emerging as standouts and seeing their highest in-app revenue months on record.
“Despite the challenges of the past year, the mobile app ecosystem has continued to thrive, demonstrating how robust and adaptable the app marketing industry is,” said Simon Dussart, CEO of Adjust.
He added that to meet users where they are, it’s imperative for marketers and UA teams to lean into data-driven strategies to improve retention, and continue to find, attribute, and measure new and existing audiences.
Key takeaways
Fintech app installs and sessions are increasing globally by 34% and 53% YoY, respectively.
- Stock trading and crypto apps made up 7% and 2% of all fintech app installs, respectively, but accounted for 17% and 6% of sessions. Crypto apps also had the longest average session length in 2021 at over 15 minutes.
- Regionally, APAC saw YoY increase of 29%, well behind North America (695) and LATAM (62%), but ahead of EMEA (16%).
- In-app revenue for fintech apps steadily and consistently trended upward from January 2020 through December 2021, with March 2021 the highest performing month.
Mobile e-commerce is stronger than ever with e-commerce app installs growing by 12% YoY in 2021, and November ranking as the top-performing month at 20% above the yearly average.
- The two most notable markets for growth were EMEA and LATAM, which saw 18% and 14% YoY growth, respectively.
- May 2021 was the biggest year ever tracked by Adjust for e-commerce in-app revenue, which posted a 46% YoY increase in 2021 globally.
- Marketplace apps saw significantly better retention rates than the rest of the e-commerce vertical, with Day 1 at 27% and Day 30 at 10%, versus 19% and 7% in 2020.
Hyper-casual is here to stay, making up the highest share of gaming installs (27%), while action games account for the largest proportion of sessions (30%).
- Global gaming installs in 2021 increased by 32% YoY, maintaining pandemic-fuelled growth from 2020, with H2 outperforming H1 by a further 12%.
- January 2021 accounted for the highest global in-app revenue month ever recorded by Adjust.
- Session lengths, sessions per user per day, and time spent in-app all increased in 2021.
Dussart noted that while 2022 will continue to pose challenges, it will be a year of opportunity, with the need and want for apps more pronounced than ever.
“Apps not only provide outstanding, globally leading entertainment formats and convenient ways to complete tasks and enhance our daily lives; they solve problems and empower users in markets all around the world,” he said.
