Religious, astro apps clock nearly 30 cr downloads

Religious and astrology applications collectively achieved almost 30 crore downloads between January and September 2026, outpacing their total downloads for all of 2025. Astrology apps led with 15 crore downloads, while religious and spiritual apps accumulated 14.6 crore downloads. This surge in downloads for faith and astrology applications coincides with a growing smartphone usage trend in India, which creates an environment conducive to their expansion.

Sensor Tower data, provided exclusively to TOI, revealed that astrology app downloads surged 75% year-on-year during the first nine months of 2026, while religious and spiritual apps saw a 47% increase. The combined total of downloads surpassed the 24.8 crore recorded by these categories throughout 2025.

The growth in religious apps is observed across various faiths, featuring apps offering devotional music, scripture reading, prayer schedules, and other faith-related services. Sanatan Status Bhajan Mantra topped the religious and spiritual category with the highest average monthly active users. YouVersion Bible App secured second place, while WeMuslim and Muslim Pro followed in third and fourth positions, respectively.

User engagement with these platforms has significantly increased. Sanatan Status Bhajan Mantra experienced a 109% year-on-year increase in average monthly active users. YouVersion saw a 24% growth, while WeMuslim reported a 39% surge. Muslim Pro experienced a 5% increase, whereas Sri Mandir faced a 20% decline in user activity.

India's deep-rooted cultural affinity with religion and astrology, coupled with its mobile-first consumer base, creates a favorable setting for the growth of these categories. Notably, average daily usage of religious and spiritual apps increased from 5.8 minutes in Q1 2022 to 8.2 minutes in Q1 2026, marking a 40% rise. Astrology apps also witnessed a substantial increase in engagement, with average daily usage climbing from 3.5 minutes to 5.3 minutes, reflecting a 50% growth.

These figures suggest that users are not only downloading these apps but are also investing more time in accessing their services.

AI-driven astrology apps are gaining traction, with Astrotalk leading the category with 3 crore downloads during the first nine months of 2026. AstroSage Kundli: AI Astrology witnessed a 172% increase, recording 2.5 crore downloads. Tarot99, a newer entrant, attracted 1.1 crore downloads. AstroLokal experienced a remarkable 1,062% increase in downloads, reaching nearly 75 lakh users during the same period.

These statistics underscore the growing demand for digital astrology services alongside religious applications, marking a significant part of India's expanding app economy.