KakaoTalk
67
Quality Score
Solid
✍️ Bumetric analysis
“
KakaoTalk is an iOS app from Kakao Corp. in the Social Networking category, currently rated 4.0★ across 25,040 ratings. Initial signal reads as mixed reviews: supporters praise core features while critics cite stability and value gaps.
Quality Score is 67: Solid (established niche player). For a Social Networking app, that means established niche player. The full BU Investment Matrix below scores 8 dimensions including monetisation, growth, and operational risk.
Track changes month-over-month in the Performance section below: live snapshot history and revenue forecast included.
💰 Monthly revenue · now vs forecast
● Right now
$3.5M
per month
→
12-mo forecast
$3.7M – $5.7M
per month
→
24-mo forecast
$4.4M – $8.2M
per month
BIG tier
💡 Grow this revenue
Free AI audit of this app’s store listing
- Title & subtitle keyword fit
- Description hook & conversion structure
- Screenshots, ratings, reviews strategy
Typical impact: +2-5× organic installs
📊 Performance Tracking LIVE
506 snapshots on record
Rating
4.0
Reviews
25,040 reviews
Forecast Revenue / mo
$3.5M
Snapshots tracked
506
since Sep 2025
🤖Also on Android
$114/mo · 3.3M ratings · 2.9★
View →
ONE-TIME · BUILD
💰 Estimated build cost
$255K
↳ What it cost to build · not monthly revenue
Likely range $190K – $345K
$25K · MVP floor
$100K · indie scale
$500K+ · studio build
📈
Pays back in under a month at current MRR
Synthetic estimate. Inputs: category complexity, file size, screen count, monetization layer, platform reach, age × team-size proxy. Calibrated against 2024-2026 indie-agency rate surveys. Full math + source list on /methodology.
Where the money goes
| 🧱 MVP baseline (design + 1-store ship) | +$28K |
| 📱 5 unique screens × $4.5K | +$22K |
| 📦 Asset bundle (554 MB) | +$40K |
| ⚙ Social Networking complexity ×1.70 | +$63K |
| ⚙ 16.5y maintenance × ~1-person team | +$99K |
Total estimate
$255K
ONE-TIME · EXIT VALUE
💵 Estimated acquisition value
$66.0M
↳ What it would sell for · not monthly revenue
Marketplace range $49.5M – $86.0M · 19× MRR multiple
💸
~259× return on build cost
Synthetic estimate. Multiple band derived from ad-supported + age, rating quality, category demand, and user-base maturity. Calibrated against 2024-2026 indie-app-marketplace closed-deal medians. Full math + comparable deal list on /methodology.
How the multiple was built
| 📺 Ad-supported base | 15× MRR |
| 📅 16.5y proven track record | +20% |
| 🏷 Social Networking category multiple | +5% |
Final multiple
19× MRR
👥 Estimated audience size
1.6M
Lifetime downloads (US-equivalent)
Monthly active
77K
Daily active
42K
Synthetic estimate from ratings × category benchmarks. Calibrated against 2024-2026 mobile-attribution retention + DAU/MAU reports. Numbers are US-storefront-equivalent — true global audience can be 5-10× larger for international apps. Full math + source list on /methodology.
How we sized it
| 📲 Social Networking engagement | ~90 installs / rating |
| 📅 16.5y of rating accumulation | -30% |
| 🔁 Social Networking D30 retention | 25% |
| 📍 DAU / MAU stickiness | 0.55 |
DAU / MAU
55% sticky
🛠 Estimated tech stack
🍎
Native iOS (Swift / UIKit)
Medium confidence · 55%
Also possible
React Native
Flutter
Heuristic guess from app bundle size, category, store description signals, and release-date stack era. Bumetric does not disassemble binaries — for binary-level certainty you would need an SDK intelligence tool or the manifest itself. Reasoning chain on the right. Full ruleset on /methodology.
Signals we read
| 📦 App bundle size | 554 MB |
| 🏷 Category context | Social Networking |
| 📦 Large iOS bundle | → Native Swift / UIKit (pre-2020 era) + assets |
💀 Maintenance status
Active
5%
Last shipped 2026-09-14 · 17 days ago
0 · Active
50 · At risk
100 · Abandoned
Heuristic risk score from time-since-last-update + ratings velocity proxy + Editor's Choice / curated featuring signals. Calibrated against 2024-2025 app-store ranking decay reports. Not a guarantee — a quiet app with a healthy codebase looks the same as an abandoned one until something breaks. Full math on /methodology.
