How much does it cost to publish an app on the app stores?

Store fees are the small part of what an app costs. Below are all the amounts Apple and Google charge in 2026, the rules on commissions and what to prepare before your first submission. The cost of building the app is covered separately in how much does a mobile app cost.

At a glance: what you pay and when

The Apple account: $99 a year

The Apple Developer Program costs $99 per membership year, and Apple lists the price in local currency during enrollment where it's available. Without a paid membership, an app can't be published on the App Store, and if the membership lapses your apps are removed from the store. Nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities can request a fee waiver.

For an organisation account, Apple requires:

• a legal entity that can sign contracts; DBAs, fictitious business names, trade names and branches aren't accepted;
• a D-U-N-S Number, the international business identifier, free from Dun & Bradstreet;
• a work email on your company's domain, not Gmail or Yahoo;
• a public, working website on that domain. A social media page or a domain with minimal content isn't accepted.

If you distribute in the EU, Apple also asks you to declare your trader status under the Digital Services Act, and your business address, phone and email are shown on the app's page in the EU App Store.

The Google Play account: $25, once

Google charges a one-time $25; prepaid cards aren't accepted. During sign-up, Google may ask for a government ID and a card in your legal name, and the fee isn't refunded if your details don't pass verification.

The account can be personal or for an organisation. Personal accounts created after 13 November 2023 have an extra requirement: before publishing, they must run a closed test with at least 12 testers who stay opted in for 14 days in a row. Only then can they apply for production access. For a business, an organisation account is usually the simpler route.

Commissions: when you pay and when you don't

This is where most of the confusion lies. Apple's and Google's commissions apply only to digital content sold inside the app: subscriptions, unlocked features, premium content.

• Apple requires features and digital content unlocked inside the app to be paid for with in-app purchase. The standard commission is 30%, or 15% in the Small Business Program for developers with up to $1 million in proceeds a year.
• Google changed its fees on 30 June 2026 for users in the US, the European Economic Area and the UK: on the first $1 million of earnings a year, the fee is 10%, plus a 5% billing fee when the purchase goes through Google Play billing. In some of these markets, apps can also send users to offers outside the app or use other billing systems, under program rules and different fees.

For a local business, the rule that matters is different: physical goods and services pay no commission. Apple's rules say physical goods and services consumed outside the app must be paid for with methods other than in-app purchase, such as Apple Pay or a card. Google prohibits using Google Play billing for physical goods and services such as food delivery or event tickets. An ordering, booking or appointment app pays only its payment processor, just like a website.

Review, and what to prepare first

Apple reviews every app and every update. It says it typically reviews at least half of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours. Most rejections come down to things you can prepare in advance:

• A privacy policy, linked both in the store listing and inside the app. It has to say what data you collect, how you use it, how long you keep it and how users can request deletion.
• Account deletion in the app. If the app lets people create an account, it must let them delete it from within the app.
• A test account for reviewers, if the app requires sign-in.
• Screenshots, description and icon, for every required screen size.
• Data disclosures: Apple's privacy "nutrition labels" and Google's Data safety section.

The recurring costs

• The Apple membership, every year.
• Updates the stores require. Since 28 April 2026, Apple only accepts apps built with Xcode 26 and the iOS 26 SDKs. Google requires new apps and updates submitted after 31 August 2026 to target Android 16 (API 36); older apps that fall behind stop being offered to new users on recent phones.
• Building and submitting. With Expo, the app can be built in the cloud. EAS's free plan includes up to 15 iOS and 15 Android builds a month, and the Starter plan costs $19 a month plus usage.

In short, a published app needs at least one update a year even if you add nothing to it. Budget for it from the start.

Whose account to publish on

The app should be published on your business's developer account, not on the account of whoever builds it. That way your business is listed as the seller, reviews and statistics stay with you, and if you change providers the app doesn't have to be transferred. The developer gets access to your account as a team member.

We handle publishing for every mobile app we build, on your account.