How Much Is My App Worth and How Do I Sell It? — SitePoint (2024)

How Much Is My App Worth and How Do I Sell It? — SitePoint (1)

So you’ve built an awesome app that has been downloaded from the app store bazillions of times. Congratulations! But now you want to move on — you don’t have time to maintain it, some other projects are calling out to you, or something else has happened that means you can no longer give it the love it deserves. What do you do?

Why don’t you sell it?

Why not get your reward for all the effort you put in to build the app and grow the customer base to where it is now, and let someone else give it what it needs to flourish in future?

Here at Flippa we have facilitated thousands of app sales over the years, and we have thousands of active buyers who may be looking for an app exactly like yours!

The goal of this post is to share the benefit of that experience with you, to help you better understand what your app might be worth and how you could sell it.

How Much Is My App Worth?

The value of your app is the largest sum any one individual is willing to pay for it. If you’re thinking that’s not very helpful, we’re not finished yet! Please read on.

Valuation Type #1: Cash is King!

Have you heard that saying before? It’s certainly true for app valuation — whilst not the only consideration, your net cash flow is probably the most important one.

The only way to work out your net cash flow is to sum up all the cash generated by your app, and subtract all related expenses. Cash generated may include download fees. Costs may include costs to update & maintain the app, licensing costs, app store fees, and so on.

Be sure to include all your costs! For example, if you as the owner/developer spend your own time maintaining the app, that is a cost a new owner will need to incur (either in their own time or in paying someone else to do it), so it should be included.

Once you know your net cash flow, the next step is to convert that into a value for your app. Welcome to the world of valuation using multiples. Pay close attention — this will be your friend (and sometimes, your foe) for any business you ever sell or buy.

Let’s say your app generates $100,000 in net cash flow per year. The “multiple” can vary widely depending on a range of factors, however for the vast majority of apps the multiple will be around 2x – 3x. So your app would be worth somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000. Not bad, right?

The factors that impact your multiple include:

  • Growth prospects: if your app has grown consistently and is still on an upward trajectory, and has plenty of opportunities for future growth, you could expect a higher multiple
  • Genre/niche: some are considered by buyers to be more valuable than others, based on competition, regulation, growth prospects (again) and other factors
  • Proven marketing strategy: how do you market your app? Is that sustainable? What opportunities are there for a buyer to invest and grow customer acquisition even further?
  • Time commitment: how much time do you spend on your app? (this one’s a biggie amongst our buyers)

Valuation Type #2: Comparable Sales!

This one is pretty simple … what have similar apps sold for?

The trick here is how to define “similar,” and generally speaking the same factors that go into assessment of a multiple also apply here — growth prospects, genre/niche, marketing strategy, time commitment — as well as a few other considerations such as net cash flow and number of downloads per week/month.

You can look at some of the recent sales here.

Remember that every business is different, so just because Angry Birds sold for $10 million doesn’t mean that your Angry Meerkats app will sell for the same amount!

These two are by far the most common approaches used on our platform. They are not the only two ways to value a business, however they are a great place to start and we would strongly recommend using them for all but the biggest and most complex businesses.

All this goes to what you, as a seller, can expect a buyer to pay for your app. However, it is important to remember that the true value of your app is the largest sum any one individual is willing to pay for it.

How Do I Sell It?

You should now have an idea of what your app is worth, and therefore what sort of price you would be willing to accept for it. From here on out, it’s all about your sales pitch.

Your mission should be getting maximum exposure. The more exposure you get for your listing, the higher the likelihood of finding the buyer who is willing to pay the largest sum for your app.

It’s now time to get Flippa involved. Flippa is the #1 marketplace for buying and selling digital businesses. We are well-established and have been in the market for several years now. We get more than a million visits each month and our user database has over a million potential buyers and sellers. A good listing generally gets snapped up quickly, making our sellers and buyers very happy!

We have made the selling process very easy and it works like this:

How Much Is My App Worth and How Do I Sell It? — SitePoint (2)

Rules of the Road Towards the Highest Multiple

Rule #1: The most important thing to remember is do not mislead. This never ends well. In the end, the buyer will find out and it is likely that you will end up not selling.

