Everybody knows mobile is growing at a cracking rate and the surge is being powered largely by apps, which cover everything from games to calorie counting and finance.

A recent infographic from Top Apps shows just how much apps have changed how we work and play. Here are the highlights.

Apple tops apps – just

The Apple App Store remains the most popular app directory, with 50 billion downloads since launching in 2008. However rapidly closing the gap is Google Play, which has clocked 48 billion downloads. 

Next on the list comes Blackberry App World (3 billion), Nokia Store (365 million) and Samsung Apps (100 million).

Games on the go

Gaming is by far and away the most popular category of app, accounting for one third of all app downloads.  

A distant second comes Widgets (8 per cent), followed by Entertainment (7 per cent) and social (5 per cent).

Facebook still tops

The average smartphone user has 22 apps, while the average iPhone user has 37.

Across the board the most popular apps are Facebook, Google Maps and The Weather Channel.

Freebies

Users by and large like their apps for free. In 2012 over 40 billion free apps were downloaded, compared to 5 billion paid apps. 

In 2014 it's tipped users will download 120 billion free apps, compared to 11.9 billion paid apps.

A global Appetite

It seems we can't get enough of apps. In 2010 over 300,000 apps were downloaded 10.9 billion times.

By 2014 gloabl app downloads are expected to top 76.9 billion and be worth US$35 billion.

To find out more visit topapps.net. 

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