Apple charges $99 per year for the Developer Program, and Google charges a one-time $25 registration fee. On sales of digital goods, both stores take a commission. It is typically 30%, falling to 15% for qualifying small developers (Apple's Small Business Program and Google's first $1 million in yearly earnings) and for subscriptions (from day one on Google Play, and after a subscriber's first year on Apple). Regional rules, especially in the US and EU, have added alternative options.
Account fees: the fixed costs
Publishing on the App Store requires the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 per year for individuals and organizations, with fee waivers for some nonprofits, educational institutions, and government entities. If the membership lapses, your apps are removed from sale until you renew. Google Play has a one-time $25 registration fee with no renewal.
These fixed costs are small compared with commissions, but they shape some decisions. Enrolling as an organization on both platforms is better for companies even though it takes longer to verify, because the seller name builds trust and some categories effectively require it. Our step-by-step guides to publishing on Google Play and publishing on the App Store cover enrollment in detail.
Commission on digital goods: 30% and 15%
When users buy paid apps, in-app purchases, or subscriptions for digital content, both stores take a commission. The standard rate on Apple is 30%. Developers who earned up to $1 million in proceeds in the prior calendar year can join Apple's Small Business Program and pay 15%. On Google Play, the service fee is 15% on the first $1 million of earnings each year for developers who enroll, and 30% above that.
Physical goods and services consumed outside the app, such as food delivery, rides, or retail orders, generally do not use the stores' billing systems and carry no commission. Ad-supported apps also pay nothing on ad revenue. That is why monetization model, not just price, determines how much of your revenue goes to the platform.
Subscriptions: the 15% rate
Subscriptions have their own rates. On Google Play, auto-renewing subscriptions carry a 15% service fee from the first day. On Apple, the commission on an auto-renewable subscription drops from 30% to 15% after the subscriber completes one year of paid service, and Small Business Program members pay 15% throughout.
This makes retention financially valuable twice: you keep the customer and a larger share of each payment. It is one reason subscription apps invest in free trials, win-back offers, and clear subscription messaging that reduces early cancellations.
Regional changes: US, EU, and alternative billing
Regulation and litigation have changed the rules in several markets. In the European Union, the Digital Markets Act lets developers use alternative app marketplaces and payment options on iOS under separate business terms with their own fee structure, which Apple revised in 2025. In the United States, court rulings have allowed developers to link users to external purchase options, and Google has introduced alternative billing and external offer programs in some countries.
These options can reduce fees but add costs and complexity: payment processing, fraud, refunds, tax, and support you would otherwise not handle, plus potential conversion loss from leaving the native purchase flow. Model the full cost before switching, and check each platform's current regional terms. Our guide to alternative app marketplaces in the EU covers the European options.
Taxes, currency, and price tiers
Both stores act as the merchant of record in most countries and handle sales tax or VAT on your behalf, deducting it before calculating proceeds. That means the commission applies to the price excluding tax, and your proceeds vary by country even at the same nominal price. Both platforms provide price points per currency and can generate localized prices from a base price.
Price localization is a real lever. A price that converts in the United States can be expensive in India or Brazil. Use regional pricing deliberately, and see our guide to freemium vs paid app pricing for choosing a monetization model in the first place.
A worked example: net revenue per subscriber
Suppose a subscription costs $9.99 per month in the US, excluding tax. A Small Business Program member keeps about $8.49 per payment on iOS (85%). A larger developer keeps about $6.99 (70%) during the subscriber's first year and about $8.49 after it. On Google Play, every developer keeps about $8.49 from the first month because subscriptions carry a 15% fee.
Over a subscriber who stays 18 months with a larger iOS developer, the first 12 payments net about $83.88 and the next six about $50.94, for $134.82 total. This is why LTV calculations should always use net proceeds, not list price, and why retention improvements raise revenue faster than a simple count of subscribers suggests.
How to do it, step by step
- Confirm your fee tier on each platformCheck whether you qualify for Apple's Small Business Program and enroll in Google's 15% tier. Neither applies automatically.
- Classify what you sellSeparate digital goods consumed in the app from physical goods, services, and ad revenue, because only digital goods carry store commission.
- Model net proceeds by marketUse price excluding tax, the applicable commission, and currency conversion to estimate what you keep per sale in each priority country.
- Evaluate regional alternatives honestlyIf you consider external payments or alternative marketplaces, include processing fees, fraud, support, and conversion loss in the model.
- Feed net revenue into LTV and CPI decisionsUse proceeds, not list prices, when setting paid acquisition targets.
Before and after examples
Illustrative examples written for a generic app in this category, not client results. Swap in your own product, audience, and data.
Revenue = subscribers x $9.99
Net revenue = subscribers x ($9.99 excluding tax) x (1 - commission), with commission set by platform, tier, and subscriber tenure
Why it works: Ignoring commission and tax can overstate revenue by a third or more.
Only $59.99!
$59.99 per year, billed annually after a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Why it works: Clear terms reduce refunds, which erode net proceeds and ratings.
Assume 15% automatically.
Apply to Apple's Small Business Program and enroll in Google's 15% tier, then set a calendar reminder to recheck eligibility each year.
Why it works: Both reduced rates require action; missing them doubles the fee.
Action plan
- Enroll in reduced-fee programs on both stores
- Separate digital and physical revenue in reporting
- Model net proceeds by market and tenure
- Use net revenue in LTV and CPI targets
- Review regional terms after major rulings
- Reduce refunds with clear pricing disclosures
Metrics to monitor
- Effective commission rate by platform
- Net proceeds per paying user
- Share of subscribers past one year on iOS
- Refund rate by product
- Net revenue by country
Record the baseline, release date, audience, markets, and external changes before interpreting movement. Rankings and conversion are useful signals, but a decision is stronger when activation, retention, and business value confirm that the page attracted the right users.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Apple take from app sales?
Typically 30% of digital sales, or 15% for Small Business Program members and for auto-renewing subscriptions after a subscriber's first paid year. Regional terms can differ.
How much does Google Play take?
Google's service fee is 15% on the first $1 million of yearly earnings for enrolled developers and 30% above that. Auto-renewing subscriptions carry a 15% fee from day one.
Do I pay commission on ads or physical goods?
No. Ad revenue and payments for physical goods or services consumed outside the app do not go through store billing and carry no store commission.
Is the Apple developer fee one-time?
No. The Apple Developer Program is $99 per year. Google Play's $25 registration fee is one-time.
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