That the finding from the latest report by Distimo, which notes studios are increasingly taking a cross-platform approach, though there is less correspondence between different platforms than some may think.
Marketplace mergers
Other than the obvious link between the App Store for iPhone and the equivalent marketplace for iPad Distimo claiming 74 percent of the top 300 apps on both platforms are published on both stores the marketplace that Apple's flagship digital store has the greatest ties to is Google Play.
Again, speaking exclusively in relation to the top 300 apps on both marketplaces, Distimo claims 37 percent feature on both the App Store for iPhone and Google Play. That's 222 apps in all.
Links between other marketplaces are far less tight, however.
Though Windows Phone Marketplace is now the third largest smartphone app store on the market 70,000 apps and counting according to Distimo's numbers the majority of them are bespoke, with just 18 percent also popping up on iPhone.
The perfect recipe
Knowing what platforms to target and why, of course, is something many developers struggle with.
"There are many other things that should be considered when publishing cross platform aside from the sheer number of potential customers that are available on each platform," concludes Distimo.
"For example, a known issue of Google Play is that Android users are relatively reluctant to pay for applications.
"One of the reasons for this could be the lack of appealing payment options, especially since the paid volume compared to the free volume is much better in the Amazon Appstore."
Distimo claims developers looking to go cross-platform need to devise a focused strategy, choosing one motivation whether the desire to reach the largest userbase possible, the greatest revenue drivers, or platforms with a firm handle on in-app purchases.
The report is designed to complement the launch of Distimo's new AppLink service, designed to "address and solve the challenges developers face with cross-app store distribution and sales funnel management."
You can download the report in full from Distimo's website.
