--- title: "Google, Facebook or Twitter: Which Advertising Platform Is Best for App Developers?" locale: "en" language: "en-HK" published: "2016-09-23T16:29:33+08:00" updated: "2026-03-17T23:07:15.344Z" canonical: "https://accordhk.com/blog/google-facebook-or-twitter-which-advertising-platform-is-best-for-app-developers-281" --- # Google, Facebook or Twitter: Which Advertising Platform Is Best for App Developers? App developers often rely on digital advertising to increase installations. This article compares Google, Facebook and Twitter’s performance in the first half of 2016, showing how rankings vary by app category, operating system and retention. ## In brief Choose an advertising platform according to whether your priority is installation volume or user retention. In the first-half 2016 rankings discussed here, Facebook led global advertising power across gaming and non-gaming apps on Android and iOS, while retention leaders varied by category and operating system. Today, [app development]() companies often need to rely on the power of [marketing]() to generate large numbers of downloads. This might involve promotional videos that create a buzz, as with Pokemon go, or television advertisements for Clash Royale that drill their message into viewers’ minds. Some mobile games hire popular online livestreamers as endorsers and have them stream themselves playing the game. Whatever the type of app, however, the most common marketing approach remains reaching users through digital advertising, using image or video ads to attract users and increase installations. With so many digital advertising platforms available, the following comparison examines how Google, Facebook and Twitter performed in driving installations for gaming and non-gaming apps in the first half of 2016. 1. Google Adwords includes keyword advertising and advertising on its Google Display Network (GDN). 2. Facebook and its mobile advertising network. 3. Twitter includes its own users and the Twitter Audience Platform advertising network. The latest Appsflyer report for the first half of 2016 uses two metrics, installation volume and retention rate, to measure advertising platforms’ “power.” Retention rate refers to the proportion of users who open an app on their phones the day after downloading it. For example, if an advertisement generates 1000 installations today, and 800 of those installations are still detected [opening the app]() the following day, the advertisement’s next-day retention rate is 80%. Many factors affect retention, and the game itself is certainly an important one—a poor game is unlikely to make people want to keep using it for more than a day. However, retention also helps assess whether different advertising platforms can accurately bring in users with a real interest when marketing the same app. A higher retention rate therefore leads to a higher assessment of an advertising provider. [Gaming apps]() Facebook ranks first worldwide for the “power” of its app-install ads on both Android and iOS. Google ranks second on Android and third on iOS. Twitter’s total installation volume is too low, so its power is far below that of Facebook and Google. The top three platforms for global Android retention are Google, Twitter and Facebook, in that order. Although Facebook’s retention is lower than Google’s and Twitter’s, the installation volume generated by its enormous user base keeps it in first place among mobile advertising media. Twitter stands out more in the retention rankings: it ranks second globally on Android, behind only Google, and first in the Asia-Pacific region. Global iOS retention ranks Facebook > Twitter > Google. Facebook’s retention performance is therefore much better on iOS than on Android, while Twitter has climbed 8 places in Appsflyer’s ranking compared with the previous year. [Non-gaming apps]() For non-gaming apps on Android worldwide, Facebook remains first in the power rankings, followed by Google in second place. Twitter ranks sixth, with other global advertising providers taking places 3–5. The top three for retention, however, remain Twitter, Google and Facebook, in that order. If [app developers]() want to promote their apps, they should consider whether their marketing objective is to generate a large number of installations or attract users with high retention. They can then refer to the average performance of different advertising platforms to plan their overall [advertising campaign]()。 For non-gaming apps on iOS worldwide, the top 3 platforms for power are Facebook, Google and Twitter, while retention ranks Google > Twitter > Facebook. A key reason Twitter ranks third for power here is that, in almost every country, it has more iOS users than Android users. Its power on iOS is therefore much greater than on Android. In the Asia-Pacific region, Twitter even surpasses Google to take second place for power, behind only Facebook. http://group.dailyview.tw/2016/09/19/google%E3%80%81facebook%E3%80%81twitter-%E8%AA%B0%E6%89%8D%E6%98%AFapp%E9%96%8B%E7%99%BC%E5%95%86%E7%9A%84%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%B3%E8%A1%8C%E9%8A%B7%E5%A4%A5%E4%BC%B4%EF%BC%9F/ ## Frequently asked questions ### What does next-day retention rate mean? It is the proportion of users who open an app the day after downloading it. If an ad generates 1000 installations and 800 of those users open the app the next day, its next-day retention rate is 80%. ### Which platform led advertising power for gaming apps in the first half of 2016? Facebook ranked first worldwide on both Android and iOS. Google ranked second on Android and third on iOS, while Twitter’s lower total installation volume limited its power. ### Which platforms had the highest retention for non-gaming apps? For Android worldwide, the ranking was Twitter, Google and Facebook. For iOS worldwide, it was Google, Twitter and Facebook. ### How should app developers choose an advertising platform? The article suggests first deciding whether the goal is a large number of installations or users with high retention. Developers can then use the platforms’ average performance to plan their advertising campaigns.