Agentic coding, also known as vibe coding, has fuelled a wave of new iOS apps over the past 12 months, pushing the Apple App Store to a record number of total apps.
The total number of apps on the Apple App Store reached 2.28 million by the end of 2025, according to our app stores data, an increase of 160,000 year on year.
New apps launched by month 2022 to 2025 (%)
According to data from a16z, the percentage growth in app launches surged three months after the release of several agentic coding tools that were more user friendly for non-developers, such as Claude Code and Manus.
Launches had been essentially flat for the preceding three years. Year-on-year growth in app launches reached 60 percent in December 2025, a new peak, suggesting that we may not yet have reached the height of agentic-coded apps.
There have already been several examples of successful vibe-coded apps, including Bitchat, MenuGen, Crash Out Diary and Dog-e-dex.
Software startups Lovable, Cursor and Emergent Labs have also seen rapid revenue growth from their vibe coding services.
Apple App Store number of apps 2008 to 2025 (mm)
Agentic coding has opened the door to thousands of additional app launches, but sustaining these apps on the Apple App Store may prove more challenging. Apple’s App Review team evaluates submissions using both automated tools and human reviewers to ensure they meet security, policy and design requirements.
There is some concern that while these agentic tools make creating an app easier than ever, they are less effective at fixing bugs or upgrading systems to meet specific requirements. That could lead to removals or the need for a traditional development team to step in.