Rule #2: If you have had a bad few months from a profit point of view, be honest. Tell the buyers what happened, what you have learnt from it and how they can avoid the same situation.

Rule #3: Backup all your claims (revenue, costs and profit) with evidence! You don’t need to trust a stranger and they don’t need to trust you!

If you’re ready to sell your app or want to get started with your research, come and check out Flippa, the #1 marketplace for buying and selling websites and apps.

Happy selling!

How Much Is My App Worth and How Do I Sell It? — SitePoint (2024)

FAQs

How do you calculate the value of an app? ›

Number of Users x (User Lifetime Value [LTV] - Customer Acquisition Cost [CAC]) This formula will give you the total value of your app's user base. The average lifetime value [LTV] of a user is the average amount of money they will spend using your product or services.

How much should I sell my app for? ›

To cut right to the chase: apps typically sell for 12X – 36X the app's monthly profit. To calculate your app's profit, take the gross revenue and subtract all expenses that directly contribute to generating that revenue.

How much does the average app sell for? ›

The average revenue per app download varies significantly but the average is $0.60 to $1.20. How much money do dating apps make?

How much is an app idea worth? ›

1) How Much Is an App Idea Worth? The worth of an app idea solely depends on the execution done on your app idea. If you don't act upon the app idea, the value is $0, but if you gather a team and work towards making it a reality, it can even reach a million-dollar value, e.g. Angry Birds, Tinder, Uber, etc.

What makes an app valuable? ›

A good app should be user-friendly, responsive, consistent, secure, and add unique value to the user.

How much is an app with 1 million users worth? ›

I've recently learned that apps with 1 million active users can get $10k+ a day. There are thousands of apps on the app store with 10 million + downloads/ millions of active users.

How should I sell my app? ›

How to Sell an App Idea to a Company
  1. Put Your App Idea on the Paper. ...
  2. Do the research and analyze information: Know your market and your users. ...
  3. Create a Business Concept. ...
  4. Develop Your App. ...
  5. Launch and Grow Your App. ...
  6. Find potential investors and pitch them.
Oct 26, 2019

Can I sell an app idea? ›

You can sell an idea to a company without a patent, but you will need to get them to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to prevent them from stealing your idea. The NDA would limit the company's ability to use your idea without paying you for it.

How much do people pay for apps? ›

App prices usually range from $0.99 to $9.99. Once users pay, they own the app and all its features.

Does owning an app make money? ›

The majority of top-grossing apps combine ads with in-app purchases for revenue generation. Purchases of in-app resources, subscriptions, and freemium upsell are among the highest-earning monetization methods. Transaction fees, online sales, or sponsorships may complement these.

Do free apps make money? ›

In a nutshell, free applications make money from one of the following 8 most well-known monetization strategies: Advertising (via banner, video, native ad, interstitial ad, incentivized ad) Referral Marketing (Amazon) In-App Purchase & Freemium Model (PokemonGO)

How much can I make selling an app? ›

Let's understand this through the pattern of the current revenue potential of industry-leading apps. The apps that rank in the top 200 of the App Store generate about $82,500 in revenue per day. If you extend that bracket a bit and look at the revenues of the top 800 apps, the daily revenue will drop to about $3,500.

Do I patent my app idea? ›

Luckily, intellectual property law provides protection for your mobile app idea. Patent, trademark, and mobile app copyright or patent law can prevent other people from stealing your idea for an app. Businesses should patent an app idea to prevent others from developing, using, and selling it.

Can creating an app make you a millionaire? ›

Yes, you can become a millionaire by making an app. If you have an awesome app idea that is useful for millions of people around the world, chances are you will become an app millionaire in no time.

How much money does an app with 1,000 users make? ›

For 1000 daily usages, this is $2 per day. Generally 1 app download is at least 2 usages. So 1000 downloads is $4. The average revenue per app download is $0,004.

How many apps make a million dollars? ›

Nearly 1,000 App Publishers Earned $1 Million for the First Time in 2021.

