# How do mobile games make money?
Source page: https://dfygames.com/guides/how-mobile-games-make-money (published 2026-10-17, updated 2026-10-19) · Topic: Buying a game
Cite as: DFY Games, "How do mobile games make money?", updated 2026-10-19, https://dfygames.com/guides/how-mobile-games-make-money

**Quick answer:** Most free mobile games earn from two sources: ads, which pay per eligible served impression (at a $10 eCPM, one cent per ad, though rates vary widely by country and format), and optional in-app purchases such as coins, power-ups and remove-ads, bought by a small share of players. Monthly revenue is roughly active players × what each player is worth in ads and purchases, minus the stores' fee on purchases, and finding those players has its own acquisition cost.

- Mobile-game in-app purchase revenue, 2025: About $82 billion
- Mobile players worldwide, 2025: 3.0 billion
- One ad view at a $10 eCPM: 1 cent
- Store fee on purchases: 15% small developers · 30% standard

## Ads: paid per view

Ad networks pay by eCPM, the earnings per 1,000 ads shown. At a $10 eCPM, one ad pays the game's owner 1 cent; rates vary by country, ad format and time of year.

- Rewarded ads: the player chooses to watch for a reward (an extra life, a hint, double coins). They usually pay best and players like them.
- Interstitial ads: full-screen ads at natural breaks, such as between levels. Google's guidance is to place them at transition points, never mid-action.
- Banners: small, always-on, low-paying; many games drop them for a cleaner screen.

Sources: Google AdMob, "Interstitial ad guidance" https://support.google.com/admob/answer/6066980?hl=en

## In-app purchases: a few players pay more

- Consumables: coins, gems, extra moves, power-ups.
- Permanent unlocks: remove ads, skins, characters, level packs.
- Passes and subscriptions: a season pass or VIP perks.

Only a small share of players ever buy, so purchases work best on top of ads: ads earn from eligible served impressions across the player base, purchases from the most engaged. Store fees on purchases are commonly 15% or 30% depending on the program, region and transaction type; check Apple's and Google's current terms for your account.

Sources: Apple Developer, "App Store Small Business Program" https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/; Google Play Console Help, "Service fees" https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622?hl=en

## A worked example: what a small game can earn in a month

An illustrative hybrid game (an assumption set, not a forecast or a typical result): 10,000 installs in a month, 35% of them active, each seeing 30 ads at a $10 eCPM, and 3% buying something for $15.

| Step | Result |
| --- | --- |
| Active players | 3,500 |
| Ad revenue | $1,050 |
| In-app purchases (gross) | $1,575 |
| Gross revenue | $2,625 |
| Store fee (15% of purchases) | −$236 |
| After store fees | $2,389 |

> Illustrative math, not evidence: Every input in this example is an assumption chosen to show how the sum works. It is not a forecast, a typical result or data from any real game, and it should not be quoted as what a game earns.

Change any assumption in the [monetization lab](https://dfygames.com/#monetization-lab) on the home page. Real results depend on the game, its retention and how players find it.

## Which figures on this page are evidence and which are illustration

| Figure | Type | Where it comes from |
| --- | --- | --- |
| About $82 billion mobile-game in-app purchase revenue in 2025 | Market evidence | Sensor Tower, State of Gaming 2026 |
| 3.0 billion mobile players in 2025 | Market evidence | Newzoo, 2025 market report |
| 15% and 30% store fees on purchases | Published platform terms | Apple App Store Small Business Program and Google Play service fees |
| 1 cent per ad view at a $10 eCPM | Arithmetic example | The definition of eCPM; real rates vary by country, format and season |
| The monthly hybrid game example | Illustration | An assumption set used by our monetization lab; no real game's data |

Sources: Sensor Tower, "State of Gaming 2026 press release" https://sensortower.com/press/press-release-sensor-tower-state-of-gaming-gaming-drove-52-billion-downloads-82b-iap-revenue-on-mobile-and-12b-premium-revenue-on-steam; Newzoo, "Global games market to hit $189B in 2025" https://newzoo.com/articles/global-games-market-189-billion-2025; Apple Developer, "App Store Small Business Program" https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/; Google Play Console Help, "Service fees" https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622?hl=en

## What makes one mobile game earn more than another

- Retention: players who come back see more ads and are likelier to buy. Market data points to retention and monetization, not raw installs, as the growth levers.
- Reward moments: a rewarded ad offered exactly when the player is stuck earns more than one offered at random.
- A store page that converts: screenshots that show the fun in one glance.
- Finding players: organic search on the stores plus short-video ads.

