Apple paid out $10bn to developers of apps for its iPhone and iPad in 2014, taking its total paid out since its App Store’s launch in 2008 to $25bn.

Apple’s 30% revenue share of all apps spending means it earned an additional $4.3bn from sales of iOS apps in 2014, plus sales of its own range of iOS apps.

“This year is off to a tremendous start after a record-breaking year for the App Store and our developer community,” said Apple’s senior vice president of software and services Eddy Cue, as the company announced that iOS users spent nearly $500m on apps and in-app purchases in the first week of January alone.

Apple said that billings on the App Store rose 50% in 2014, although its corresponding figures for 2013 suggest the growth in spending on iOS apps was smaller than that in 2014.

In January 2014, Apple said that iOS users had spent more than $10bn on apps and in-app purchases in 2013, which indicates a payout to developers of at least $7bn that year. That suggests that payouts rose by around 43% in 2014.

Apple ended 2012 having paid out $7bn to iOS developers, then $15bn by the end of 2013, and now $25bn by the end of 2014. The company said that New Year’s Day 2015 was its single biggest day of App Store sales since the store launched.

Apple added that its Apps for RED charity drive in November and December helped boost its donations to the Aids charity to $20m in the final quarter of 2014, and $100m since it started working with the organisation.

In its announcement of the payout figures for 2014, Apple chose to highlight several independent games developers as success stories from the year, including ustwo’s Monument Valley, Hipster Whale’s Crossy Road and Sirvo’s Threes!

2014 had its bumpy moments for Apple’s relationship with iOS developers too, however: the year ended with a lively debate about the company’s App Store approval policies that has continued in to 2015.

• The best apps of 2014 for Android, iPhone and iPad