Apple Ads and Google Ads Remain Leaders in the Gaming Segment, but the Competition Is Catching Up
Google Ads and Apple Ads remain at the top of the mobile advertising market, while AppLovin, Mintegral, Meta and TikTok are catching up in both the gaming and non-gaming sectors, according to the 2025 AppsFlyer Performance Index.
AppsFlyer has published its 2025 Performance Index. This year's edition marks the tenth anniversary of the industry report, which compares and ranks the leading sources in mobile advertising. The report is based on global data from 16.2 billion app installations and 9.6 billion remarketing conversions across more than 39,000 apps. The results reveal that the mobile ecosystem is becoming increasingly competitive, with advertising budgets becoming more concentrated.
Apple Ads remains the leading media source in the world of iOS gaming. However, AppLovin is closing the gap and is in the lead in Tier 1 regions such as North America and Western Europe. Apple Ads maintains its leading position in non-gaming on iOS. It is followed by Meta Ads, TikTok for Business, Google Ads and Snapchat.
Google Ads remains number one in Android gaming. AppLovin, Mintegral and rewarded platforms such as adjoe are experiencing substantial growth. In the Android non-gaming sector, Google Ads tops the rankings, followed by Meta Ads in second place. TikTok for Business ranks third. Google Marketing Platform and Snapchat have climbed to fourth and fifth place respectively, having made considerable improvements in retention quality.
In 2025, iOS was the main driver of the global trend for increased advertising expenditure, while Android recorded above-average growth, particularly among the most powerful providers and in the upper market segment. At the same time, budgets continued to be concentrated at the top. 60% of the top five global media sources and 80% of those ranked sixth to tenth recorded year-on-year growth in spending. For those ranked 11 to 20, however, this figure was just 30%.
"The tenth Performance Index clearly shows just how much the mobile advertising landscape has changed over this period. What was once a fragmented field is now dominated by a few large platforms, driven by rising expectations for creative performance and an increasing emphasis on trust." - Shani Rosenfelder, AppsFlyer's Director of Market Insights
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