Leading Software Brands in the U.S. for Q3 2024: A Sensor Tower Analysis

Introduction

In Q3 2024, the software landscape in the United States showcased a dynamic interplay between leading brands, with Google Search, Gmail, and Microsoft 365 emerging as front-runners. This analysis, powered by Sensor Tower's comprehensive data, provides insights into the audience trends and digital presence of these giants across their websites and apps.

Google Search

Google Search's digital ecosystem, encompassing g.co, google.com, and Google Lens, exhibits a robust presence both on the web and through its apps like the Google and Google Lens apps.

• Audience Trends: From Q2 to Q3 2024, google.com maintained a stable monthly true audience above 310M. In contrast, g.co saw fluctuations with peaks reaching over 215M monthly.

• App Engagement: The Google app's monthly active users remained consistently above 209M, showing slight growth. Google Lens saw a modest increase, peaking at around 380K monthly active users in September.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Monthly ad spend witnessed a significant increase, especially on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, contributing to over 1.6B impressions in September.

Gmail

Gmail's online presence is anchored by mail.google.com and the Gmail - Email by Google app, both of which are integral to its user engagement strategy.

• Audience Trends: The website attracted a monthly true audience consistently above 266M, with a notable rise in web-only visitors in September.

• App Engagement: The Gmail app maintained a stable monthly user base, with active users hovering around 225M throughout the quarter.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Minimal ad activity was observed, with a brief campaign on Facebook in April, resulting in limited impressions.

Microsoft 365 (Office 365)

Microsoft 365's comprehensive suite, including forms.office.com, microsoft365.com, and office.com, alongside apps like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office, showcases its extensive reach.

• Audience Trends: Office.com's monthly true audience saw steady growth, surpassing 33M by September. Teams.microsoft.com also experienced increased engagement, with visits peaking at over 168M monthly.

• App Engagement: Microsoft Word and Office apps showed a recovery in user numbers, with Word reaching 14.6M and Office 18.6M monthly active users by September.

• Ad Spend & Channels: LinkedIn emerged as a key channel, driving significant impressions. The overall monthly ad spend peaked in September, exceeding $2.4M.

Conclusion

The data from Q3 2024 highlights the strategic digital maneuvers of Google Search, Gmail, and Microsoft 365 in the U.S. software market. Sensor Tower's unparalleled ability to cross-reference web, app, and advertising data provides critical insights into cross-platform user behavior, crucial for understanding the evolving digital landscape. Explore more through our Web Insights, Pathmatics, and App Performance Insights offerings.