Apple announces its ‘Best of 2018’ lists across apps, games, music, podcasts and more

Apple today announced its Best of 2018 selections – its annual, editorial list of what it considers the best content across its App Store and iTunes, along with its top charts of the most downloaded apps and games fo the year. As in other years, Apple selected a “best” app and game for each platform, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac. It also rounded-up several favorite Apple Watch apps, but didn’t award a winner.

The best app of 2018 on iPhone was the iPhone version of the popular Procreate drawing app for iPad, Procreate Pocket.

Meanwhile, the top iPad app was Froggipedia, an AR app that lets you virtually dissect a frog so you don’t have to actually dissect a frog.

Both apps showcase technologies Apple aims to promote. In Procreate Pocket’s case, it’s the iPhone companion to an Apple Pencil-powered app on iPad. On the iPhone, it instead uses 3D Touch support for painting with your finger. Froggipedia turns an Apple Pencil into the scalpel to dissect a virtual frog.

On Mac, the top app was image editor Pixelmator Pro, and top Apple TV app was the big-screened version of workout app Sweat, whose creator Kayla Itsines also showed up at WWDC this year to lead a special session.

The top games this year were: Donut County (iPhone), Gorogoa (iPad), The Gardens Between (Mac) and Alto’s Odyssey (Apple TV) – the latter which also won an Apple Design Award earlier this year.  

Showcasing their somewhat secondary status, Apple Watch apps didn’t get a “best of” pick for app and game, but a small group got a shoutout from Apple as being “favorites.”

This includes: WaterMinder, Lifesum, 10% Happier, Carrot Weather, FunGolf GPS, Swing Tennis Tracker, Slopes, App in the Air, Overcast, and Just Press Record.

While its “Best of” selections were editorially chosen, Apple also unveiled its year-end “Top Charts” across iPhone and iPad, which were separated by both apps and games (free and paid).

These are the most downloaded app of 2018. The lists still show Facebook, YouTube, Google, and other entertainment apps dominating the top free charts.

Top Free iPhone Apps – Chart

1. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
2. Instagram
3. Snapchat
4. Messenger
5. Facebook
6. Bitmoji
7. Netflix
8. Google Maps – Transit & Food
9. Gmail – Email by Google
10. Spotify Music
11. Amazon – Shopping made easy
12. Uber
13. WhatsApp Messenger
14. Pandora – Streaming Music
15. Wish – Shopping Made Fun
16. TikTok – Real Short Videos
17. Cash App
18. Google Photos
19. Google Chrome
20. Twitter

Top Paid iPhone Apps – Chart

1. Facetune
2. kirakira+
3. Dark Sky Weather
4. HotSchedules
5. PlantSnap Plant Identification
6. AutoSleep Tracker for Watch
7. Sky Guide
8. 1 Second Everyday: Video Diary
9. The Wonder Weeks
10. Afterlight 2
11. My Talking Pet Pro
12. Glitché
13. Scanner Pro
14. TouchRetouch
15. 7 Minute Workout Challenge
16. Forest – Stay focused
17. Full Fitness : Exercise Workout Trainer
18. Word Swag – Cool Fonts
19. SkyView® – Explore the Universe
20. HeartWatch. Heart & Activity

Top Free iPhone Games – Chart

1. Fortnite
2. Helix Jump
3. Rise Up
4. PUBG MOBILE
5. Hole.io
6. Love Balls
7. Snake VS Block
8. Rules of Survival
9. ROBLOX
10. Dune!
11. Subway Surfers
12. Episode – Choose Your Story
13. Word Link – Word Puzzle Game
14. Toon Blast
15. Color Road!
16. HQ Trivia
17. Twisty Road!
18. 8 Ball Pool
19. Kick the Buddy
20. Sniper 3D Assassin: Gun Games

Top Paid iPhone Games – Chart 

1. Heads Up!
2. Minecraft
3. Plague Inc.
4. Bloons TD 6
5. Pocket Build
6. Bloons TD 5
7. Geometry Dash
8. The Game of Life
9. Papa’s Freezeria To Go!
10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
11. Trivia Crack (No Ads)
12. Getting Over It
13. Monument Valley 2
14. Alto’s Odyssey
15. True Skate
16. The Room: Old Sins
17. Terraria
18. Exploding Kittens®
19. Five Nights at Freddy’s
20. The Escapists: Prison Escape

