What does it cost to publish an app on Google Play and the App Store?
The short answer
You need two accounts. Apple's Developer Program costs 99 USD a year. Google Play charges a one-time US$25 registration fee. Commission applies when you sell the app or digital goods and services in it: Apple's standard rate is 30%, or 15% in its Small Business Program. Outside Australia, the EEA, Japan, the UK and the US, Google Play takes 15% on your first US$1M a year if you enrol in its 15% tier. Physical goods, and services used outside the app, are paid outside the stores' billing.
- For
- Owners budgeting to publish an app on Android, iPhone or both
- You leave with
- Every store fee and commission, which account type to open, and the paperwork that takes time
- Time
- 5 min read
On this page
Publishing an app has three kinds of cost: the store accounts, the commission on what you sell, and the time it takes to get verified. The first is small and fixed. The second depends on what your app sells. The third is the one to plan for. The cost of building the app itself is in how much it costs to build an app in India.
The two accounts, side by side
| Apple App Store | Google Play | |
|---|---|---|
| Account fee | 99 USD a year, in local currency where available | US$25, once |
| Paying it | Prices may vary by region; your region's tax rate applies when applicable | Mastercard, Visa, American Express and some others; no prepaid cards |
| Account types | Individual or organisation | Personal or organisation |
| Organisation needs | A legal entity and a D-U-N-S Number | A D-U-N-S number |
| Fee waiver | Nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities that meet Apple's requirements | None stated |
Apple's waiver is not for individuals or sole proprietors, and not for organisations that offer paid apps or in-app purchases, or otherwise sell digital goods or services through their apps.
Choose the account type first
Apple. If you enrol as an individual or sole proprietor, your personal legal name is shown as the seller. To show your business's name, Apple says it must be a legal entity enrolled as an organisation; it does not accept trade names or branches. It also asks for:
- a D-U-N-S Number, which Apple says is free in most jurisdictions and can take up to 5 business days from Dun & Bradstreet, plus up to 2 business days to reach Apple
- a work email on your organisation's domain
- a public, working website on a domain associated with your organisation
- that the person enrolling has the legal authority to bind the organisation
Google Play. An organisation account needs a D-U-N-S number, and Google says applying for one is free. You must choose an organisation account for financial services, health apps, VPN apps and government apps. Personal accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days before they can publish to production.
Our advice: if you have a registered company or LLP, open organisation accounts on both stores and start the D-U-N-S check in week one of the build, not the week before launch.
Commission: only on digital sales
Physical goods, and services used outside the app, do not go through the stores' billing. Apple's App Review Guidelines say physical goods, or services used outside the app, must be paid for with methods other than in-app purchase, such as Apple Pay or card entry. Google's Payments policy says its billing must not be used for physical goods (groceries, clothing), physical services (transport, food delivery, event tickets) or utility and credit card bills.
Where commission does apply, on paid apps and digital content, features or subscriptions:
Apple. The standard commission is 30%, falling to 15% on auto-renewing subscriptions after a customer's first year. The Small Business Program cuts the rate to 15%, on sales to customers in the regions Apple lists for it, for developers new to the App Store, or with up to 1 million USD in proceeds in the prior calendar year. Pass 1 million USD in the current year and the standard rate applies to future sales. You have to enrol, and list any developer accounts you own or control, or that own or control yours. Apple's licence agreement has separate commission terms for some storefronts, including the EU, Japan, Brazil, China mainland and, from 31 October 2026, Taiwan.
Google Play. Australia, the European Economic Area, Japan, the UK and the US moved to a new fee table in 2026; if you sell there, read those rates on the same page. For all remaining markets, until Google rolls its updated fees out globally, the service fee is:
- 15% on the first US$1M of earnings each year, if you enrol in the 15% tier, and 30% above it
- 15% on auto-renewing subscriptions, regardless of earnings
Google's page does not list these remaining markets by name, so confirm which table applies to your account before you set prices.
If you offer users in India or South Korea an alternative billing system alongside Google's, under its Payments policy, the fee on those transactions is the usual fee reduced by 4%.
What to put in your budget
- Apple: 99 USD every year.
- Google Play: US$25, once.
- Commission, only if you sell the app, digital goods or subscriptions. Set your prices knowing the store's share comes off first.
- Payment gateway fees for physical goods and services, which go through your own gateway instead.
- Time: D-U-N-S, verification and, for Google personal accounts, a 14-day test.
How we can help
- Android and iOS apps with the data model, API and admin behind them, through to production deployment and store releases. Apps and software.
- After launch, a named engineer who knows your system, with updates, fixes and small features. Maintenance retainers.
Questions people ask
Do we pay Apple every year?
Yes. Apple calls it an annual fee of 99 USD, and says prices may vary by region and are listed in local currency during enrolment. Google Play's US$25 is paid once.
Does a free app pay commission?
Google says its service fee applies to developers who charge for their app or offer digital goods. Apple's commission is a percentage of the prices people pay. So a free app that sells nothing digital pays only the account fees.
Should the app be published under our developer's account?
Apple says that when a contract developer builds an app for an organisation, the organisation should enrol, its name is listed as the seller, and it must be the one to submit the app for review, though the developer can help. We suggest the same for Google Play: open the account in your business's name and add your developer to it.
Does Round Robin handle store releases?
Yes. Production deployment and app store releases are part of how we build apps, and they come last, once the rest is in place.
Sources
- Apple Developer: EnrollmentChecked 27 October 2026
- Apple Developer: Become a memberChecked 27 October 2026
- Apple Developer: D-U-N-S NumberChecked 27 October 2026
- Apple Developer: Apple Developer Program fee waiverChecked 27 October 2026
- Apple Developer: App Store Small Business ProgramChecked 27 October 2026
- Apple Developer: Schedule 2 and 3 to the Apple Developer Program License AgreementChecked 27 October 2026
- Apple Developer: Apple Developer Program License AgreementChecked 27 October 2026
- Apple Developer: App Review GuidelinesChecked 27 October 2026
- Play Console Help: Register for a Play Console developer accountChecked 27 October 2026
- Play Console Help: Choose a developer account typeChecked 27 October 2026
- Play Console Help: App testing requirements for new personal developer accountsChecked 27 October 2026
- Play Console Help: Service feesChecked 27 October 2026
- Play Console Help: Changes to Google Play's service fee in 2021Checked 27 October 2026
- Play Console Help: Understanding Google Play's Service FeeChecked 27 October 2026
- Play Console Help: PaymentsChecked 27 October 2026
Other companies change their prices and fees. Check the source before you rely on a figure.
Read next
- How much does it cost to build an app in India?
- Does a small business need a website or an app?
- How do I choose a web or app development company?
Getting your app into the stores?
Tell us what your app does and who it is for. We reply within one working day.