Q: How to Compare Your Downloads and Revenue with Estimates in Competitor Intelligence

When getting started with <a href="https://appfigures.com/products/app-intelligence">Competitor Intelligence</a>, it’s good to get your bearings and understand how estimates in your specific corner of the app market match actual downloads and revenue. Appfigures uses sophisticated models and millions of data points of training to estimate how many downloads iOS and Android apps get all around the world. We do that while maintaining a strict privacy policy where private data (that's what you see in your own reports) is only ever used to help calibrate our estimation models and is never used for anything else. Our models are calibrated to produce estimates with a very low error rate, but as with all estimates, they fluctuate based on various things—from the day of the week to how popular the app is. We measure error rates using the industry-standard <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_absolute_percentage_error">MAPE </a>or Median Absolute Percent Error, and have an error rate between 5% (best case) and 25% (worst case). <a href="https://help.appfigures.com/en/article/how-appfigures-estimates-downloads-and-revenue-for-ios-and-android-apps-na7a2h/">Learn more about how we estimate downloads and revenue</a> Such low error rates mean that our estimates will get very close to real-world numbers, close enough to answer important questions to help you grow your downloads. And with our privacy-first approach, we will never compromise your private data in the process. If they don’t, beyond the 5% - 25% e

Question 1

How Appfigures Estimates Downloads and Revenue for iOS and Android Apps

Accepted Answer

Every day, Appfigures estimates data for millions of iOS and Android apps to provide app makers, marketers, investors, and analysts with unparalleled visibility into the mobile market.

When estimating, we have two critical focuses: accuracy and privacy.

Accuracy is essential because we know our members rely on our Intelligence data to make real-world decisions. Whether it's spending on ads to beat a competitor, investing in a new game developer, or choosing an app idea to focus on, the data you use will make (or break) your potential for success.
Privacy is important to us because we know that we can produce accurate estimates without using any data that can identify its owner or give a competitor any information they can't have otherwise.

We're obsessed with both, and that's why so many app and game developers, marketers, analysts, investors, and journalists rely on our app intelligence every day.

*Not using App Intelligence yet? Check out what we have to offer, and see our insights in action

${color}[#000000](High Accuracy)

Appfigures uses sophisticated AI models that turn information that can be observed in the store into downloads and revenue estimates. We do that by training our models with real downloads and revenue data from hundreds of thousands of apps that share that data with us.

Modeling means making assumptions. Because we're estimati

Question 2

Linking Your App Store Connect Account

Accepted Answer

Appfigures connects to your App Store Connect account directly and securely using advanced encryption and collects everything you need to track downloads and revenue for your apps, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and more.

Table of Contents:

Linking your account to Appfigures
Creating a sub-user with Apple and Permissions Required
Creating an app-specific password for App Store Connect
Linking your Apple Ads account
Sync Messages

* Noteworthy

Linking your App Store Connect account will enable you to track the following with Appfigures:

App downloads and revenue
In-App Purchase downloads and revenue
Subscriptions revenue, MRR, Churn, and more
App usage
Apple Search Ads campaign spend and performance
Monthly payment reports from Apple
Hourly ranks
Ratings
Reviews
Featured placements

Linking Your App Store Connect Account to Appfigures

||| Note: Managing linked accounts requires the Admin or Owner role. If you are a viewer, please share this article with a team member who has the required role.

Log in to your Appfigures Account
Click on your avatar (top right corner) and then on "My profile"
Go to [Linked A

Question 3

Apple's Fiscal & Payout Calendar (2026 - 2027)

Accepted Answer

Curious when you'll get paid by Apple? You've come to the right place.

Payments from the App Store follow Apple's fiscal calendar, which isn't very standard or intuitive, but follow a specific set of rules that we've turned into an easy-to-read and understand calendar, complete with the dates you'll receive your payment from Apple.

| FYI - the Payments Report automatically uses this calendar to report estimated, expected, and actual payments, so you don't have to change anything.

Here's the calendar for 2025 - 2026:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/6/f/5/16f5957f6b3a4700/fiscalcalendarapple2027_197jbij.png =1071xauto)

${color}[#000000](Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: How Does Apple's Fiscal Calendar Work?

