RANKRWhy Top Free and Top Grossing look so different
Top Free lists free apps and, as developers generally observe, follows recent downloads; Top Grossing lists apps, free or paid, by recent revenue. On Google Play in Japan on October 19, 2026, ChatGPT was the only app in both top 5s.
What does each chart measure?
| Top Free | Top Grossing | |
|---|---|---|
| Which apps | Free apps only | Free and paid apps |
| What developers generally observe it follows | Recent downloads | Recent revenue |
| Where it's public | App Store and Google Play | Google Play (no public Top Grossing chart in the App Store app) |
Apple and Google don't publish the formulas. The download and revenue weighting above is what developers generally observe, not a published rule.
How different are the lists on the same day?
Here is Google Play's top 5 in Japan on October 19, 2026, from chart data at 12:45 UTC:
| # | Top Free apps | Top Grossing apps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TikTok Lite | Google One |
| 2 | Phone Tracker Pro & Locator | ChatGPT |
| 3 | LINE | Piccoma (ピッコマ) |
| 4 | ChatGPT | LINE Manga |
| 5 | Firefox | TikTok |
ChatGPT is the only app in both. TikTok Lite leads downloads while TikTok itself is #5 by revenue, and LINE is #3 free while LINE Manga is #4 grossing. Google One is #1 in Grossing without appearing in the free top 5, and two of the top five earners, Piccoma and LINE Manga, are manga apps.
The United States at the same moment:
| # | Top Free apps | Top Grossing apps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muse from Meta | Google One |
| 2 | ChatGPT | TikTok |
| 3 | Settings Home | ChatGPT |
| 4 | TikTok Pro | Amazon Shopping |
| 5 | TikTok | Spotify |
Two apps overlap here, ChatGPT and TikTok, and Google One is again #1 in Grossing. The current lists are on Japan Top Free, Japan Top Grossing, US Top Free and US Top Grossing.
Why are the lists so different?
They answer different questions. Top Free is about free apps and installs. Top Grossing is about apps and spending. An app can rank in one list without ranking in the other: Google One was #1 in Grossing in both Japan and the US without appearing in either free top 5.
Being free doesn't keep an app out of Grossing. ChatGPT and TikTok were in the US top 5 for both Top Free and Top Grossing on the same day.
Which chart should I watch for my app?
- Free app growing its user base: Top Free, in each country you care about.
- Free app with subscriptions or in-app purchases: both. Top Free shows whether new users are coming; on Google Play, Top Grossing shows whether they pay.
- Paid app: Top Paid. On Google Play this chart can be short: on October 19, 2026 it had only 7 apps in Japan and 91 in the US.
- Game: the games charts, which are separate from apps. Google Play has its own games Top Grossing chart, such as Japan Play Games Top Grossing.
Is there a Top Grossing chart on the App Store?
Not in the App Store app. It shows Top Free and Top Paid, per country, per category and per device. Google Play shows all three. More detail in how App Store top charts work and how Google Play top charts work.
What doesn't a chart position tell you?
A Grossing rank is not a revenue figure, and a Free rank is not a download count. Neither store publishes a conversion, and the same position means different amounts in different countries. A Grossing chart can also be empty: Google Play Top Grossing had no apps for Russia on October 19, 2026, since Google Play billing is restricted there.
Rankr (iOS and Android) shows where your apps rank in the App Store and Google Play top charts in 175 countries, which helps when you want to follow more than the one country your store app shows.
Questions
What does Top Grossing mean?
Top Grossing ranks apps by revenue rather than downloads. Google doesn't publish the formula; developers generally observe it follows recent revenue, weighted toward the last few days.
Can a free app be in Top Grossing?
Yes. On October 19, 2026, ChatGPT was in the top 5 of both Google Play Top Free and Top Grossing in Japan and the US. Free apps earn through subscriptions and in-app purchases.
Does the App Store have a Top Grossing chart?
There's no public Top Grossing chart in the App Store app; it shows Top Free and Top Paid. Google Play has Top Free, Top Paid and Top Grossing.
Why does an app rank high in Top Grossing but not in Top Free?
Grossing follows revenue, not installs. Google One was #1 in Google Play Top Grossing in both Japan and the US on October 19, 2026, but not in either country's free top 5.