Risk signals
| 📅 17 days since last update | Active development |
Verdict
Active
🔬
How we forecast this revenue
MEDIUM CONFIDENCEBaseline
$3.5M/mo · ML-estimated from 234 triggers
Growth rate
+2.5% MoM · BIG tier baseline (compound monthly)
6 months
$3.5M – $4.7M
12 months
$3.7M – $5.7M
24 months
$4.4M – $8.2M
Compound growth at +2.5% MoM (tier baseline for BIG). Range widens with horizon — typical noise band ±15% at 6mo.. Ranges widen with horizon — distant futures carry more uncertainty.
📊
BU Investment Matrix
Mixed signals · 58/100BIG TIERcompetitive but cautiousRevenue Strength
6.5
Product Quality
8.1
Market Position
2.0
Growth Velocity
5.0
Defensibility
7.5
Operational Safety
10.0
Founder Strength
6.2
Monetization Maturity
1.0
- 💰 Revenue: Healthy — $1.4M - $7.7M/mo · BIG tier · medium-low confidence, trajectory unclear.
- ⭐ Quality: 4.03★ across 25,040 reviews — strong (top 10%).
- 📍 Market: Not yet charting in any of the 9 monitored markets.
- 📈 Growth: Insufficient signal to assess trajectory.
- ⚠️ Risk: Low — no material risk signals detected.
🎯 For competitors: Mixed picture. Worth competing if you have a clear UX or pricing edge — otherwise crowded segment.
💵 For acquirers: Estimated asking range 18-32× monthly = $63.0M-$112.0M.
Composite of 8 dimensions computed deterministically from public signals — no LLM, every score traces back to a measurable input. Default weights shown; "compete" / "acquire" / "invest" lenses re-weight without re-fetching.
Range:
💰 Forecast Revenue / mo
MODELRevenue forecast computed from BU's 234 trigger model on each snapshot. Calibrated against ground-truth from 58 verified-revenue apps.
🔬Forecast Breakdown — Why This Estimate?Top 9 of 9 triggers
Our ML model uses 200+ signals from public data. These are the most influential for this app:
| Mid install base (25,040 ratings)METRIC | +$5,500 | |
| bugsREVIEW | −$1,800 | |
| 5 starREVIEW | +$1,800 | |
| securityREVIEW | +$1,800 | |
| Mature app (16y old)METRIC | +$1,500 | |
| Multilingual (15 languages)METRIC | +$1,500 | |
| slowREVIEW | −$1,200 | |
| Good rating (4.0★)METRIC | +$800 | |
| Ad-supported / freemiumMETRIC | +$600 |
METRIC = structural app data · REVIEW = mined from user reviews · ✓ VERIFIED = Stripe-verified anchor (TrustMRR)
📈 Reviews Growth
LIVECumulative review count from first BU snapshot. Each point = a tracked update.
⭐ Rating Trend
LIVEAverage rating evolution. Updates with each new review batch.
🆕 What's New · v26.8.0
● The Chats tab now features a new Channel folder.
: View Info Talk and promotional messages at a glance.
● You can now enable the Unread folder as needed.
: Exclude the Unread folder from the folder list to hide it.
● Control notification settings for chatrooms in one folder.… Full release notes →
: View Info Talk and promotional messages at a glance.
● You can now enable the Unread folder as needed.
: Exclude the Unread folder from the folder list to hide it.
● Control notification settings for chatrooms in one folder.… Full release notes →
Profile & Insights
Everything we know — and don't — about this app and its company.
Identification
- App name
- KakaoTalk
- Developer
- Kakao Corp.
- Bundle ID
- com.iwilab.KakaoTalk
- App Store URL
- Open in App Store
- Category
- Social Networking
- Content rating
- 4+
- Languages
- EN, FR, DE, ID, IT, JA, KO, PT, RU, ZH, ES, TH, ZH, TR, VI
Company
- Website
- Not found
- Tagline
- Today
- Description
- Find apps and games for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more on the App Store.
- Founded
- Not found
- HQ / Address
- Not found
- Employees
- Not found
- Logo
- Available
Revenue
- Reported revenue signal / mo
- Not found
- AI revenue estimate / mo
- Not found
- AI annual estimate
- Not found
- Model estimate / mo
- $3.5M/mo
- Top-grossing rank
- 🇮🇳#10 /100 🇦🇺#71 /100 🇨🇦#80 /100
- All-time revenue
- Not found
- Pricing
- Not found
Founder
Founder data not yet collected for this app.
Funding
Funding data not yet collected for this app.
Press & Links
Press & Links data not yet collected for this app.
Contacts & Socials
Contacts & Socials data not yet collected for this app.
