The report State of E-commerce App Marketing 2025 from AppsFlyer reveals a dramatic shift in global growth strategy: China-based e-commerce apps, now responsible for 85% of global iOS user acquisition (UA) spending, have begun reallocating budgets from the US to Western Europe on a large scale. In Germany, iOS user acquisition surged 170% year-over-year between January and May 2025, and in France, it more than doubled, highlighting the growing importance of flexible, regional strategies in an unpredictable market environment.
‘This reallocation signals a broader transformation in mobile growth, shaped by tariff uncertainty, regional platform dynamics, and an increasing reliance on loyalty-focused remarketing,’ said Sue Azari, Industry Leader for eCommerce at AppsFlyer. ‘With potential regulatory or geopolitical changes ahead, marketers must be prepared to adapt quickly. Brands are now making real-time decisions on where to invest, based on regulatory environments, user lifetime value, and competitive positioning across multiple continents.’
The data also points to a shift in seasonal pacing, as marketers move more budget into early-year acquisition and focus on remarketing during high-attention periods. In November alone, re-engagement surged 218% in the US and 330% in Brazil.
Globally, across all platforms, iOS continues to outperform in monetization. Users convert 1.3 days faster, show a 39% higher first-purchase rate, and demonstrate 68% stronger repurchase performance—a sign of loyalty that turns acquisition into long-term value. In-app purchase revenue on iOS grew by 10% in 2025, nearly double Android’s growth.
In Brazil
Paid installs surged 155% during the holiday season. iOS user acquisition skyrocketed 481% in November 2024, while Android saw a 22% decline. Android revenue dropped 28% in 2025, despite ongoing acquisition activity. Android in-app purchase (IAP) spending fell 32% in November, impacted by economic pressures and platform shifts.
Time-to-purchase rates remained consistent across platforms, supported by strong local payment infrastructure.
More global findings from the report:
- Remarketing spending reached $16.4 billion in 2024, 3.5 times higher than user acquisition budgets. Android’s share increased from 64% to 77%, reflecting more mature re-engagement strategies.
- Web-to-app install flows also grew sharply, rising 38% ahead of peak season and another 37% in spring 2025, highlighting the increasing importance brands place on directing existing web users to their apps, where
- the native environment offers greater loyalty and higher conversion rates.
- Exposure to fraud approached $1 billion in global risk, with iOS fraud rates dropping from 30.1% to 25.9%, while Android’s rose from 9.4% to 10.5%. AI-powered solutions remain essential for effective protection.
Methodology
AppsFlyer’s State of E-commerce App Marketing 2025 analyzes anonymized, aggregated data from 1,600 e-commerce apps (excluding marketplaces and grocery apps) with at least 3,000 monthly installs per country. The study covers 3.1 billion paid app installs and 26 billion remarketing conversions between October 2023 and May 2025. All results meet strict volume criteria and are based on privacy-preserving, anonymized methodologies.
Explore the full State of E-commerce App Marketing 2025 report here.
