How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store?
Publishing an app on the App Store requires membership of the Apple Developer Program, which Apple prices at USD 99 a year. It is a recurring fee rather than a one-off: if it is not renewed, apps already published are removed from the store. A commission also applies to sales, at 15 per cent for developers inside the small business programme.
Verifiable answer
Publishing an app on the App Store requires membership of the Apple Developer Program, which Apple prices at USD 99 a year. It is a recurring fee rather than a one-off: if it is not renewed, apps already published are removed from the store. A commission also applies to sales, at 15 per cent for developers inside the small business programme.
- How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store?
- US$99 / year
- US$99
- Italy
- 22 July 2026
- Confidence: High
- Distribution of apps on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro; Access to the distribution and testing tools, including testing with external users; Access to pre-release operating systems and to restricted documentation; The signing and notarisation of packages required for publication
- Design, development and testing of the app, which dominate the budget and have nothing to do with the fee; The Apple computer needed to run the development environment, and the devices to test the app on; The commission Apple retains on sales and in-app purchases; Promotion and user acquisition after publication; The Apple Developer Enterprise Program, which is a separate programme for internal distribution
- The type of enrolment, individual or organisation; Whether the fee waiver for nonprofits, schools and government bodies applies; The tax applied in the buyer's country; The app's revenue model, which decides whether and how much the commission bites; How many years the app stays published, which multiplies the fee
- 5 sources
Official price versus real cost
Official price
US$99
/ year
Difference+US$0 (+0%)
Real cost
US$99
US$99 – US$121
The official price is USD 99 a year, and about that figure there is no ambiguity. The real cost departs from it in two opposite directions. Downwards, because nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government bodies can obtain a full waiver of the fee. Upwards, because Apple states it applies the buyer's national value added tax: at the standard Italian rate of 22 per cent that would reach USD 120.78, but Apple does not publish the final Italian amount and we could not verify it on any of its pages. There is then a third difference, more important than either: the fee is annual, while it is almost always quoted as a single outlay. An app that stays published for five years costs USD 495 in platform fees alone, and stopping payment does not preserve what has already been published — the app is removed from the store.
Short answer
The USD 99 fee is the only compulsory, certain cost of publishing on the App Store, but it is almost always quoted as though it were a single payment. It is annual, and an app that stays published for five years costs USD 495 in platform fees alone.
The figure of USD 99 has circulated for years as the standard answer to what it costs to publish an app, and it is correct: it is what Apple charges for the Apple Developer Program, the same everywhere, shown in local currency at enrolment. The problem is that it is almost always described as an entry cost when it is in fact a subscription. It renews every twelve months, and if the renewal lapses, apps already on the store are removed: someone who publishes an app believing they have paid once discovers a year later that the cost repeats, and that stopping does not leave things as they are. The second item missing from short answers is the commission on sales, which is not an amount but a percentage: 15 per cent for developers inside the small business programme, with a threshold set at one million dollars of proceeds in the previous year. In Europe, moreover, from 1 January 2026 Apple applies a single model that replaces the old per-install fee with a 5 per cent core technology commission. This guide keeps three things apart: the fee, the tax and the percentage on sales.
