App Store Publishing Costs: A Complete Breakdown

You have built your app and you are close to launch. Now comes the question almost every founder and product manager asks: what does it actually cost to publish an app?

The short answer: there are one-time registration fees, ongoing commissions on in-app purchases and subscriptions, and infrastructure costs that most people underestimate. This article breaks everything down clearly so you know exactly what to budget for before you hit publish.

Quick overview: Apple App Store vs Google Play Store

Apple App Store: costs in detail

The Apple App Store is the only way to officially publish an iOS app. No sideloading, no alternatives. Anyone who wants to launch an iPhone app needs an Apple membership. The good news is that the entry costs are manageable and can be reduced significantly with the right approach.

The Apple Developer Program

To publish an app on the App Store, you need a membership in the Apple Developer Program. This costs $99 per year for individuals and $299 per year for companies. With this membership you can submit as many apps as you like, access beta tools like TestFlight, and test your apps on real devices.

The company membership makes sense if you want to publish apps under a business name or manage multiple developers on your team. Companies also need a D-U-N-S number for identification purposes, which can be requested for free through Dun & Bradstreet. For most startups, the individual membership is more than enough to get started.

Commissions and the Small Business Program

Apple takes a commission of 30 percent on all in-app purchases, paid apps, and subscriptions by default.

What many founders do not know is that the Apple Small Business Program reduces this commission to 15 percent. The program is open to all developers whose app revenue in the previous year was under one million US dollars. Signing up is free. Anyone publishing an app on the App Store should register for this immediately, because cutting your commission in half is one of the biggest financial levers available to you as an app developer.

Subscriptions have an additional rule worth knowing: after the first year, the commission automatically drops to 15 percent regardless of the Small Business Program.

The upload process

The upload happens through Xcode or the Transporter tool. The app archive (IPA file) is signed, filled with screenshots, descriptions, and metadata, and then submitted to Apple. After a manual review that typically takes one to three business days, the app goes live on the App Store.

Advantages of the Apple App Store

The App Store attracts a high-spending, quality-conscious audience. iOS users spend significantly more on apps and in-app purchases on average than Android users. The store is available in over 175 countries, and Apple regularly features standout apps in editorial sections like "App of the Day", which can deliver a substantial organic reach boost.

Google Play Store: costs in detail

Compared to Apple, getting started on the Google Play Store is significantly cheaper. A one-time fee, no annual renewal, unlimited apps. For startups and founders who want to test on Android first, this is a genuine advantage.

The Google Play developer account

The Google Play developer account costs a one-time fee of $25. After that, no recurring account fees apply. With this account you can publish and manage as many apps as you want.

Commissions on the Google Play Store

Google also takes a commission on in-app purchases and subscriptions. In the first year this is 15 percent on the first $1 million in revenue and 30 percent above that. From the second year onwards, the commission on subscriptions drops to between 10 and 18 percent depending on the duration and model. Google has adjusted its commission structure several times in recent years and is generally more accessible for startups than Apple.

The upload process

The upload happens through the Google Play Console. You upload your App Bundle (.AAB), add screenshots, a description, and icons, and set prices and available countries. After an automated review that often takes just a few hours, your app goes live on the Play Store.

Advantages of the Google Play Store

Android has a significantly higher global market share than iOS. Anyone looking to reach a broad international user base, particularly in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, cannot ignore the Play Store. Google's guidelines are slightly less restrictive than Apple's, which means shorter review times and fewer rejections.

Ongoing costs after launch

Store fees are just the beginning. What many people underestimate when planning their budget are the costs that accumulate monthly after launch and make up the largest portion of the budget in the long run.

Backend and infrastructure

Almost every app needs a backend server or cloud infrastructure. Firebase, Supabase, and AWS all offer free entry-level plans, but as your user base grows so do the costs. Depending on app type and usage intensity, infrastructure costs can range from $50 to several thousand dollars per month. This is a line item that gets underestimated in business plans more often than any other.

Third-party API costs

Many apps integrate external APIs: Google Maps for location features, Stripe for payments, Twilio for notifications, or OpenAI for AI functionality. These services are billed based on usage and can become significant as your user numbers grow. It is worth understanding the pricing models of the APIs you plan to use during the planning phase of your app development and building cost thresholds into your projections from the start.

Maintenance and updates

An app that is not maintained after launch loses quality within months. Operating system updates from Apple and Google require regular adjustments. Bugs appear. Users want new features. Realistically budget at least 10 to 20 percent of the original development cost per year for ongoing maintenance.

App Store Optimisation (ASO)

ASO is SEO for the App Store. The better your app listing is optimised, the more organic downloads you get without paid advertising. This covers the app title, description, keywords, screenshots, and review management. ASO is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Many teams underestimate this and then wonder why their app gets little traction despite being a good product.

The review process: what you need to know

Before your app goes live it goes through a review by Apple or Google. At Apple this typically takes one to three business days, at Google often just a few hours.

A rejection does not cost additional fees but it does cost time, and time is often the scarcest resource at launch. Apple rejects apps that violate store guidelines, have crashes or bugs, are missing privacy disclosures, or have incomplete metadata. Working with an experienced app development agency means having a team that knows these requirements and prepares the App Store submission properly from the start, so rejections stay the exception rather than the rule.

