UI apps bring in more money, but users abandon them faster

AI-powered apps have flooded app stores in the past two years, leading many developers to believe that adding AI features is the fastest way to make money. But new research from RevenueCat suggests that the truth is much more complicated.

UI attracts users, but it's harder to retain them

According to the State of Subscription Apps 2026 report, AI apps have better initial revenue but worse long-term user retention. Users of such apps cancel annual subscriptions about 30% faster than non-AI apps.

The research is based on data from over 75,000 developers using RevenueCat’s subscription management platform, which processes over one billion in-app transactions each year, generating over $11 billion in revenue for developers.

A quarter of apps are already UI-supported

AI apps account for about 27% of all subscription apps, while the rest still do not use AI. The largest number of such apps are in the photo and video category (61% of apps), while the smallest number are in games (6% of apps). Travel and business apps also have a low presence of AI.

Poor long-term user retention

Data shows that UI apps are less likely to retain subscribers on both a monthly and annual basis.

Annual retention rate: 21.1 % for UI applications vs. 30.7 % for other applications
Monthly retention rate: 6.1 % for UI apps vs. 9.5 % for other apps

The only area where UI apps stand out is in the short term – with weekly subscriptions, where they perform slightly better than traditional apps.

The reason is probably the rapidly changing UI technology. Users often try different apps and quickly switch between them to find the one with the best features.

More money at the beginning

Despite poorer retention, UI apps have an important advantage: they are much more successful at monetizing new users.

UI apps are 52% more successful at converting trial users into paying users and generate approximately 20% more revenue per download.

They also generate higher long-term user value (RLTV). The average monthly user value is $18.92, compared to $13.59 for non-UI apps.

The main finding of the research is that AI can significantly increase initial interest and revenue for apps. However, many AI apps still struggle to prove their long-term value to users.

This represents an important lesson for developers: UI features can help attract users, but they alone do not guarantee the lasting success of an app.