How to get 100k app downloads? ›

10 Quick Tips To Get 100k App Downloads
  1. Leverage Popups. ...
  2. Localize in Multiple Languages. ...
  3. Think of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ...
  4. Consider App Store Optimization (ASO) ...
  5. Leverage Social Media. ...
  6. Get Positive Reviews. ...
  7. Write Clear App Title and Description. ...
  8. Press Release Your App.
Aug 10, 2022

Can I sell my app online? ›

Your app is an asset, and most assets can be monetized. One can make money with an app by putting a price tag for the download, offering a subscription, using one-time in-app purchases, or putting ads inside. One can also consider selling.

How to sell mobile app online? ›

The 5 Step Guide To Selling Mobile Apps From Scratch
  1. Step 1: Who Are You Selling To? ...
  2. Step 2: Research The Market. ...
  3. Step 3: Decide On Your Business Model & Price Point. ...
  4. Step 4: Choose Your Prospecting Method(s) ...
  5. Step 5: Closing The Sale. ...
  6. 33 Creative Ways to Promote Your App for Free (App Marketing Strategy)

Which app is big profit? ›

  • Roz Dhan. Roz Dhan is one of the most famous money making apps. ...
  • Meesho. Joining Meesho can assist you in becoming a businessman. ...
  • Task bucks. ...
  • Google Opinion Rewards. ...
  • Wonk. ...
  • MooCash. ...
  • Phonepe. ...
  • Sheroes.

What is the lowest App Store price? ›

To provide developers around the world with even more flexibility, price points — which will start as low as $0.29 and, upon request, go up to $10,000 — will offer an enhanced selection of price points, increasing incrementally across price ranges (for example, every $0.10 up to $10; every $0.50 between $10 and $50; ...

What is the highest and fastest paying app? ›

The Highest Paying Apps to Make Money Online
  • Rakuten ($40 signup bonus) ...
  • TopCashback. ...
  • Ibotta ($20 in sign up bonuses) ...
  • Drop. ...
  • Trim. ...
  • DoorDash. ...
  • Steady. Summary: Find gigs and money-making opportunities. ...
  • Instacart. Summary: Get paid to shop for groceries and deliver them to customers.
Apr 6, 2023

How do I sell my apps to Google? ›

Set up a sale
  1. Open Play Console and go to the App pricing page (Monetize > Products > App pricing).
  2. Select the Sales tab.
  3. Click Create sale.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to name your sale, set up the start and end date. ...
  5. Select which countries/regions will be targeted within the sale. ...
  6. Click Edit sale price.

How many apps make no money? ›

It is estimated that only 0.5% of apps make money.

This is something to consider if you are thinking of getting into the mobile app business. Though not impossible, it is very difficult to see a profit.

How long does it take to build an app? ›

The average time to develop an app with Discovery, Design & Development, and Pre-launch stages is around 7 - 12 months. We found out what stages it takes to develop an app and team size doesn't often mean a shorter app development timeline. However, there's always a way to speed up the process.

How much does it cost to make an app by yourself? ›

The tentative cost to build a mobile app is $40,000 to $150,000 and can exceed $300,000 in some cases. The keyword here is tentative because many factors like app type, functionality, complexity, selected vendor, and the development approach may influence it.

Is owning an app a business? ›

Yes, owning a mobile app business can be profitable. However, it is important to keep in mind that profitability depends on a number of factors, including the type of app you have created, your target market, and your marketing and advertising efforts.

Can an app make money without ads? ›

App developers can maximize revenue by exploring non-ad-based monetization strategies such as in-app purchases, subscriptions, brand partnerships, crowdfunding, data monetization, hybrid models, affiliate marketing, white-labeling, donations, and user-generated content while maintaining a positive user experience.

How do I protect my apps from being copied? ›

Seven steps to protect your app idea from being copied
  1. Build the app. ...
  2. Non-Disclosure & Non-competent agreement. ...
  3. Patent application. ...
  4. Trademark the app name or logo. ...
  5. Copyright the app. ...
  6. Get into business with right people. ...
  7. Don't infringe on other's work.
Feb 3, 2018

How much does a patent cost? ›

Need Help? A patent attorney will usually charge between $8,000 and $10,000 for a patent application, but the cost can be higher. In most cases, you should budget between $15,000 and $20,000 to complete the patenting process for your invention.