What does the app development itself cost?

Store fees are usually the smallest cost compared to the actual development budget. What an app costs depends on complexity, platform, design effort, and backend requirements, as well as whether you are building a native or cross-platform app.

As a rough guide: a simple app with standard features starts at around $15,000 to $30,000. More complex products with a custom backend, user management, and multiple platforms can easily reach $50,000 and beyond.

For startups that want to validate their concept first, an MVP is often the smarter starting point. An MVP covers the core features, goes live quickly, and lets you use real user feedback to decide where development goes next. Book a free initial call to get a rough estimate for your specific project.

Full cost overview

Conclusion: what to take away from this

The actual store fees for Apple and Google are manageable and not a real barrier for most startups. What makes a genuine difference are the commissions on in-app revenue and especially the ongoing costs after launch.

A few things worth remembering:

Sign up for the Apple Small Business Program from day one. It costs nothing and saves you 15 percentage points of commission on every dollar you earn through the App Store. At meaningful revenue levels that adds up to a very significant amount.

Plan your infrastructure and maintenance costs realistically. Many founders budget only for development and forget that an app costs money after launch too. A well-architected setup from the start saves a lot in the long run.

Invest in ASO. A well-optimised App Store listing generates organic downloads without paid spend. That is one of the best returns on investment in app marketing.

And finally: launch is not the goal, it is the starting point. An app that is actively maintained, developed further, and marketed after publishing will consistently outperform one that gets uploaded and left alone.

If you are planning your first app launch or looking to modernise an existing product, we are happy to talk through the right approach with you. Take a look at how we handle app projects and book a free consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Advantages of the Google Play Store

Android has a significantly higher market share than iOS worldwide. If you want to reach a broad international user base, especially in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, you cannot get around the Play Store. The guidelines are somewhat less restrictive than those of Apple, which means shorter review times and fewer rejections.

Ongoing costs after launch

The store fees are only the beginning. What many people underestimate when planning their budget are the costs that arise every month after launch and make up the largest part of the budget in the long run.

Backend and infrastructure

Almost every app needs a backend server or cloud infrastructure. Firebase, Supabase and AWS do offer free starter plans, but as soon as your number of users grows, costs rise as well. Depending on the app type and intensity of use, infrastructure costs can range from €50 to several thousand euros per month. This is a line item that is regularly set too low in business plans.

Third-party API costs

Many apps integrate external APIs: Google Maps for location features, Stripe for payments, Twilio for notifications or OpenAI for AI features. These services are billed based on usage and can become substantial as the number of users grows. It pays to know the pricing models of the APIs you use in detail as early as the planning phase of app development, and to factor in cost thresholds.

Maintenance and updates

An app that is no longer maintained after launch loses quality within a few months. Operating system updates from Apple and Google require regular adjustments. Bugs appear. Users want new features. Realistically plan for an ongoing maintenance budget of at least 10 to 20 percent of the original development costs per year.

App Store Optimierung (ASO)

ASO is SEO for the App Store. The better your app listing is optimized, the more organic downloads you get without paid advertising. This covers the app title, description, keywords, screenshots and review management. ASO is not a one-off effort but an ongoing process. Many teams underestimate this and then wonder why their app is hardly found despite a good product.

The review process: What you need to know

Before your app goes live, it goes through a review by Apple or Google. At Apple, this process usually takes one to three business days, at Google often just a few hours.

A rejection does not cost any additional fees, but it does cost time, and time is often the scarcest resource at launch. Apple rejects apps if they violate the store guidelines, have crashes or bugs, lack privacy notices or have incomplete metadata. Anyone who works with an experienced app development agency knows these hurdles and prepares the App Store submission in such a way that rejections remain the exception.

How much does the app development itself cost?

Compared to the actual development costs, the store fees are usually the smallest item. What an app costs depends on complexity, platform, design effort and backend requirements, as well as on whether you build a native app or a cross-platform app.

As a rough guide: A simple app with standard features starts at €15,000 to €30,000. More complex products with a custom backend, user management and multiple platforms quickly reach €50,000 or more.

For startups that want to validate their concept first, an MVP is often the smarter way to start. An MVP covers the core features, goes live quickly and lets you use real user feedback to decide where development goes next. With our app cost calculator you get a first budget estimate for your project. If you want to have your app developed, you click through a prototype with us after 21 days and then get a fixed price for the build.

Total costs at a glance

So that you can set up a realistic plan, here is a summary of the most important cost items:

Conclusion: What you should remember

The store fees alone for Apple and Google are manageable and, for most startups, not a real obstacle. What really counts are the commissions on in-app revenue and, above all, the ongoing costs after launch.

A few points you should remember:

Sign up for the Apple Small Business Program right from the start. It costs nothing and saves you 15 percentage points of commission on every euro you earn through the App Store. With substantial revenue, that makes a considerable difference.

Plan your infrastructure and maintenance costs realistically. Many founders only calculate the development costs and forget that an app continues to cost money after launch. A cleanly set up architecture from the start saves a lot here in the long run.

Invest in ASO. Those who carefully optimize their app in the store get organic downloads without having to pay for them. This is one of the best returns on investment in all of app marketing.

Frequently asked questions

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