Solo dev here — launched a finance app 30 days ago. Here's my real numbers and what I've learned.
I launched my first iOS/Android app about a month ago — it's a stock research and analysis tool. Wanted to share transparent numbers and lessons since I found posts like these helpful when I was starting out.
30-Day Numbers:
- 244 total downloads (138 US, rest international)
- 22.2K impressions, 2.06K product page views
- 1.62% conversion rate
- $49 in proceeds, ~$16.30 per paying user
- 6.25 sessions per active device
- 0 crashes
What worked:
- Web referrals drove 24% of downloads — Reddit and external content marketing actually moved the needle more than I expected
- App Store Browse (32%) slightly edged out App Store Search (30.7%), which tells me ASO still needs work
- High session count shows retention is solid once people are in the app
- Zero crashes from day one built trust and helped with early reviews
What I'd do differently:
- Invest in App Store screenshots and an app preview video earlier. My conversion rate is low and I think the product page is the bottleneck
- Start with a free trial instead of a straight paywall. I'm implementing a 7-day trial now — should've done this at launch
- Get to 10+ ratings ASAP. Took longer than expected and the low rating count hurt conversion early on
Biggest surprise: The engagement metrics were way better than expected. 6+ sessions per device for a finance app felt strong. But converting impressions to downloads is the real challenge — having a great app means nothing if people scroll past your listing.
What I'm focused on next:
-
Better ASO and a preview video to improve that conversion rate
iOS : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wall-street-stocks/id6756940110
Happy to answer questions about the journey — app store rejections, subscription setup.
Posted Feb 17, 2026, 3:12 AM UTC