What is included
- Distribution of apps on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Vision Pro
- Access to the distribution and testing tools, including testing with external users
- Access to pre-release operating systems and to restricted documentation
- The signing and notarisation of packages required for publication
What is not included
- Design, development and testing of the app, which dominate the budget and have nothing to do with the fee
- The Apple computer needed to run the development environment, and the devices to test the app on
- The commission Apple retains on sales and in-app purchases
- Promotion and user acquisition after publication
- The Apple Developer Enterprise Program, which is a separate programme for internal distribution
How the price breaks down
| Item | Type | Frequency | Minimum | Typical | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer ProgramThe compulsory annual fee for distributing an app on the App Store. It is not a one-off payment: it renews every year, and when it lapses published apps are removed from the store. | Compulsory | per year | — | US$99 | — |
| Value added tax applied at purchaseApple states it applies the rate in force in the buyer's country. At the standard Italian rate of 22 per cent that is USD 21.78 on the USD 99 fee, unless the amount shown at enrolment already includes it. | Compulsory | per year | US$0 | US$0 | US$22 |
| Apple Developer Enterprise ProgramA separate programme, reserved for internal distribution to employees rather than publication on the App Store. It does not replace the USD 99 fee: anyone needing both pays for both. | Optional | per year | — | US$299 | — |
| Commission on sales, expressed as a percentageNot a fixed amount, which is why no figure is given: 15 per cent for developers inside the small business programme, meaning up to one million dollars of proceeds in the prior year, and the standard rate above that threshold. On a free app with no in-app purchases nothing applies at all. | Optional | per year | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 |
What the price depends on
- The type of enrolment, individual or organisation
- Whether the fee waiver for nonprofits, schools and government bodies applies
- The tax applied in the buyer's country
- The app's revenue model, which decides whether and how much the commission bites
- How many years the app stays published, which multiplies the fee
Hidden costs
- The annual renewal, routinely overlooked: this is not an entry cost, and letting it lapse removes the apps from the store
- Value added tax applied at purchase, which Apple states but does not quantify on its public pages
- The commission on sales, which hits revenue rather than costs and therefore escapes anyone budgeting by project
- The requirement, for organisations, to hold a D-U-N-S number, a company email on their own domain and a public, working website
- Rejected review submissions, which cost nothing directly but lengthen timelines and therefore development cost
Three realistic scenarios
Economy scenario
US$0
An accredited school or a nonprofit that obtains the fee waiver Apple provides for: the platform costs nothing, leaving only development costs, which this guide does not count.
Typical scenario
US$99
An individual enrolling in the Apple Developer Program to publish one or more apps: USD 99 a year plus the tax applied at purchase, renewed for as long as the apps remain on the store.
Premium scenario
US$398
A company that publishes on the App Store and also distributes internal apps to its own staff holds two separate memberships: USD 99 for the Developer Program and USD 299 for the Enterprise Program, USD 398 a year before tax.
How to spend less
- If you are publishing for a nonprofit, an accredited educational institution or a government body, apply for the fee waiver: Apple provides for it explicitly and it takes the USD 99 to zero.
- Enrol as an individual if you do not need a company name shown on the store: organisation enrolment requires a D-U-N-S number, a public website and a longer verification.
- Do not enrol before the app is ready to test: the fee runs from enrolment, and months of development paid for with nothing to publish is the commonest waste on this line.
- Check whether you qualify for the small business programme before publishing a paid app: the difference between 15 per cent and the standard rate is what weighs most on revenue.
- If you work as a team, use one membership with several users rather than separate memberships: the fee is per account, not per person.
- Remember that a free app with no in-app purchases generates no commission at all: in that case the platform cost is exactly the annual fee and nothing more.
Frequently asked questions
Is the USD 99 paid only once?
No, and this is the commonest misunderstanding about the cost. The Apple Developer Program is an annual membership: the fee has to be renewed every twelve months for as long as the app needs to stay available. If the renewal is not made, apps already published are removed from the App Store. An app kept alive for five years therefore carries USD 495 of platform fee alone, before tax, development and commission on sales.
What does enrolment cost in euros from Italy?
Apple states USD 99 on its Italian pages too, and notes that prices may vary by region and are shown in local currency during the enrolment process. It adds that the value added tax rate in force in the buyer's country is applied. It does not, however, publish the final euro amount for Italy, and we could not read it on any of its pages: that is why we give a band between USD 99 and USD 120.78 rather than a single figure.
Are there cases where the fee is not paid?
Yes. Apple provides a fee waiver for nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government bodies meeting the requirements set out on its support pages. The waiver covers the membership fee only and has to be requested through the dedicated process rather than applying automatically. For everyone else, individuals included, the fee is payable in full, and there are no reductions tied to the number of apps published or to revenue.
How much does Apple keep on sales?
It depends on revenue. Developers with up to one million dollars of proceeds in the previous calendar year, or new to the App Store, qualify for the small business programme and pay a 15 per cent commission on paid apps and in-app purchases. Above that threshold the standard commission applies to subsequent sales, with the possibility of returning to 15 per cent the following year if proceeds fall back. A free app with no in-app purchases generates no commission at all.
What changes for developers distributing in the European Union?
