By Quick answer: How much do top apps in India charge for in-app purchases and subscriptions?
- Sample — 1,366 Google Play India apps with in-app purchases (23 Oct 2026).
- Entry price — median ₹90; 69% start at ₹100 or less.
- Top price — median ₹7,950; 36% reach ₹10,000+.
- Price points — round numbers dominate: two-thirds of top prices end in 00.
- Spread — the top item costs ~99× the cheapest, at the median.
Key takeaways
- Top apps pair a low entry price with expensive top tiers.
- Indian price points favour round numbers like ₹100 and ₹9,000.
- Social, productivity and education apps have the highest top tiers.
- Kids', adventure and weather apps keep top prices low.
- Anchor premium tiers honestly — no fake 'was' prices or countdowns.
How much do India's most visible apps charge inside the app? Google Play shows every app's in-app purchase range — "₹25 – ₹22,400 per item", for example. We collected the listings of 1,986 apps featured on Google Play India on 23 October 20261 and analysed the 1,366 that sell in-app purchases.
- Median cheapest in-app item
- ₹90
- Median most expensive item
- ₹7,950
- Apps with a top item of ₹10,000+
- 36%
Entry prices: low and round
Two in three apps (68.7%) offer something for ₹100 or less, and 93.9% for ₹500 or less.
| Most common cheapest price | Apps |
|---|---|
| ₹100 | 94 |
| ₹110 | 93 |
| ₹90 | 72 |
| ₹10 | 61 |
| ₹99 | 44 |
| ₹85 | 44 |
Top tiers: where the money is
| Most expensive item | Share of apps |
|---|---|
| ₹500 or less | 8.8% |
| ₹501–2,000 | 14.1% |
| ₹2,001–10,000 | 42.4% |
| ₹10,001–25,000 | 24.3% |
| Over ₹25,000 | 10.4% |
The most common top prices were ₹9,000 (34 apps), ₹9,900 (29) and ₹8,900 (27). Two-thirds of top prices ended in "00"; only 8% ended in "99". At the median, an app's most expensive item cost about 99 times its cheapest. Seven apps listed items of ₹1 lakh or more, led by Facebook, Messenger and Google Play Books at ₹8.4 lakh.
By category
| Category | Apps with IAP | Median cheapest | Median top item |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social | 30 | ₹57.5 | ₹19,900 |
| Productivity | 23 | ₹99 | ₹19,000 |
| Entertainment | 32 | ₹61 | ₹15,150 |
| Books & Reference | 32 | ₹55 | ₹13,050 |
| Education | 34 | ₹92.5 | ₹12,500 |
| Communication | 36 | ₹55 | ₹11,900 |
| Role Playing (games) | 67 | ₹89 | ₹10,000 |
| Action (games) | 78 | ₹47 | ₹9,700 |
| Puzzle (games) | 54 | ₹100 | ₹9,900 |
| Casual (games) | 66 | ₹97 | ₹9,537 |
| Photography | 40 | ₹99.5 | ₹7,900 |
| Sports (apps and games) | 68 | ₹47 | ₹7,750 |
| Health & Fitness | 33 | ₹190 | ₹6,900 |
| Word (games) | 57 | ₹85 | ₹5,000 |
| Adventure (games) | 52 | ₹89.5 | ₹1,950 |
| Educational (games) | 51 | ₹99 | ₹617 |
Games and non-game apps start at similar prices (median ₹85 vs ₹92.5), but non-game apps reach slightly higher top tiers (₹8,650 vs ₹7,600).
Pricing lessons
- Offer a low-commitment entry point — most top apps have one at ₹100 or less
- Price premium tiers for your most engaged users; the spread is wide
- Use clear, round price points; test ₹99 against ₹100 with your own users
- Show annual plans with honest savings — never fake "was" prices
- Use anchoring ethically: a premium option can make the middle tier clearer3
Choosing between subscriptions and one-off purchases? See subscription vs one-time purchase.
Limits
- Price ranges show the cheapest and most expensive item, not typical spend
- Featured apps skew toward large, established apps
- Developer prices change; this is a 23 October 2026 snapshot
- Categories with few in-app sellers (shopping, finance, food) were excluded from the category table
Key terms, defined
In-app purchase (IAP) — anything bought inside an app. Price range — Play's cheapest-to-most-expensive item display. Entry price — the cheapest paid item. Top tier — the most expensive item. Price point — a specific price such as ₹99 or ₹100.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical in-app purchase price in India?
Among 1,366 top Google Play India apps with in-app purchases, the median cheapest item was ₹90 and the median most expensive ₹7,950. Most apps (94%) offered something for ₹500 or less.
Does this show subscription prices specifically?
Not exactly. Google Play shows a price range per item that covers all in-app products — subscriptions, consumables and one-off unlocks. It's the best public view of the price span apps offer.
What are the most common in-app price points in India?
The most common cheapest prices were ₹100, ₹110, ₹90, ₹10, ₹99 and ₹85. The most common top prices were ₹9,000, ₹9,900, ₹8,900, ₹11,300 and ₹9,800.
Which categories have the most expensive top tiers?
Among categories with 20+ apps selling in-app purchases, Social (median top item ₹19,900), Productivity (₹19,000), Entertainment (₹15,150), Books & Reference (₹13,050) and Education (₹12,500) led.
Should my app use ₹99 or ₹100 pricing?
Both appear, but round numbers are more common in our sample: two-thirds of top prices ended in 00 and only 8% in 99. Test with your own users.
How was this data collected?
We read the public Google Play listings of 1,986 apps featured on Google Play India's front page and 50 category pages on 23 October 2026; 1,366 listed an in-app purchase price range.
Sources
- Google Play (India store) — public app listings and category pages, collected 23 October 2026
- Google Play Console Help — Set up in-app products and pricing
- Laws of UX — Anchoring effect (Science of Apps)
- Checked October 23, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- Subscription vs one-time purchase — choose the model
- Google Play India statistics — the full study
- Making moneyIn-app purchase pricing: how top apps set their prices, and how to set yoursIn-app purchase pricing explained: regional prices for India, store price points, tiers and bundles, anchoring and decoys, trials and how to test prices safely.
- Original dataAverage app rating by category: what 1,934 top apps on Google Play India score — and what a good rating isThe average app rating by category from 1,934 rated apps on Google Play India: health and word games lead, comics and kids' games trail. Full table inside.
- Original dataPlay Store statistics: we analysed 1,986 apps featured on Google Play India — here's what they have in commonPlay Store statistics from our analysis of 1,986 apps on Google Play India: ratings, installs, ads, in-app purchases, update frequency and app age.
- Making moneyHow do free apps make money? The 9 business models, explainedHow free apps make money: ads, subscriptions, in-app purchases, freemium, commissions, sponsorships, B2B, payments and data — with real examples.
- Original dataApp retention in India: what published install and retention data says about how long Indian users keep appsApp retention in India from published data: day-1 and day-30 retention by category, the 2026 drop in shopping app retention, and what it means for app teams.
- Making moneyApp monetization strategies that don't annoy users — designed with behavioural scienceMonetize your app without wrecking retention: value-first paywalls, honest trials, rewarded ads, anchoring and decoy pricing done ethically, and what to avoid.
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