Should I patent my idea before selling? ›

You are not required to obtain a patent in order to sell a product or service embodying your invention. Many products and services are sold that are not patented. A U.S. patent provides the right to stop others from making marketing, selling, or importing your invention in the United States.

What do you call someone who creates apps? ›

A mobile app developer is a software professional who creates applications for smartphones and other mobile devices. This may include creating mobile versions of web or computer-based applications.

How to become rich by apps? ›

How to Get Rich from the Apps
  1. Selling the App. The simplest way to get rich from creating apps is by making a paid app. ...
  2. Subscription for Repeating Payments. To get rich from creating apps, some developers also charge their users a recurring fee when they use the apps. ...
  3. Paid Apps and Free Apps. ...
  4. Freemium Model.
Nov 29, 2022

What is the formula to calculate a value? ›

You can calculate the mean value by adding up the numbers and then dividing the result by the number of numbers.

How do you know if an app is free or how much it costs? ›

While installing the application from Google Play Store you see a green ‘Install’ button on the app, which means that the app is free, though it might include some in-app purchases, as per the features. On the other hand, when the green button has a cost marked on it, it means that it is a paid app.

How is value calculated? ›

The company value then is the assets minus the liabilities. For example, if a company has $4 million in assets and $2 million in liabilities, the company value here is $4 million - $2 million = $2 million. The market approach values a business according to the stock market.

How do you determine the value? ›

The value refers to the worth of each digit depending on where it lies in the number. We calculate it by multiplying the place value and face value of the digit.

What is total value? ›

Sum of all expenditure liable to be incurred (such as installation, consumables, breakdown, maintenance, and final disposal) plus the purchase price of an acquisition.

Do you make money if your app is free? ›

You can make money from a free app using the freemium model, which is similar to the subscription model. The main difference is that the app user can use the free app version with basic features without any time restrictions. But, to receive an advanced feature-rich app version, users must pay monthly or annual fees.

Do you get paid if your app is free? ›

Ads are the easiest and most common ways to make money from free apps. If you've downloaded any free app, chances are you've encountered all kinds of ads. In this app monetization model, you get paid every time a user views the ad, clicks on it, or installs a program directly from the advertisem*nt.

Should I charge for my app or make it free? ›

Get your advantage by undercutting competitors on the price. If your app is on the same level, selling it for a higher price won't do any good. However, if your app is more complex and advanced, you should charge more.

How do you calculate selling value? ›

Important Selling Price Formula
  1. Selling price = Cost Price + Profit.
  2. Selling price = Marked/List price – Discount.
  3. Selling price = (100+%Profit)/100 × Cost price.
  4. Selling price = (100− % Los)/100 × Cost price.

How much is my small business worth? ›

Add up the value of everything the business owns, including all equipment and inventory. Subtract any debts or liabilities. The value of the business's balance sheet is at least a starting point for determining the business's worth.

What are the three methods of valuation? ›

Three main types of valuation methods are commonly used for establishing the economic value of businesses: market, cost, and income; each method has advantages and drawbacks.

How do you identify place value and value? ›

Place value is the value of each digit in a number. For example, the 5 in 350 represents 5 tens, or 50; however, the 5 in 5,006 represents 5 thousands, or 5,000. It is important that children understand that while a digit can be the same, its value depends on where it is in the number.

What is the difference between value and place value? ›

Place value and face value are not the same. The face value of a digit is the value of the digit, whereas the place value of a digit is its place in the number. In simple words, the face value tells the actual value of the digit, whereas the place value tells the value of the digit based on its position.

What is the difference between place value and number value? ›

Place value is defined as the position that a digit occupies in a number, whereas, face value in Maths is the actual value of a digit in a number. For example, in 4538, the place value of 5 is 500 and the face value of 5 is 5 itself.

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