📈Ratings growth44,854 ratings+9934% lifetimeShow 3-year history estimate ▾
Tracked (60 weeks) Pre-tracking estimate (0 weeks) · model-based, ±5% noise · anchored to release date and current value
🌍Top Countries — Grossing Rank3 countries
🇮🇳IN#10 /100
🇦🇺AU#71 /100
🇨🇦CA#80 /100
📊Category Rank Trajectory#10 now · best #10 · worst #96
Lower line = better rank · Estimate from ratings growth model · Lower position on chart = worse rank · Higher = top of chart
🚀Update Frequency · Releases per Quarter5 releases tracked
🚀Version Release Timeline5 releases tracked
Profile is built from iTunes Lookup + developer site scrape + ML revenue model. Empty fields show "Not found" — additional sources (Crunchbase, X, IndieHackers, Acquire.com) coming.
📝 About this app
■ KakaoTalk – Korea’s no. 1 messenger
KakaoTalk is more than just a free messenger. It brings you instant connection, fun short-form content, and smart AI features—anytime, anywhere. Enjoy meaningful one-on-one and group conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, and discover new communities you're interested in via Open Chat. You can also share photos, videos, and files in just a tap!
■ Chat made easier, experience made better
Keep your chats organized with folders, and easily edit or delete messages you’ve sent.… View full description on the official store →
KakaoTalk is more than just a free messenger. It brings you instant connection, fun short-form content, and smart AI features—anytime, anywhere. Enjoy meaningful one-on-one and group conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, and discover new communities you're interested in via Open Chat. You can also share photos, videos, and files in just a tap!
■ Chat made easier, experience made better
Keep your chats organized with folders, and easily edit or delete messages you’ve sent.… View full description on the official store →
App Specs
🔐 Own this app? Claim & verify MRR →💾 554 MB🔞 4+📱 iOS 17.0+🔖 v26.8.0🔄 updated 2w ago🌐 EN, FR, DE, ID, IT +10📂 Social Networking💰 Paid🚀 Launched 2010 (16y old)
📅
What Worked™ · Development Pipeline
17 EVENTS TRACKEDDetected changes in this app over its tracked lifetime — each event links cause (what changed) to effect (what moved). Sorted newest first.See full history →Version history →
2026-09
📸
Refreshed store screenshots — 12 of 12 updated
2026-09
🔧
Shipped update — v26.7.1 → v26.8.0
→ 30 days after: reviews +2,950 low · multiple changes
2026-08
📸
Refreshed store screenshots — 13 of 13 updated
→ 30 days after: reviews +2,950 medium · co-occurring
2026-08
🔧
Shipped update — v26.6.2 → v26.7.1
→ 30 days after: rating +0.07★ · reviews +6,438 low · multiple changes
2026-07
📸
Refreshed store screenshots — 6 of 6 updated
→ 30 days after: reviews +3,488 medium · co-occurring
2026-07
🔧
Shipped update — v26.4.3 → v26.6.2
→ 30 days after: revenue +$3.6K/mo · rating +0.11★ · reviews +8,233 low · multiple changes
2026-05
🔧
Shipped update — v26.3.5 → v26.4.3
→ 30 days after: rating +0.19★ · reviews +8,631 medium · co-occurring
2026-05
📈
Crossed 1,000 ratings — social-proof flywheel kicking in
→ 30 days after: rating +0.19★ · reviews +8,631 medium · co-occurring
2026-05
⭐
Rating ↑ 1.47 → 4.03 (improved 2.56★)
→ 30 days after: rating +0.19★ · reviews +8,631 medium · co-occurring
2026-03
📈
Crossed 500 ratings — social-proof flywheel kicking in
→ 30 days after: rating +0.05★ · reviews +13 low · multiple changes
2026-03
⭐
Rating ↓ 3.50 → 1.42 (dropped 2.08★)
→ 30 days after: rating +0.08★ · reviews +18 low · multiple changes
2026-03
📈
Crossed 500 ratings — social-proof flywheel kicking in
→ 30 days after: rating +0.10★ · reviews +23 medium · co-occurring
2026-03
⭐
Rating ↑ 1.42 → 3.50 (improved 2.08★)
→ 30 days after: rating +0.10★ · reviews +23 medium · co-occurring
2025-10
📈
Crossed 100 ratings — social-proof flywheel kicking in
→ 30 days after: rating +0.07★ · reviews +330 low · multiple changes
2025-09
📈
Crossed 50 ratings — social-proof flywheel kicking in
→ 30 days after: rating +0.07★ · reviews +328 low · multiple changes
2025-09
📈
Crossed 10 ratings — social-proof flywheel kicking in
→ 30 days after: rating +0.07★ · reviews +328 medium · co-occurring
2025-09
🚀
First tracked snapshot — initial data captured
→ 30 days after: rating +0.07★ · reviews +328 medium · co-occurring
📸
Store Page History
31 SCREENSHOT CHANGESEvery time a developer swaps a store screenshot we archive both versions. Compare side-by-side to see what messaging / visuals changed.
iPad screenshots
Slot 1
4 ver.
4 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-07-16
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 2
3 ver.
3 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 3
3 ver.
