Lionel Sujay Vailshery
Research expert covering cloud computing and emerging tech industries
Horoscope and astrology apps - statistics & facts
Horoscope apps and online astrology are a growing niche market. The concept of online astrology has recently evolved to include more services. From birth charts and inspirational quotes to connecting users with their professional astrologer of choice, apps in this category rely on constructing a high level of user experience. The forecast for global astrology app market size is expected to grow massively in the next ten years, going from two billion U.S. dollars in 2021 to almost 20 billion U.S. dollars in 2031.
Nebula was also the highest-grossing mobile horoscope app in the United States, with in-app revenues of over seven million U.S. dollars in 2023. Nebula’s monetization strategy includes hosting a library of vendors who offer the types of services advertised: from dream analysis to fortune-telling and numerology, the Nebula platform provides a point of connection between users and astrology providers. The Chani app, which launched in 2020, was the second highest-grossing horoscope app in the United States, with revenues of around 6.8 million U.S. dollars in the last examined year. The app, which launched in 2020, is based on the expertise of Canadian author and social media presence Chani Nicholas. A number of mobile horoscopes and astrology apps, such as Chani, have chosen to monetize via subscription while keeping their core products free to download. Low access barriers might lead to users better understanding the value proposition of apps in the category, thus increasing adoption in the future.
The addition of AI to mobile apps is going to increase the degree of customizable features, providing horoscope apps with ever so personalized experiences for their users. While the market remains in a secondary position with respect to online services, the efforts of industry practitioners might pay off in an increased recognition of the value horoscope apps can provide to users. Similar to meditation apps, online horoscope and astrology services could take on a fringe but profitable space in the mobile app market.
Star players: the U.S. market belongs to a lucky few
The leading horoscope and astrology app in the United States in 2023 was Nebula, followed by the New York-based Co-Star and the San Francisco headquartered Moonly. Launched in 2019 by Ukrainian app developer Obrio, Nebula offers horoscopes and daily affirmation services, as well as several types of readings—a type of service that focuses on providing personalized insights. In 2023, the number of Nebula app downloads was approximately 3.9 million worldwide, 74 percent of which originated from users in the United States.Nebula was also the highest-grossing mobile horoscope app in the United States, with in-app revenues of over seven million U.S. dollars in 2023. Nebula’s monetization strategy includes hosting a library of vendors who offer the types of services advertised: from dream analysis to fortune-telling and numerology, the Nebula platform provides a point of connection between users and astrology providers. The Chani app, which launched in 2020, was the second highest-grossing horoscope app in the United States, with revenues of around 6.8 million U.S. dollars in the last examined year. The app, which launched in 2020, is based on the expertise of Canadian author and social media presence Chani Nicholas. A number of mobile horoscopes and astrology apps, such as Chani, have chosen to monetize via subscription while keeping their core products free to download. Low access barriers might lead to users better understanding the value proposition of apps in the category, thus increasing adoption in the future.
AI knows best what the future holds
With the introduction of artificial intelligence to the wider public, mobile horoscope apps are in line to harvest machines’ learning abilities. In July 2023, horoscope and lifestyle app Co-Star was reported to have tripled its audience since 2020, having reached approximately 30 million registered users worldwide. In the same month, the company launched its branded AI astrological reading exhibition. The experience, which made use of ChatGPT and GPT3, took the shape of a physical machine located in a New York deli shop and was set to promote the newly introduced AI in-app service, The Void. The function, which works with in-app credits that users can purchase, uses both machine learning protocols and the expertise of content creators in the field to deliver the answer to widely spanning questions such as “Will I ever fall in love?” and “Should I quit my job?”The addition of AI to mobile apps is going to increase the degree of customizable features, providing horoscope apps with ever so personalized experiences for their users. While the market remains in a secondary position with respect to online services, the efforts of industry practitioners might pay off in an increased recognition of the value horoscope apps can provide to users. Similar to meditation apps, online horoscope and astrology services could take on a fringe but profitable space in the mobile app market.
