There are a lot of apps on the App Store (Apple says it's just shy of two million). You might think with a market so varied, that the competition for the "most popular" apps of the year would be fierce. But if you look back, the apps that top the charts seem to remain about the same from year to year.Temu is topsOn Monday, Apple dropped its list of the most popular iPhone and iPad apps of the year across a number of categories. Just like last year, Temu was the most popular free app of 2024. People still love buying cheap products, so perhaps that isn't a surprise. But it's app number two that I'm most interested in: Threads. Meta's version of "X" has had a great year, as former X users look for an alternative to the platform formerly known as Twitter. We'll have to see if Bluesky keeps its current momentum, though. If it does, it just might make it to the list in 2025.In third place is TikTok, which also isn't all that surprising: There isn't a short-form video platform more popular. Don't expect to see it on the list in 2025, though, unless the Supreme Court steps in to save the app from being banned in the U.S. AI apps from OpenAI and MetaChatGPT was the fourth most downloaded free app of 2024, and it makes sense: AI is everywhere, and people are still curious about it. But it is the only overtly AI app to make it onto the top 10 lists here. Perhaps that speaks to ChatGPT's notoriety, or that AI's hype isn't as huge as some would portray it to be. In any case, I think it was a smart move for Meta to integrate its AI services directly into apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. As much as I dislike Meta AI, these apps were the sixth and seventh most popular of the year. That's a lot of exposure, something that a dedicated Meta AI app probably wouldn't have achieved. Top paid apps: VPNs, productivity, and creativityThe paid apps are an interesting bunch. If you're like me, you probably haven't heard of many of them. The top three apps, Shadowrocket, HotSchedules, and Procreate Pocket are the exact same as last year: Shadowrocket is like a highly-configurable VPN, which lets you channel your internet traffic through proxy servers. HotSchedules is an employee-scheduling app, while Procreate Pocket is the iPhone version of Procreate, a popular art app for iPad.The most popular gamesAs far as games go, MONOPOLY GO!is still on the list, but drops to the second most popular free game. Topping the chart this year was Block Blast!, a puzzle game that was seventh on the list in 2023. Roblox andSubway Surfers were back this year, as was a Call of Duty title, but this yearCall of Duty: Warzone Mobile. The top two paid games of 2024 are exactly the same as they were last year:Minecraft andHeads Up! No surprises there.Here's the full list of categories, including iPhone, iPad, and Apple Arcade games: Top free iPhone appsTemu: Shop Like a BillionaireThreadsTikTokChatGPTGoogleInstagramWhatsApp MessengerCapCut - Video EditorYouTube: Watch, Listen, StreamGmail - Email by GoogleTop paid iPhone appsShadowrocketHotSchedulesProcreate Pocket75 HardAnkiMobile FlashcardsAutoSleep Track Sleep on WatchPaprika Recipe Manager 3TonalEnergy Tuner & MetronomeGoblin ToolsForest: Focus for ProductivityTop free iPhone gamesBlock BlastMONOPOLY GO!RobloxCall of Duty: Warzone MobileTownshipLast War:SurvivalRoyal MatchBrawl StarsSubway SurfersMy Perfect HotelTop paid iPhone gamesMinecraft: Play with FriendsHeads Up!Geometry DashPapa's Freezeria To Go!Bloons TD 6Five Nights at Freddy'sPlague Inc.MONOPOLY: The Board GameStardew ValleyRed's First FlightTop free iPad appsYouTube: Watch, Listen, StreamNetflixMax: Stream HBO, TV, & MoviesCalculator - Pad EditionDisney+Google ChromePeacock TV: Stream TV & MoviesAmazon Prime VideoTikTokGoodnotes 6Top paid iPad appsProcreateProcreate DreamsShadowrocketforScoreNomad SculptToonSquidBluebeam Revu for iPadAnkiMobile FlashcardsTeach Your Monster to ReadEndless PaperTop free iPad gamesRobloxMagic Tiles 3: Piano GameMONOPOLY GO!Subway SurfersBrawl StarsGeometry Dash LiteBlock BlastAmong Us!My Perfect HotelRoyal MatchTop paid iPad gamesMinecraft: Play with FriendsGeometry DashFive Nights at Freddy'sStardew ValleyBloons TD 6Papa's Paleteria To Go!Five Nights at Freddy's 2Poppy Playtime Chapter 1MONOPOLY: The Board GameUltimate Custom NightTop Apple Arcade gamesNBA 2K24 Arcade EditionSnake.io+Hello Kitty Island AdventureSneaky SasquatchBloons TD 6+Sonic Dream TeamNFL Retro Bowl '25Disney Dreamlight ValleyCooking Mama: Cuisine!Solitaire by MobilityWare+