When I introduced FoxData earlier, I promised some folks in the group that I’d also share a few other tools. These data platforms provide estimated app downloads and revenue — based on technical big-data modeling. The accuracy varies by provider, and it’s always a matter of which one gets closer to reality.
Many of the well-known platforms have now put revenue data behind paywalls. You have to upgrade to a paid membership to view that kind of info — and the pricing isn’t cheap either.
So, what can we do? The answer: stock up on a few free tools as backup.
Here are three platforms I’ve personally tested and found useful — all of which still let you check app earnings without spending a cent. I’ve highlighted them below:
I mentioned FoxData before, and right after the recommendation, someone from their operations team reached out to me on WeChat. Apparently, they haven’t done much domestic promotion, and were surprised we managed to discover and share it 😂.
As a developer, there’s no harm in registering accounts on all three platforms — they’re free anyway. But if you ask me which one offers better server response and a more seamless registration experience, especially from within mainland China, then AppMagic has a slight edge based on my tests. That said, these are small usability details.
According to a recent report from Appfigures, the number of apps on Google Play has dropped dramatically — from around 3.4 million to 1.8 million, a decrease of roughly 47%. Most of the removed apps fell into Google’s categories of low-quality, spammy, or policy-violating content.
That means if your app has low download volume and lacks standout features, it’s at real risk of being flagged and removed as “low quality.”
In contrast, the number of apps on the Apple App Store has seen a slight increase during the same period. As of April 2025, the year-over-year growth in newly published apps was about 7.1% — which shows that developers are still actively building for Google Play, despite the crackdown.
