Monetize your mobile applications with the right approach and methods in 2025
In some mobile applications depending on their nature and category, it is important to choose the right monetization approach for it since mobile apps are increasingly expanding, generating billions of revenues every year and are expected to generate even more revenue for its owners in 2025. This is why understanding how to decide the right monetization method or approach for your mobile application will differentiate your app from the competitors and drive higher revenue.
In this blog post, we’ll explore different mobile app monetization strategies and define the most effective strategies in 2025 for each app type with real life examples.
What is app monetization?
App monetization is simply the process of generating revenue from your mobile apps. Taking user engagement to financial profits and benefits, ensuring that your app reaches a wide range of audience and remains sustained as a business.
Choosing the right monetization approach merely depends on your app's category, what it offers for the users, and the overall nature of your app.
1. Free mobile application access:
The free model of the app is one of the popular strategies used in mobile apps. In 2025, it is expected that personalization will take over to the next level. Free apps often provide its users with few cores' free features, while charging for advanced features
For example: Duolingo, the language learning application, has elevated its free approach by integrating AI-driven personalized learning plans for users.
In 2025, Duolingo applied a new version for the app where it provided its users with different subscription levels and packages. The different packages grant the user's access to specific features, including personalized plans based on their progress and what they are studying.
This idea will encourage Duolingo's users to pay and subscribe for the higher/premium packages on the app to be able to access the features it offers. User's tend to subscribe to higher or premium packages when they feel it's worth their money and they find true value in what they are paying for.
Here is a tip: track the user's behavior to know which features in the app the user's use the most or value so you could ask them to upgrade to a higher plan in order to re-access this feature again in the app.
2. Different subscription levels and packages
In various mobile apps, it is common to provide the user's with different subscription packages where each packages grants its users with specific features to access.
Some of the application categories that are common to adopt this monetization approach are fitness and productivity applications.
For example: Apple Fitness Plus and Strava Integration
In 2025, Apple Fitness Plus and Strava are fitness apps that have collaborated to enhance user experience by integrating their services.
This partnership allows Strava users to access detailed Fitness Plus workout summaries and offers a free three-month trial of Fitness Plus to Strava subscribers in select countries.
As for the Premium subscription, users receive exclusive insights into their performance, such as AI-generated training plans.
Key Tip: Offer free trials or discounted introductory periods to attract new subscribers and highlight what they will miss out if they didn’t subscribe to your premium package.
3. Integrate ads within the apps:
One of the most common ways to monetize your mobile application is to include advertisements in it, however, this approach can cause user dissatisfaction and lead to higher bounce rates and app installs
For example: Tiktok ads advertisements within the app where it pops up to users between the videos when they scroll or at the beginning when they open the application. These are usually targeted ads that pops for specific target audience based on certain criteria.
Another common example is integrating ads in game mobile applications, but this approach generates higher bounce rates and app installs.
4. Premium apps (Pay to download the app)
Some niche applications require users to pay for the application to be able to download it.
For Example: Procreate, a digital art app, launched advanced features tailored to professional artists in 2025.
This app adopts a one-time purchase experience to the users where they must pay in order to download the app.
Key Tip: If your app is niche and is targeting niche markets and audiences where you do decide to adopt pay-to-download, ensure your app delivers exceptional value and continuously updates to retain users.
5. Hybrid Monetization
Hybrid monetization is combining more than one subscription or packaging models. This method of application monetization has become more popular among apps to diversify revenue approaches generated from apps.
Example: Roblox adopts a hybrid model that includes in-app purchases, subscriptions, and advertising.
In 2025, the platform expanded its monetization options by allowing developers to create and sell custom content directly to users, earning a share of the revenue. This approach fosters a thriving ecosystem while maximizing revenue potential.
Key Tip: Provide a variety of subscription options and packages to balance user experience and profitability.
Conclusion:
Choosing the right monetization or in other words, subscription package to your app depends on your mobile app, your understanding to your audience, and current market trends. Test different monetization strategies and make sure to gather feedback to be able to choose the right monetization approach to your app.
Don’t know what to choose yet? Contact us now for a free consultation!
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