How to Make an App and Earn Money (Step by Step Guide)
How apps really make money, with real numbers from one of our apps: how to choose an app idea, build it (no-code, your own code or ready source code), publish it, get installs and earn from AdMob, and the mistakes that stop the income.
Most apps earn money in a simple way: people use them for free, and the app shows ads. The amount depends on how many people use the app every day and where they live, not on how clever the code is. A useful, simple app that people open daily earns more than an impressive one that nobody keeps.
This guide goes from idea to income: what apps really earn (with real numbers from one of ours), how to pick an idea, the three ways to build it, publishing, getting installs, and the mistakes that stop the money.
The whole path
1. Pick an idea people already search for (see the table below)
2. Build it, or start from ready source code
3. Reskin it: your own name, icon and colours
4. Closed test with 12 testers for 14 days (new personal accounts)
5. Publish on Google Play
6. Get installs: store listing, updates, reviews
7. Earn: AdMob ads, then paid extras once it growsHow apps make money
| Way | Good for |
|---|---|
| AdMob ads | Free apps with many daily users. The most common choice, especially when users are in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, where few people pay for apps. |
| In-app purchases and subscriptions | Apps with something worth paying for: removing ads, premium features, more content |
| Paid apps | Rarely a good start; few people pay before trying |
| Selling the source code | Once an app works, other developers may buy the code to publish their own version |
What an app really earns: our numbers
One of our own apps, a live video chat app with users mostly in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, earns about $300 a month from 300 to 400 daily users, with interstitial ads only. That is roughly 3 cents per user per day. The full breakdown, and how to estimate your own app, is in our AdMob earnings post.
Two things follow from that number: daily users matter more than downloads, and an app needs a few hundred people using it every day before the income is worth much. Plan for growth, not for a quick result.
Choose an idea people already search for
| Kind of app | Why people use it daily | Build guide |
|---|---|---|
| VPN | Privacy and blocked sites; long sessions | VPN app |
| Video downloader and status saver | Saving videos and statuses every day | Status saver |
| Chat, video call and dating | Conversations bring people back many times a day | Chat app, dating app |
| Games | A quick round whenever people have a minute | Game app |
| Wallpapers | People change wallpapers often | Wallpaper app |
| Your website as an app | Your existing visitors, with push notifications | Website to app |
Pick one you understand and can improve. Search Google Play for it: if the top apps have many reviews but poor ratings, there is room for a better one.
Three ways to build it
| No-code builder | Write it yourself | Ready source code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free plan, paid plans for useful features | Free | A one-time price |
| Time | Hours | Weeks to months | Days, mostly reskinning |
| Skills | None | Kotlin or Java | Android Studio basics |
| Own the code and the ads | Often not | Yes | Yes |
Each build guide on this blog starts with a working example you can run, so you can try the idea before deciding which way to go.
Publish, then get installs
- Reskin first: your own package name, app name, icon, colours and texts. Google Play rejects copies of existing apps. See how to reskin an app.
- Publish: a $25 developer account, and for new personal accounts a closed test with 12 testers for 14 days. See how to publish on Google Play.
- Store listing: a name that says what the app does, real screenshots, and a description in plain words.
- The first minute: no ad on launch and no long sign-up; let people see the value at once.
- Updates and reviews: regular updates, and a rating request after a good moment.
Mistakes that stop the income
| Mistake | What happens |
|---|---|
| Too many ads, or ads on launch | Users uninstall, and AdMob may limit your ads |
| Tapping your own ads | Invalid activity; ad serving is limited or the account closed |
| Buying fake installs | No real users, invalid traffic, and possible removal |
| Publishing an unchanged copy | Rejected for repetitive content |
| Giving up after a month | Most apps grow slowly; income comes with daily users over time |
Start from an app that already earns
The numbers above come from our live video chat app, whose source code is for sale, with chat, voice and video calls, five games and AdMob interstitials already placed. Our shop also has complete source codes for a VPN app, a video downloader and status saver, a video dating app, a mini games app, a 4K wallpaper app and a website to app source code, each ready to reskin and publish.
