Top Mobile Apps in Europe: AI Chatbots, Shopping, and Streaming
The Most Downloaded Apps in Europe for 2025
The app landscape is constantly evolving, with some applications rising to prominence while others fade or transform. Facebook, once a dominant force, has seen its influence wane in many regions. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which was not even around a few years ago, has now become a major player in the app world.
So, which apps are currently the most downloaded across Europe? What sectors dominate these rankings? How do revenues differ between apps, and how much do the top-earning apps make in Europe?
According to AppFigures, the 2025 rankings of the most downloaded apps in the EU highlight user preferences, with productivity, shopping, and social platforms leading the way within the top 20.
Top Downloaded Apps in the EU
ChatGPT tops the list with over 64 million downloads, clearly outpacing other apps. It is followed by Temu with nearly 44 million downloads. After the top two, download numbers drop to around 27 million. From there, the rankings are very close, with no significant differences down to the 20th place, where Snapchat records just over 16 million downloads.
Other notable apps include:
- Threads: 27.3 million downloads
- TikTok: 26.8 million downloads
- CapCut: 25.5 million downloads
- Google Gemini: 25.2 million downloads
- WhatsApp Messenger: 24.4 million downloads
- Revolut: 23.9 million downloads
- Vinted: 23.3 million downloads
- Lidl Plus: 22.9 million downloads
Duolingo, SHEIN, Instagram, and Telegram also recorded more than 21 million downloads. Klarna, Uber, Microsoft Teams, Canva, Pinterest, and Snapchat round out the top 20, with download numbers ranging from 16.4 million to 17.9 million.
Productivity: AI Goes Mainstream
Looking at the categories, productivity emerges as one of the strongest, driven almost entirely by artificial intelligence (AI). ChatGPT leads all apps by a wide margin, while Google Gemini also ranks in the top ten. This signals a shift in AI tools from niche or professional use to everyday consumer habits, as Europeans increasingly rely on AI for work, study, and personal tasks.
Shopping and Photo Editing
Shopping apps make up the largest group in the top 20 by downloads. Temu, SHEIN, Vinted, Lidl Plus, and Klarna all feature prominently. The photo and video category is also significant, reflecting the growing importance of content creation, editing, and visual communication, especially for social media and small businesses.
However, these figures only show download numbers for 2025, not the total number of users for each app. Active user numbers would tell a different story.
Downloads Don’t Equal Revenue
AppFigures estimates for 2025 indicate a widening gap between popularity and profitability in the European app market. While free productivity and shopping apps dominate downloads, entertainment and subscription-based platforms are the real revenue engines.
The revenue ranking tells a very different story from downloads. TikTok is the EU’s top-grossing app, generating more than €740 million in estimated revenue, despite ranking only fourth by downloads. ChatGPT follows in second place by revenue (€448 million), showing that AI subscriptions are converting users into paying customers at scale.
Dating Apps Rank in Revenue, Not Downloads
Tinder (€429 million) ranks third, showing the enduring strength of dating apps in monetization, even without appearing among the top 20 most downloaded apps. Other notable names include Bumble (14th, €125 million) and Badoo Dating (20th, €81 million). None of them appear in the top 20 by downloads.
Apps built around subscriptions, premium features, and digital content dominate earnings. Streaming platforms such as Disney+ (€351 million) and Amazon Prime Video (€323 million), along with services like Google One (€283 million) and YouTube (€243 million), reflect this pattern.
How Top Apps Differ by Country: The UK and Turkey Cases
Top apps clearly vary by country. Figures for the UK, Turkey, and the EU as a whole show this. While global apps rank among the top in all regions, some local apps also appear on the lists.
In the UK, GOV.UK ID Check and HMRC both appear among the most downloaded apps. The UK market also shows stronger visibility for local financial and retail brands, with Monzo and Tesco ranking among the top downloads. Microsoft Authenticator also features in the UK top 20, pointing to the growing role of security and digital identity in working life.
Turkey differs from the EU and the UK. Local platforms and state-backed digital services play a much bigger role. Government apps such as e-Devlet Kapısı and e-Nabız rank alongside telecom and banking apps, including Turkcell, Türk Telekom, and Garanti BBVA Mobile. Domestic e-commerce and classifieds platforms such as Trendyol and sahibinden also feature prominently.
On the revenue side, local streaming and social apps, including Tabii, TOD Türkiye, and Azar, underline the importance of region-specific content and culturally tailored platforms in Turkey’s app economy.
What Do These Figures Include?
Revenue figures reflect total consumer spending before Apple and Google take their platform fees. This means the numbers are around 30 percent higher than what developers actually receive. The estimates focus on in-app spending, such as subscriptions and digital content. They do not include payments for physical goods or services, like Uber rides or Amazon purchases, although some in-app purchases, such as video rentals or subscriptions, are still counted.
