Apple has launched its end-of-year App Store promotion, including charts ranking the most lucrative iOS apps in 2014 in the UK. Although as it turns out, the two top grossing apps were both originally released in 2012.

Freemium game Candy Crush Saga was the top grossing iPhone app in 2014 ahead of rival Clash of Clans, with the two games reversing those positions in Apple’s top grossing iPad apps chart for the year.

Nine of the top 10 apps in each chart were “free-to-play” games – so named because they are free to download and play, but make their money from additional in-app purchases and advertising.

The only non-gaming apps to feature in the top-grossing charts were dating service Match.com in the iPhone rankings, and the Times and Sunday Times app for iPad.

Apple’s editorial picks for the best game of 2014 on both platforms might be seen as making a point, then: the company named puzzle game Threes! as the best iPhone game, and Monument Valley as the best iPad game.

Both are paid games rather than free-to-play titles, although Monument Valley recently added extra levels as an in-app purchase. Picking Threes! may also be a nod to a debate in 2014 about cloning: the game’s number-sliding formula was copied by a number of other games.

Another paid game, Leo’s Fortune, was runner-up in the iPhone games category, while free-to-play card battler Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft was runner-up in the iPad games section.

Apple named video editor Replay as its best iPhone app, ahead of self-improvement app Peak – Brain Training. Photo-editing software Pixelmator was the company’s best iPad app, ahead of cookery app Kitchen Stories Recipes.

Also notable in the end-of-year rankings was the popularity of messaging apps in the chart for the most popular iPhone apps of 2014. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat took the top three spots in that chart.

Downloads of Facebook Messenger were boosted sharply this year when the social network removed messaging from its main iOS app. Messenger was also the second most downloaded free iPad app of 2014, behind Skype for iPad and ahead of Netflix.

Minecraft – Pocket Edition was the most popular paid app for both iPhone and iPad in 2014, ahead of 7 Minute Workout Challenge and Heads Up! on iPhone, and Football Manager Handheld 2014 and The Room 2 on iPad.



It’s notable that Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga topped Apple’s top paid and grossing charts respectively in 2013, too, maintaining their popularity in 2014. However, it’s also a sign of how tough it is for new apps to unseat what’s become something of an apps establishment.

In fact, only two of the top grossing iPhone apps in 2014 – fourth-ranked Farm Heroes Saga and eighth-ranked Kim Kardashian: Hollywood – were released this year. Four originally came out in 2012, three in 2013, and Match.com has been on the App Store since 2009.

Two of the top grossing iPad apps in 2014 were released this year – Farm Heroes Saga again and Boom Beach. Two originally came out in 2013, four in 2012, one in 2011 and one in 2010.

Google has not published sales or top grossing charts for Android apps in 2014, although the company has launched a Best Apps of 2014 promotion with its own editorial picks.

Apple’s full 2014 charts follow. Remember, these are for the UK specifically:

Top Grossing iPhone apps

1. Candy Crush Saga

2. Clash of Clans

3. Game of War - Fire Age

4. Farm Heroes Saga

5. Pet Rescue Saga

6. The Simpsons: Tapped Out

7. Hay Day

8. Kim Kardashian: Hollywood

9. Top Eleven - Be a soccer manager

10. Match.com

Top Grossing iPad apps

1. Clash of Clans

2. Candy Crush Saga

3. Game of War - Fire Age

4. Hay Day

5. Farm Heroes Saga

6. Pet Rescue Saga

7. The Simpsons: Tapped Out

8. The Times & The Sunday Times

9. Boom Beach

10. The Sims FreePlay

Top Paid iPhone apps

1. Minecraft – Pocket Edition

2. Minute Workout Challenge

3. Heads Up!

4. Sleep Cycle alarm clock

5. Football Manager Handheld 2014

6. Afterlight

7. Fantasy Premier League 2014/15 – Official App

8. Cut the Rope 2

9. Plague Inc.

10. Facetune



Top Paid iPad apps

1. Minecraft – Pocket Edition

2. Football Manager Handheld 2014

3. The Room Two

4. Cut the Rope 2

5. The Chase

6. Terraria

7. Flightradar24 - Flight Tracker

8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

9. Tipping Point

10. Photon Flash Player for iPad

Top Free iPhone apps

1. Facebook Messenger

2. WhatsApp Messenger

3. Snapchat

4. Facebook

5. YouTube

6. Instagram

7. Spotify Music

8. Skype for iPhone

9. Google Maps

10. Tinder

Top Free iPad apps

1. Skype for iPad

2. Facebook Messenger

3. Netflix

4. YouTube

5. Microsoft Word

6. BBC iPlayer

7. ITV Player

8. eBay for iPad

9. Google Maps

10. Calculator for iPad Free

• The Guardian’s weekly Best iPhone and iPad Apps column



• The Guardian’s weekly Best Android Apps column

