Leading Software Brands in the UK: Q4 2024 Analysis

In the dynamic landscape of the software industry, Q4 2024 has seen prominent brands like Google Search, Microsoft 365 (Office 365), and Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) maintain their strong positions in the United Kingdom. Through Sensor Tower’s unparalleled data insights, we explore the performance and trends of these leading brands across their websites and applications.

Google Search

Google Search's digital presence is vast, with its website, google.com, and the Google and Google Lens apps.

• Audience Trends: From Q3 to Q4 2024, google.com maintained a stable monthly true audience, hovering around 48M. The visits per unique visitor remained consistent at approximately 160.

• App Engagement: The Google app saw an increase in monthly active users, reaching over 43M by December. Google Lens, although smaller in scale, showed growth in user engagement with monthly active users exceeding 60K.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Google Search's monthly ad spend experienced fluctuations, with significant activity in September and December, primarily on Facebook and Instagram, resulting in impressions totaling several hundred thousand.

Microsoft 365 (Office 365)

Microsoft 365's presence is anchored by multiple platforms, including forms.office.com, microsoft365.com, and office.com, along with apps like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Teams.

• Audience Trends: The monthly true audience for forms.office.com saw a peak in November with over 14M users. Visits to office.com were substantial, maintaining over 550M monthly visits.

• App Engagement: Microsoft Teams experienced a notable increase in monthly active users, reaching over 15M in October. Microsoft Word also showed a strong user base with nearly 6.5M monthly active users.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Microsoft 365's advertising efforts were significant, especially on LinkedIn, with December seeing over 26M impressions. The overall monthly ad spend remained robust throughout the quarter.

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)

Google Workspace continues to engage users through its websites, such as calendar.google.com and docs.google.com, along with apps like Google Calendar and Google Docs.

• Audience Trends: Calendar.google.com saw consistent engagement with unique visits around 4M monthly. Docs.google.com maintained a strong presence with over 100M visits per month.

• App Engagement: The Google Calendar app users remained steady, exceeding 14M monthly active users. Google Docs showed stable engagement with over 5.6M monthly users.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Google Workspace significantly increased its monthly ad spend in November, achieving impressions over 140M, largely driven by campaigns on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Conclusion

The software category in the UK remains vibrant, with Google Search, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace leading the charge in Q4 2024. Sensor Tower's comprehensive insights, available through Web Insights, Pathmatics, and App Performance Insights, are indispensable for understanding the cross-platform user behavior that defines today's digital landscape. By leveraging these insights, decision-makers can strategically position their brands for success in an increasingly competitive market.