3 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 4
3 ver.
3 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 5
3 ver.
3 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 6
4 ver.
4 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-07-16
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
iPhone screenshots
Slot 1
4 ver.
4 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-07-16
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 2
4 ver.
4 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-07-16
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 3
4 ver.
4 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-07-16
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 4
2 ver.
2 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-08-16
Slot 5
4 ver.
4 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-07-16
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
Slot 6
3 ver.
3 ver.
2026-05-12
2026-08-16
2026-09-16
🔎
ASO Keyword Positions
BEST RANK #26Ranked for 1 App Store search query in our last keyword sweep. Lower position = closer to the top.
messaging·#26🇺🇸
Last sweep: 2026-05-19 · iTunes Search API
🌍
Multi-Country Performance
Available in 9 of 9 monitored markets| Market | Rating | Reviews | Current version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 US | 4.37455★ | 46,274 | 4.37455★ this version |
| 🇬🇧 GB | 4.04438★ | 1,442 | 4.04438★ this version |
| 🇩🇪 DE | 4.18407★ | 1,733 | 4.18407★ this version |
| 🇫🇷 FR | 4.29157★ | 1,317 | 4.29157★ this version |
| 🇯🇵 JP | 3.34101★ | 24,498 | 3.34101★ this version |
| 🇨🇦 CA | 4.29154★ | 6,620 | 4.29154★ this version |
| 🇦🇺 AU | 4.36269★ | 3,554 | 4.36269★ this version |
| 🇧🇷 BR | 3.58184★ | 947 | 3.58184★ this version |
| 🇮🇳 IN | 4.27607★ | 815 | 4.27607★ this version |
🔔
Track this app’s revenue
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📝 Description
95
BU Score · Transcendent
Full revenue analysis
Read the article-style breakdown for KakaoTalk: category rank, percentile, growth signal, comparable apps, and how the forecast is calibrated against verified-MRR anchors in this niche.
More by Kakao Corp.
View all →📦 Portfolio summaryBIG studio
11apps·$5.6M/mocombined
Lead-app heavy — top app contributes 62%
About this analysis
Why high confidence: 25,040 ratings · no founder-verified revenue (model estimate only).
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
10 answers · auto-generated from this app's public dataHow much does KakaoTalk make per month?▴
Based on our ML-calibrated revenue forecast, KakaoTalk earns approximately $3.5M/mo. This is a US-storefront-equivalent estimate; global revenue can be several times larger for internationally-distributed apps. See the methodology page for the full formula and confidence bands.
Is KakaoTalk profitable?▴
With estimated build cost $255K and monthly revenue $3.5M, KakaoTalk looks highly profitable — pays back its build investment in under a month at the current run-rate. Profitability also depends on paid-acquisition spend and refund rate which the public model doesn't see.
How many users does KakaoTalk have?▴
Estimated audience: ~1.6M lifetime downloads, ~77K monthly active users, and ~42K daily active users. Derived from ratings count × category installs-per-rating × age decay. US-storefront-equivalent — global audience can be 5-10× larger for internationally-distributed apps.
What apps are like KakaoTalk?▴
Browse the full Social Networking category catalog to find similar apps with revenue, build cost, audience and tech stack data. Each /p/{slug} page also shows a Compare side-by-side widget with three peer apps from the same niche.
What is KakaoTalk built with?▴
Our heuristic places KakaoTalk on the Native iOS (Swift / UIKit) stack (Medium confidence, 55%). Signals: app bundle size, category context, store-description markers, release-date era. We don't disassemble binaries. Alternative possibilities: React Native, Flutter.
Is KakaoTalk still actively maintained?▴
Maintenance status: Active (5% abandonment risk). Last shipped version was 17 days ago. The risk score combines time-since-last-update with Editor's Choice / curated featuring + user-base maturity adjustments.
How much would KakaoTalk sell for?▴
Estimated acquisition value: $66.0M (marketplace range $49.5M – $86.0M). Calculated as 19× monthly revenue using the standard multiple for the detected monetization model + adjustments for age, rating quality and category demand. Calibrated against 2024-2026 Flippa / Acquire.com / MicroAcquire closed-deal medians.
When was KakaoTalk last updated?▴
KakaoTalk last shipped a new version on 2026-09-14 — less than a month ago. This is the date Apple / Google last accepted a new build, not a content-only push.
Who makes KakaoTalk?▴
KakaoTalk is published by Kakao Corp. on the Apple App Store. See the full publisher portfolio (other apps by the same developer) via the More by developer block on the product page above.
What is KakaoTalk's BU Score?▴
KakaoTalk has a BU Score of 67/100 (Solid). The score combines App Store rating, ratings count, monetization model and revenue signals calibrated against founder-verified MRR anchors. See the BU Score formula.