Windows Store App Growth Slows
The rate of growth in the Windows Store tailed off substantially from December to January, compared to the previous month.
The dropoff isn't surprising, given the holiday season in the United States and the fact that it's hard to maintain triple-digit growth rates as the underlying numbers get bigger. Still, at just under 25,000 apps, Microsoft is so far behind the relevant app stores -- Apple and Google -- that it needs the explosive growth to continue if it's going to be a factor in the app world.
RCP first counted the apps in the Windows Store on Nov. 7 and found 7,096 apps. A month later on Dec. 9, the raw number of apps was up to 18,125 for a 155 percent growth rate. Another count on Jan. 9 found 24,629 apps for a 36 percent month-over-month increase.
Things look slightly better, but only slightly, when comparing raw numbers. In the November-to-December period, the store gained 11,029 apps. In the December-to-January period, the store picked up 6,504 apps.
Overall, Microsoft's Windows Store has grown nearly 250 percent over the two months, which roughly correspond to the availability of Windows 8 and Windows RT, which became generally available on Oct. 26.
Windows Store App Growth by Category:
| CATEGORY | DEC. 9
(# OF APPS) | JAN. 9
(# OF APPS) | INCREASE
(%) |
| Books & Reference | 1655 | 2676 | 62 |
| Sports | 483 | 757 | 57 |
| Finance | 213 | 316 | 48 |
| Games | 2438 | 3610 | 48 |
| Government | 65 | 94 | 45 |
| Music & Video | 588 | 846 | 44 |
| Travel | 658 | 928 | 41 |
| Business | 428 | 580 | 36 |
| Photo | 377 | 501 | 33 |
| Entertainment | 2465 | 3255 | 32 |
| Lifestyle | 762 | 999 | 31 |
| Education | 2551 | 3311 | 30 |
| Tools | 1708 | 2174 | 27 |
| Productivity | 841 | 1067 | 27 |
| Health & Fitness | 568 | 711 | 25 |
| Food & Dining | 523 | 654 | 25 |
| Shopping | 128 | 158 | 23 |
| Social | 379 | 467 | 23 |
| News & Weather | 1159 | 1375 | 19 |
| Security | 136 | 150 | 10 |
| Total | 18125 | 24629 | 36 |
Posted by Scott Bekker on January 10, 2013