By Phillip Mitchell, Founder & Chief Brokerage Officer, AIExchange.club
Figures are as of October 2026, from our own valuation guide and the source linked in the text. Examples use stated assumptions and are illustrations, not real apps or deals. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
A small app that makes money usually sells for about 2x to 5x its yearly profit, with the multiple rising as the app gets bigger. Downloads and user counts don't set the price. Profit does. Two apps with the same number of users can be worth $5,000 or $65,000, depending on how they earn.
This guide takes you from what you probably know (users or downloads) to what a buyer pays. It covers the ranges by size, three worked examples with the assumptions shown, how each type of revenue is priced, and what moves the number.
What apps sell for: the ranges by size
Buyers price small apps the same way they price small software businesses: a multiple of seller's discretionary earnings (SDE), which is profit with the owner's pay added back (see SDE vs EBITDA). These are the ranges from our valuation guide:
| Annual revenue | Usual basis | Typical multiple |
|---|---|---|
| Under $120K ARR | SDE | 2.0x to 3.2x |
| $120K to $600K ARR | SDE | 2.5x to 4.0x |
| $600K to $1M ARR | SDE | 3.0x to 5.0x |
| $1M to $5M ARR | ARR or EBITDA | 2.0x to 4.0x ARR |
Most apps that change hands sit in the first row or two. For a quicker rule, see our guide to the rule of thumb for selling a business, and for a fully worked app example, see how to sell an app.
From users to price: three examples
The most common question is "what is my app worth with 10,000 users?" or "with 100,000 downloads?" The answer depends on how many of them pay. These three examples use assumptions you can swap for your own: a $8 monthly subscription, 15% store fees (the rate most small apps pay under the stores' small-business programs, so check yours) and $300 a month for hosting and tools.
| A: 10,000 users, subscription | B: 100,000 downloads, subscription | C: 10,000 users, free with ads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active monthly users | 10,000 | 5,000 (5% of downloads) | 10,000 |
| How it earns | 3% pay $8 a month (300 payers) | 3% pay $8 a month (150 payers) | $0.05 per user per month |
| Annual revenue | $28,800 | $14,400 | $6,000 |
| Store fees (15%) | -$4,320 | -$2,160 | n/a |
| Hosting and tools | -$3,600 | -$3,600 | -$3,600 |
| SDE | $20,880 | $8,640 | $2,400 |
| Price at 2.0x to 3.2x | about $42,000 to $67,000 | about $17,000 to $28,000 | about $5,000 to $8,000 |
Look at what changes. Example B has ten times the downloads of A and is worth less, because only 5% of downloads are still using the app. Example C has the same users as A and is worth about a tenth as much, because ads earn far less per user than subscriptions. At this size, the price can also come in below the range, since buyers weigh the effort of taking over a small app.
How buyers price each type of revenue
| Revenue type | What buyers think | Where it tends to sit in the range (our read) |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Recurring and predictable. They check churn and renewals. | Upper |
| In-app purchases | Depends on a small share of heavy spenders. They check concentration. | Middle |
| One-time purchase | Needs new downloads every month to keep earning. They check whether sales hold over 12 months. | Lower to middle |
| Ad-supported | Revenue moves with users and ad rates, and both can drop. | Lower |
What moves the price up or down
- Retention. A subscription app that keeps most of its subscribers is worth more than one that loses them every few months. See net revenue retention for how to measure it.
- Store fees and account transfer. The fee changes your profit, and the app-store account has to be transferable. Our app selling guide covers both.
- Platform dependence. An app that depends on one store, one ad network or one data source gets discounted for that risk.
- Owner hours. An app that runs on a few hours a week is worth more than one that needs you every day.
- Where users come from. Organic search and word of mouth are valued above paid ads, which can stop working.
- Clean records. Revenue that matches store reports and bank deposits prices cleanly. Our prep guide covers the paperwork.
If it's an AI app
Buyers look harder at AI apps for two reasons. The first is retention: ChartMogul's billing data puts median gross revenue retention for AI-native products at 40%, and at 23% for AI products priced under $50 a month (ChartMogul, December 2025). The second is margin: every model call costs money, so if usage grows faster than revenue, profit shrinks. Add the model bill to your costs before you work out SDE, and show how it behaves if usage doubles. Our guides to AI wrapper businesses and AI company valuation cover this in more depth.
Check your own number
- Work out revenue after store fees from your App Store Connect and Google Play reports.
- Subtract running costs (hosting, tools, model costs, ads) to get profit before your pay. That's SDE.
- Apply the range for your size, then adjust for retention, revenue type and risk.
What's your SaaS worth?
= $120,000 ARR
45% of revenue is typical
Show the math
An estimate, not an appraisal. It can't see your code, your contracts, or your competitive position. Treat it as a starting range.
Get a full valuation →Frequently asked questions
How much does an app sell for?
Typically about 2x to 5x annual profit, rising with size. A small app earning $20,000 a year in profit might sell for roughly $40,000 to $65,000. A larger one earning several hundred thousand can reach the higher multiples.
How much is an app with 10,000 users worth?
It depends on how it earns. In our example, a subscription app with 10,000 monthly users was worth about $42,000 to $67,000, and a free app with ads about $5,000 to $8,000.
How much is an app with 100,000 downloads worth?
Downloads are a one-time count, and buyers price active, paying users. In our example, 100,000 downloads with 5% still active came to about $17,000 to $28,000. If few are active, it can be worth much less.
How do I calculate what my app is worth?
Take the revenue after store fees, subtract running costs to get profit before your pay (SDE), and multiply by the range for your size. Use the estimator above for a quick range.
Can I sell an app that makes no money?
You can try, but buyers pay for results, so an app with no revenue usually sells for little. AIExchange.club lists businesses that are already making money.
Next step
If you're ready to sell, listing on AIExchange.club is free, and the flat 10% success fee is only paid when your deal closes. The deal room, escrow and in-platform contracts are included (see fees and pricing). We list businesses that are already making money.
List your AI-powered business →
Want a second opinion on your number? Talk it through with us.
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