A: In case you're curious how this calendar works:

Every month starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday.
The first quarter starts at the end of September.
Every quarter starts with a 5-week month, followed by two 4-week months.
Every 5th or 6th year, depending on Apple, an extra week is added to Q1.

Important: 2026-2027 is this year. Q1 has an additional week added to Q1

Q: When Will Expected Apple's Payout Dates

A: Apple pays precisely 33 days after the end of every fiscal month. These are the date you can expect to get paid:

| Fiscal Month | Fiscal Month Dates | Expected Payout | | ---- | | October 2026 | Sep 27 – Oct 31, 2026 | Dec 3, 2026 | | November 2026 | Nov 1 – Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026

Question 4

How to Compare Your Downloads and Revenue with Estimates in Competitor Intelligence

Accepted Answer

When getting started with Competitor Intelligence, it’s good to get your bearings and understand how estimates in your specific corner of the app market match actual downloads and revenue.

Appfigures uses sophisticated models and millions of data points of training to estimate how many downloads iOS and Android apps get all around the world. We do that while maintaining a strict privacy policy where private data (that's what you see in your own reports) is only ever used to help calibrate our estimation models and is never used for anything else.

Our models are calibrated to produce estimates with a very low error rate, but as with all estimates, they fluctuate based on various things—from the day of the week to how popular the app is.

We measure error rates using the industry-standard MAPE or Median Absolute Percent Error, and have an error rate between 5% (best case) and 25% (worst case).

Learn more about how we estimate downloads and revenue

Such low error rates mean that our estimates will get very close to real-world numbers, close enough to answer important questions to help you grow your downloads. And with our privacy-first approach, we will never compromise your private data in the process.

If they don’t, beyond the 5% - 25% e

Question 5

How VAT is Handled by Apple and Google Play

Accepted Answer

Apple and Google report on Value Added Tax (VAT) differently, and that impacts the Gross Revenue number we report.

The Gist

Apple's Gross Revenue includes VAT.
Apple's Net Revenue does not include VAT.
Google's Gross Revenue does not include VAT.

* Google's `Net Revenue` does not include VAT.

Let's start with the app purchaser based in Denmark, a country that requires VAT.

${color}[#050505](VAT on the Apple App Store)

On the App Store, the purchaser downloads the app and pays 1.00 kr. (that's Danish Krone)

VAT is built into this price, so the Gross Revenue will be reported as 1.00 kr.

The `Net Revenue` deducts both VAT and Apple's fee. If VAT is 20% and Apple's fee is 15% `Net Revenue` will be 0.68 Kr.

Let's start with the app purchaser based in Denmark, a country that requires VAT.

${color}[#030202](VAT on Google Play)

On Google Play, the purchaser downloads the app and pays 1.00 kr. (that's Danish Krone)

VAT is built into this price, but the number Google reports to developers is what remains after VAT is removed, so in this case, the Gross Revenue will be reported as 0.80 kr.

The Net Revenue deducts both VAT and Google's fee. If VAT is 20% and Google's fee is 15% Net Revenue will be 0.68 Kr.

Question 6

Appfigures API, CLI, and MCP: Access, Limits, and Public Data

Accepted Answer

The Appfigures API, CLI, and MCP server give you programmatic access to Appfigures data. Use them to automate reports, build custom workflows, explore the market, or bring Appfigures data into the tools you already use.

Use your own app data

Data for apps connected to your Appfigures account through a linked store account is available at no additional data cost. You can use the API, CLI, or MCP server to work with the same data you see in Appfigures, including downloads, revenue, subscriptions, ratings, reviews, usage, and more.

Daily request limits

Every account includes 1,000 API requests per day. If you need a higher limit, go to API Access and select a request-limit add-on. Options range from 2,500 to 50,000 requests per day.

Access public data for any app

Use the Public Data API add-on when you want to retrieve data for apps you do not own, such as competitors or apps you are researching. Public data can include app metadata, ratings, reviews, ranks, keyword data, featured placements, download and revenue estimates, and more.

Enable the Public Data API

The settings page shows your available credit balance.

Buy credits

On the Public Data API settings page, select Add Credits.
Choose a package from the available options.
Complete the purcha

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