From 1 January 2026 Apple applies a single model in Europe for all developers, replacing the previous fee of EUR 0.50 per first annual install above one million installs. In its place sits a 5 per cent core technology commission on revenue from digital goods and services, applying to distribution through the App Store, web distribution and alternative marketplaces alike. Commissions on sales remain, which Apple states at 17 and 10 per cent under the alternative terms, with a further 3 per cent where payment processing goes through Apple.
Are there requirements beyond paying?
Yes, and for organisations they are demanding. Enrolling as an individual requires only your legal name and an Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and your own name will appear on the store. Enrolling as an organisation requires a legal entity able to contract with Apple, a D-U-N-S number, an email address on the company domain and a public, working website, and the person applying must have authority to bind the organisation. The D-U-N-S number is generally obtained at no cost.
Sources and methodology
How we worked it out
The fee was checked against three separate pages of Apple's documentation, including the English support page and the Italian help page, to establish whether a different figure is published for Italy. It is not: both state USD 99 and defer to the local currency shown during enrolment. On this point the guide declares a limit. Apple says the buyer's national value added tax is applied but does not publish the final Italian amount, and we could not read the euro figure actually charged on any Apple page. The real cost is therefore given as a band between USD 99 and USD 120.78, the fee plus the standard Italian rate of 22 per cent. The commission percentages come from Apple's own pages on the small business programme and the European regime, and have not been converted into amounts because they depend on revenue. Design, development and marketing costs are deliberately excluded: they are not platform costs and vary by orders of magnitude.
Why this confidence level
Confidence is high because the fee is set by Apple itself, the authority on its own programme, and was verified across three independent pages of its documentation including the Italian one. One point remains unresolved and is stated openly: Apple says it applies local tax but does not publish the final Italian amount, and we could not read on any Apple page what is actually charged in euros. That is why the real cost is a band rather than a single figure. The commission percentages are equally solid, but they are percentages: they do not become an amount until there is revenue.
Annual fee of USD 99 for the Apple Developer Program and USD 299 for the Enterprise Program, with local VAT applied at purchase
Apple Developer Program Enrollment — Support (opens in a new tab)
Apple · Official tariff · Verified on 22 July 2026
Apple support page, opened on 22 July 2026. Apple sets this fee itself, so the source is primary in the strictest sense. The page states that prices may vary by region and are shown in local currency during enrolment, and that the buyer's national value added tax is applied.
Authority5/5
Confirmation of the USD 99 annual fee and of the fee waiver for nonprofits, educational institutions and government entities
Choosing a Membership — Apple Developer Support (opens in a new tab)
Apple · Official tariff · Verified on 22 July 2026
A second Apple page checked to confirm the fee is not stated differently elsewhere in the documentation, and to establish that the waiver exists. The two pages agree.
Authority5/5
Italian version of the documentation: the same USD 99 and the requirements for enrolling as an organisation, including the D-U-N-S number
Iscrizione al programma — Assistenza Apple Developer in italiano (opens in a new tab)
Apple · Official tariff · Verified on 22 July 2026
Checked to see whether Apple publishes a different euro figure for Italy. It does not: the Italian page also states USD 99 and defers to the local currency shown during the process.
Authority5/5
Reduced 15 per cent commission for developers with up to one million dollars in proceeds in the previous calendar year
App Store Small Business Program (opens in a new tab)
Apple · Official tariff · Verified on 22 July 2026
Used to document the cost item nobody considers at publication time: the commission on sales. The page also states the threshold above which the standard rate returns, and the re-qualification rules.
Authority5/5
European regime: a 5 per cent Core Technology Commission, the retirement of the EUR 0.50 per-install Core Technology Fee by 1 January 2026, commissions of 17 and 10 per cent and a 3 per cent payment processing fee
Update on apps distributed in the European Union (opens in a new tab)
Apple · Official tariff · Verified on 22 July 2026
The page Apple maintains for compliance with the European digital markets regulation. It matters for Italy because it describes the regime actually applied to anyone distributing in the European Union, which from 2026 is a single model for all developers.
Authority5/5
Revision history
First published on 22 July 2026 with the fee verified across three separate Apple pages including the Italian one. The recurring nature of the fee, the waiver for nonprofits and schools, the 15 per cent commission and the European regime in force from 1 January 2026 were all added, none of which appeared in the earlier record.
- 22 July 2026
- 22 July 2026
- 5 September 2026
What did you actually pay?
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