Top Charts

Also known as: App Store Charts, Top Free, Top Paid, Top Grossing, Overall Charts

Definition

Top Charts are curated, algorithmically-generated ranked lists of apps displayed prominently in app stores. They represent the most-downloaded (Top Free, Top Paid), highest-revenue (Top Grossing), and fastest-growing (Trending) apps across the entire store or within specific categories. Top Charts serve as a major browse discovery channel — users who don't search for specific apps often discover new ones by browsing these lists.

While their influence has declined relative to search since 2015-2018, Top Charts remain a significant source of Organic Installs, particularly for games and lifestyle/entertainment categories where browse behavior is more common.

How It Works

Chart Types:

Chart	Based On	Available On
Top Free	Download velocity (free apps)	Apple, Google, Amazon
Top Paid	Download velocity (paid apps)	Apple, Google, Amazon
Top Grossing	Revenue (IAP + subscriptions + paid)	Apple, Google, Amazon
Trending	Velocity acceleration (growth rate)	Google Play only

Scope:

Overall charts: All apps across the store (highest visibility)
Category charts: Apps within a specific Category Ranking (see dedicated entry)
Subcategory charts: Games subcategories (Puzzle, Action, etc.)

Algorithm:

Charts use a time-decayed velocity algorithm. Key characteristics:

Recent activity (last 24-72 hours) dominates
The algorithm smooths out spikes to prevent gaming
Position changes are near-real-time for top positions
Lower positions update less frequently

Apple App Store

Top Charts accessible from Apps and Games tabs
Overall Top 200 per chart visible
Charts are country-specific
Editorial features ("Today" tab) partially replaced charts for discovery since iOS 11
Chart position still referenced by the algorithm for search ranking as a quality signal

Google Play Store

Charts accessible from main navigation
Unique "Trending" chart highlights velocity acceleration, not just absolute velocity
Charts feed into "Top Charts" section in personalized recommendations
Google has deprioritized charts visibility in favor of personalized recommendations and Google Play Collections

Amazon Appstore

Charts displayed on Fire device home screens
Less competitive — fewer apps means easier chart access
Fire TV and Fire Tablet have separate chart presentations

Formulas & Metrics

Chart velocity requirement (conceptual):

Chart Position ≈ f(Velocity_rank_among_all_apps_in_scope)

Where velocity_rank is your app's recent download rate compared to ALL other apps in the same chart scope (overall or category).

Chart impact on installs (rough benchmarks):

Chart Position	Est. Additional Daily Installs (iOS, US)
Top 1-5	50,000-500,000+
Top 6-10	10,000-50,000
Top 11-25	5,000-15,000
Top 26-50	2,000-8,000
Top 51-100	500-3,000
Top 101-200	100-1,000

These vary enormously by country, category, and season.

Best Practices

Don't build strategy around charts — for most apps, search optimization yields higher and more sustainable ROI than chasing chart positions.

Use charts as a velocity amplifier — coordinate marketing pushes to reach a chart threshold, then let chart visibility sustain momentum.

Target category charts first — it's much easier (and often sufficient) to reach Top 10 in your category than Top 100 overall.

Monitor Trending chart on Google Play — if your growth rate is accelerating, you may appear in Trending even with modest absolute numbers.

International chart arbitrage — some countries have much lower chart thresholds. Launching localized versions in less competitive markets can build global momentum.

Dependencies

Influences (this term affects)

Organic Installs — chart position drives significant browse installs
Download Velocity — chart visibility creates a self-reinforcing velocity loop
Brand Awareness — chart presence increases brand recognition
App Discovery — charts are a primary discovery surface

Depends On (affected by)

Download Velocity — the primary factor determining chart position
Revenue — determines Top Grossing position
Category Ranking — category chart position is a subset of overall charts
Featured Apps — featuring creates velocity spikes that propel chart movement
Seasonal Trends — seasonal demand shifts affect chart dynamics

Platform Comparison

Aspect	Apple App Store	Google Play	Amazon Appstore
Chart prominence in UX	Moderate (reduced since iOS 11)	Reduced (personalization focus)	High (Fire TV home)
Trending chart	No	Yes (unique feature)	No
Update frequency	Near-real-time (top positions)	Every few hours	Less documented
Chart visibility	Top 200	Top ~500	Smaller lists
Chart influence on search	Yes (quality signal)	Less direct	Unknown