Top Free iPad Apps – Chart

1. YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
2. Netflix
3. Messenger
4. Facebook
5. Amazon Prime Video
6. Google Chrome
7. Gmail – Email by Google
8. YouTube Kids
9. The Calculator
10. Amazon – Shopping made easy
11. Spotify Music
12. Hulu: Watch TV Shows & Movies
13. Google Docs: Sync, Edit, Share
14. Google Drive
15. Google Maps – Transit & Food
16. Microsoft Word
17. Pandora – Streaming Music
18. Amazon Kindle
19. Colorfy: Coloring Art Games
20. Google

Top Paid iPad Apps – Chart

1. Procreate
2. Notability
3. GoodNotes 4
4. Toca Life: Pets
5. Duet Display
6. Toca Life: After School
7. XtraMath
8. Toca Hair Salon 3
9. MyScript Nebo
10. Toca Kitchen 2
11. PDF Expert by Readdle
12. Toca Life: Hospital
13. Affinity Photo
14. Toca Life: Office
15. GoodReader
16. Toca Lab: Elements
17. Notes Plus
18. Human Anatomy Atlas 2019
19. Toca Life: City
20. AnyFont

Top Free iPad Games – Chart

1. Fortnite
2. ROBLOX
3. Kick the Buddy
4. Love Balls
5. Helix Jump
6. Color by Number Coloring Game!
7. Bowmasters – Multiplayer Game
8. Hole.io
9. Rise Up
10. Rules of Survival
11. Subway Surfers
12. Rolling Sky
13. PUBG MOBILE
14. Toon Blast
15. Snake VS Block
16. Granny
17. Piano Tiles 2
18. slither.io
19. Run Sausage Run!
20. Pixel Art – Color by Number

Top Paid iPad Games – Chart 

1. Minecraft
2. Geometry Dash
3. The Game of Life
4. The Room: Old Sins
5. Heads Up!
6. Bloons TD 6
7. Goat Simulator
8. Five Nights at Freddy’s
9. LEGO® Jurassic World
10. Terraria
11. The Escapists: Prison Escape
12. Bloons TD 5 HD
13. Monument Valley 2
14. Plague Inc.
15. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location
16. Goat Simulator PAYDAY
17. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
18. Teeny Titans – Teen Titans Go!
19. Teen Titans Go! Figure
20. Scribblenauts Unlimited

Apple also rounded up its best stories

In addition to the best content across categories, Apple this year also highlighted the most-read stories from the “Today” section on the App Store.

The revamped and more editorially-driven App Store launched over a year ago in September 2017, making this year the first full year of its existence.

The store is now not just a marketplace and search engine for apps, but also a place to read about the developers who create apps, their businesses, and learn other tips and tricks.

According to Apple, the top ten most-read stories included several on popular games, and a guide for parents on Snapchat, among others.

The full list included:

• A Parent’s Guide to Snapchat
• A Whole New Virtual You
• All the Feels
• Enter the World of The Elder Scrolls: Blades
• Games for Nongamers
• These Puzzles Get Pretty Wild
• Likelife—but More Fun
• Enter Fortnite’s Epic Universe
• Create the Perfect Wallpaper
• Sky Guide

Apple also picked a few editorial favorites of its own, including:

• She Beat the Heat
• It’s Complicated
• Lend an Ear
• Sum Kind of Love
• Falling in Love? Sounds Glorious

Music, books and more

The company also unveiled its editorial and most-downloaded lists for podcasts, audiobooks, books, TV shows and music.

Some highlights of those selections included Artist of the year: Drake; Breakout Artist of the Year: Juice WRLD; Song of the Year: I Like It – Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny & J. Balvin; Album of the Year: Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves; Most Downloaded Podcast: The Daily; Best Book of the year: American Marriage; and Audiobook of the year: American Marriage.

Apple isn’t the only one with a year-end “Best of” list out now. Google Play also this week unveiled its own “Best of 2018” winners. Its list included the best app, Drops: Learn 31 new languages, and best game, PUBG Mobile. It introduced a “fan favorites” category as well, where users got to vote on their own favorite apps and games. Those winners included PUBG again, but for best app, they chose YouTube TV.