About

AppWanderer publishes App Store research and rankings, computed from public metadata on 1,102,002 apps (as of 15 Nov 2026). The studies take one question at a time (what apps really cost, whether ratings can be trusted, how long apps survive) and answer it across the whole index. The rankings answer the superlatives: which app is the biggest, the oldest, the most rated, the priciest, the most translated. Each board ranks up to one hundred apps, states its rule, and recomputes on a schedule, so the #1 can change over time.

Who writes what: studies and field guides are drafted with the help of a language model against figures we computed, and reviewed by our named author. Commentary on the ranking boards and category reports is machine-drafted from the computed figures and labelled as such on the page. The full rules are in our editorial standards.

It is an independent data publication — not a directory, a download site, or an app store. We do not host, sell, or distribute any app, and every link points back to the official App Store listing. Our record boards are computed from public data and are never paid: no developer can buy a place on a board or change how we cover an app. If we sell a promotion, it is clearly labelled and kept separate from the records.

How the records are made

We read public App Store data from Apple’s public RSS chart feeds and the public iTunes Lookup service. From that data we compute each record with a fixed, published rule. Every record page shows exactly what it measures, why it is interesting, and what an app must do to qualify, along with the date it was last computed and how many apps were considered. Boards recompute automatically; we keep the previous leaderboard live while a new one computes, so the site never shows a blank page. For the full method, see the methodology.

Data quality and limits

We only use public metadata, and that metadata is sometimes incomplete or out of date. A record only counts apps that meet its qualifying rule, so weak or thin boards are hidden until they fill. Numbers are framed as records, not official figures, and should be read as a snapshot of public data rather than a definitive ranking. Downloads, revenue, active users and retention are not visible to us; we name them and do not estimate them.

Ownership and trademarks

All app names, icons, screenshots, descriptions, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. We do not claim ownership of any app or its content. App icons and screenshots are shown as factual reference and linked directly from Apple’s content delivery network. AppWanderer is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple Inc. App Store is a trademark of Apple Inc.

Removal requests

If you own an app and would prefer it not appear here, we will remove it. Contact us with the app name and a way to verify you represent it, and we will take it down promptly. The same goes for any factual correction. AppWanderer is operated by D2r Internet Holdings, LLC and was founded by Dor Bass.