Sources: Sensor Tower, "State of Gaming 2026 press release" https://sensortower.com/press/press-release-sensor-tower-state-of-gaming-gaming-drove-52-billion-downloads-82b-iap-revenue-on-mobile-and-12b-premium-revenue-on-steam; Sensor Tower, "State of Mobile 2026" https://sensortower.com/blog/state-of-mobile-2026

## How each game genre makes money

| Genre | Main revenue |
| --- | --- |
| [Sort puzzle](https://dfygames.com/games/sort-puzzle) | Rewarded hint, jar styles |
| [Endless runner](https://dfygames.com/games/endless-runner) | Revive ad, skins |
| [Idle tycoon](https://dfygames.com/games/idle-tycoon) | Boosters, starter pack |
| [Merge](https://dfygames.com/games/merge) | Energy, bundles |
| [Arcade sports](https://dfygames.com/games/arcade-sports) | Skins, retry ad |
| [Tower defense](https://dfygames.com/games/tower-defense) | Heroes, upgrades |
| [Cozy simulation](https://dfygames.com/games/cozy-sim) | Decor packs, currency |
| [Word game](https://dfygames.com/games/word-trivia) | Hints, ad-free |
| [Block puzzle](https://dfygames.com/games/block-puzzle) | Rewarded continue, themes |
| [Space shooter](https://dfygames.com/games/space-shooter) | Ship upgrades, revive ad |
| [Arcade racer](https://dfygames.com/games/racing) | Cars, paint, boosts |
| [Pixel platformer](https://dfygames.com/games/platformer) | Premium worlds, skins |
| [Hero battler RPG](https://dfygames.com/games/rpg) | Hero unlocks, battle pass |
| [Cooking rush](https://dfygames.com/games/cooking) | Kitchen upgrades, boosters |

## FAQ

**How much does a mobile game make per ad?**
It depends on country, ad format and season. Networks pay by eCPM, the earnings per 1,000 eligible ads served, so a $10 eCPM works out to 1 cent per ad; rewarded ads tend to pay more than banners, and many impressions earn far less.

**How many players does a mobile game need to make money?**
There is no fixed number: revenue is active players × value per player. In our illustrative hybrid model, 3,500 active players a month gross about $2,625 before store fees; real results vary widely.

**Do free mobile games make more money than paid games?**
Free-to-play is the dominant model on mobile because free games get far more installs; they earn through ads and in-app purchases, while paid games trade reach for an upfront price.

**How much do Apple and Google take from in-app purchases?**
15% for most developers earning under $1 million a year (after enrolling in the stores' small-developer programs) and 30% standard; Google's terms vary by country.

**Can I own a mobile game without knowing how to code?**
Yes. You can commission a game and own the finished work: DFY Games builds the game, sets up ads and purchases and prepares the store listing, from $499.

## Related
- Service page: [Mobile game development](https://dfygames.com/games)


## Sources
- Google AdMob, "Interstitial ad guidance" https://support.google.com/admob/answer/6066980?hl=en
- Apple Developer, "App Store Small Business Program" https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/
- Google Play Console Help, "Service fees" https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622?hl=en
- Sensor Tower, "State of Gaming 2026 press release" https://sensortower.com/press/press-release-sensor-tower-state-of-gaming-gaming-drove-52-billion-downloads-82b-iap-revenue-on-mobile-and-12b-premium-revenue-on-steam
- Newzoo, "Global games market to hit $189B in 2025" https://newzoo.com/articles/global-games-market-189-billion-2025
- Sensor Tower, "State of Mobile 2026" https://sensortower.com/blog/state-of-mobile-2026

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