I’m doing some marketing research for my company and I’m curious to know from those of you who derive part or all of your income as independent software developers, how many copies of your Xojo apps do you sell per year? I’m not interested in app details or specific prices or income, just how many copies of an individual app, on average, that you sell per year. Thanks in advance.
I’m not sure you’ll get many responses on this. I would consider that confidential information for my business.
I realize it’s probably sensitive information for many but hopefully there are a few here who would be willing to share some ballpark figures. I just need some reasonably accurate general averages. I can get marketing data on software sales by independent developers but I’m interested specifically in Xojo developers. I suppose this is one of those times when having to use your real name here is disadvantageous.
Just lie and say 3,562. Nobody will question that.
Dang it Brad… did you hack my accounting software?!
How would that be helpful? This project isn’t a joke.
No offence, but Brad’s answer seems as helpful as any you might get. I don’t see how you can get any useful information from this. If you get three random answers, say, 50, 3,562 and 10,000, what does that tell you? Perhaps the person who sold 50, actually made the most money? Perhaps the person who sold 10,000,000 chose not to answer?
[quote=104933:@Carl Hogue]How would that be helpful? This project isn’t a joke.
[/quote]
Maybe that was my way of giving you an answer without looking like I was giving up confidential information that I wouldn’t ever give up. But now you’ll never know because you think my answer is a joke. Whatevs.
Zero… Of course, unlike some of the other people that use Xojo, I do not code as a job…
Well, I also have a shareware app with thousands of users.
If you want to make money to pay your own bills, you need to probably sell over 100000 Euro/Dollar/Pounds a year easily.
So divide the sum you need by the price you like for the app and you have the number of units you need to sell.
I doubt you will receive any serious reply to your question, as these figures are usually completely hush-hush. Nevertheless, global sales figures without any criterion might as well be obtained by tossing a coin. There is absolutely no similarity in number of sales between, say, a nice accounting software, and a game. No matter the price level, the category itself dictates different profiles of sales. A games will usually live for 6 months with high number of sales before becoming anecdotal. A useful accounting program will make a lot less sales but last a long time.
Price level is another parameter you cannot really leave on the side. A $99 app will probably sell a whole lot more than a $199 one, admitting both are reasonably successful.
You may want to approach your research more specifically in terms of categories and price level to start with.
I would not be too optimistic about getting any figure from small or big developers or publishers, though …
Five. Five different clients which make expensive (and very successful) decisions.
I was in your situation a few years ago, but I was trying to find out the details of 4D Developers. I got the same flak from folks saying that “Its confidential” and you will never find out.
We did this: We put up an ANONYMOUS survey monkey and asked a few questions. Some answered some did not. Everyone want to know. We only shared the results with those who answered the survey.
In hindsight. It was a pretty good back of the napkin indication of the real world.
PS: We asked why do you keep theses figures confidential as past of the survey/. The “Its confidential” people were either “Knee jerkings” saying “its confidential” or felt embarrassed that heir number were not that good.
My apps sell for £0 and so far, to date, I have sold 0 copies.
So, 0 x 0 = ermmmmm 0
Final outcome:
Apps sold: 0
Profit: 0
Loss: 0
Tax Paid: 0
Hope that helped 
That’s absolutely amazing. smh.
Not too long ago someone asked people on the forum for their income. He was understandably replied that it is bad form.
Why would it be different for independent developers who earn a living by selling their software ? Why would it be normal for big private companies to retain their sales figures and not for small guys ?
I find it pretty preposterous to barge into a forum requesting informations most of private vendors have all right to keep for themselves and expect anything but a polite refusal. Some marketing information is valuable enough and difficult enough to collect to be respected as privileged.
In the US given you have to pay fro your own healthcare, and have to also pay the employer share of payroll taxes, above the business expenses, depend on where you live, you might need to sell more than $100,000 worth…
That said if one was retired and collecting social security, a lot less would still be helpful… Hope by then I could do that! 
- Karen
In the US you would have to garner $100,000 PROFIT to make it worth being your own income, Then could you pay for ObamaCare, Social Security, State/Federal Income Tax, Payroll Tax , and have enough left over for the rent.
I don’t sell apps… I sell myself. Though the rates have been cut because of the (still going on) crisis I can do between 85 and 120 an hour. Times 8 times 5 times 4 is about a month’s turnover. With full occupation, that is.
[edit] I do about 16-20 hrs of developing/programming and what is left as information manager.
[quote=105161:@Alexander van der Linden]I don’t sell apps… I sell myself. Though the rates have been cut because of the (still going on) crisis I can do between 85 and 120 an hour. Times 8 times 5 times 4 is about a month’s turnover. With full occupation, that is.
[edit] I do about 16-20 hrs of developing/programming and what is left as information manager.[/quote]
Woooow! That’s a cool 18,000 a month (4.5 weeks) for a LOT less work than I used to do in the lab (10 to 16 hours a day 6 to 7 days a week) for peanuts (about $3,000 a month).
I really need to give this Developer thing a try 