# How much does it cost to publish an iOS app?

> Apple's fee is 99 USD a year. What else publishing an iOS app costs: Apple's commission, a Mac, a privacy policy page, the launch, and what you can skip.

URL: https://launchindieapps.com/blog/cost-to-publish-ios-app
By Rashem, published 2026-11-03
Updated: 2026-11-03

## Short answer

The Apple Developer Program, at 99 USD a year, is the one fee you can't avoid. Xcode is free, and TestFlight and App Store Connect come with the membership. A free app pays Apple nothing more. If you sell, Apple keeps 15% in its Small Business Program and 30% without it. You also need a Mac.

Search for this and many of the results come from agencies, and they mix up what it costs to build an app with what it costs to publish one.

Publishing one you built yourself costs much less. Here's every line, from Apple's own pages, checked on November 3, 2026.

## What does it cost to put an iOS app on the App Store?

| Item | Cost | Do you need it? |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program | [99 USD a year](https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/), in local currency where Apple offers it, plus tax | Yes, to publish anything |
| A Mac that runs current Xcode | The Mac you have, if it's recent enough | Yes |
| Xcode and the Simulator | [Free](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12) | Yes |
| TestFlight and App Store Connect | Included in the membership | Yes |
| Privacy policy and support pages | Free on a page you already have, or on GitHub Pages | Yes, both addresses are required |
| App icon and screenshots | Free with our [icon generator](https://launchindieapps.com/tools/ios-app-icon-generator) and [screenshot generator](https://launchindieapps.com/tools/app-store-screenshot-generator), or a designer's fee | Yes |
| Apple's commission | Nothing on free apps; 15% or 30% of what you sell | Only if you sell |
| Launching | Free places, or paid listings such as ours ($5 at the launch price, then $9) | No, but it's how people find you |
| Ads | You set the budget | No |

So for a free app built on a Mac you already own, the real cost is 99 USD a year. Everything else on the list is optional, free, or a share of money you've already made.

## How much is the Apple Developer Program?

[99 USD per membership year](https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/), for individuals and organizations alike. Apple adds tax at your local rate, and where it sells the membership in your currency, it shows that price [during enrollment](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/program-enrollment/).

Four things the price page doesn't spell out:

- **It renews every year.** If it lapses, [your apps are no longer available for download](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/renewal/), though people who have them can keep using them.
- **It isn't refundable.** The [license agreement](https://developer.apple.com/support/terms/apple-developer-program-license-agreement/) says so.
- **In India, enrollment goes through the Apple Developer app.** Apple [doesn't take it on the website there](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/program-enrollment/).
- **Testing on your own device is free.** A free Apple Account lets you register [up to 3 devices](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/basics/about-your-developer-account), and the registration lasts 7 days at a time. You only pay once you want to publish.

## Should you enroll as an individual or an organization?

The price is the same. What changes is whose name the App Store shows, and what you need first:

| | Individual | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | You, including a sole proprietorship or one-person business | A legal entity: a company, nonprofit or government body |
| Fee | 99 USD a year | 99 USD a year |
| Name shown as the seller | [Your personal legal name](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/program-enrollment/) | The organization's legal entity name |
| What you need | An Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and the legal age of majority where you live | All of that, plus a legal entity, a public website, an email on its domain, and the authority to sign for it |
| D-U-N-S Number | Not needed | Needed (except governments). [Free in most places](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/program-enrollment/); allow up to [5 business days](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/D-U-N-S/) to get one, then 2 more for Apple |

An organization also waits for Apple to verify it before it can pay. If you're one person and don't mind your name on the App Store, enroll as an individual. You'll start sooner, and you can decide about a company later.

## Can you get the 99 USD fee waived?

Only as an organization. Apple waives it for [nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities](https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/fee-waivers/) that meet its conditions. Individuals, sole proprietors and single-person businesses don't qualify, and neither does anyone who sells digital goods in their apps.

Apple checks eligibility again at every renewal.

## How much does Apple take from your sales?

Nothing, if your app is free with nothing to buy inside. Apple says [85% of apps are free and their developers pay nothing to Apple](https://www.apple.com/app-store/developing-for-the-app-store/).

When you do sell, on the App Store's standard terms:

| What you sell | Apple's commission |
|---|---|
| A free app with nothing to buy | Nothing |
| A paid app or an in-app purchase, standard rate | [30%](https://developer.apple.com/support/terms/apple-developer-program-license-agreement/) |
| The same, in the [Small Business Program](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/) | 15% |
| A subscription, after a subscriber's first year of paid service | [15%](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/) |
| A subscription in the Small Business Program, from day one | 15% |

The Small Business Program is for developers who made up to 1 million USD in proceeds the year before, and for developers new to the App Store. It isn't automatic: the Account Holder has to enroll. Do it before your first sale, because the lower rate starts after Apple approves you. At indie scale the difference is real money: a year after launch, the median subscription app makes [about $72 a month](https://launchindieapps.com/blog/app-store-categories-that-make-the-most-money).

The EU and a few other storefronts have their own rates. In the EU, In-App Purchase is [26%, or 15% in the Small Business Program](https://developer.apple.com/support/apps-in-the-eu/). Check that page if you sell there.

## Do you need a Mac to publish an iOS app?

Yes. Xcode is [free, and only for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12), and it's how your app gets to App Store Connect.

The catch is how new the Mac has to be. Since April 28, 2026, apps must be [built with Xcode 26 or later](https://developer.apple.com/news/upcoming-requirements/), and the current Xcode needs [macOS Tahoe 26.6 or later](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/system-requirements). If your Mac can't run a recent macOS, that's the real cost of publishing, and it's bigger than Apple's fee.

## What else do you need before you can submit?

Two web addresses, and both are required:

- **A privacy policy.** App Store Connect asks for [a privacy policy URL](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/app-information) for every iOS app.
- **A support page.** The [support URL](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information) is required too, and it must lead to a way to contact you.

Neither has to cost anything. A page on a site you already have works. If you don't have one, [GitHub Pages](https://docs.github.com/en/pages/getting-started-with-github-pages/what-is-github-pages) is free for public repositories.

Then the things people see: a 1024 by 1024 icon and screenshots in Apple's sizes. You can make both yourself for free, and [check your listing](https://launchindieapps.com/tools/app-store-listing-checker) before you submit. The [pre-submission checklist](https://launchindieapps.com/blog/before-you-submit-ios-app) has the rest.

## What does launching cost on top?

As much as you choose. Most places to launch are [free and cost time instead](https://launchindieapps.com/blog/free-places-to-promote-ios-app). [The Launch Map](https://launchindieapps.com/guides/where-to-launch-ios-app) lists 33, with each one's price checked on its own site.

Ads are the other option. [Apple Ads](https://ads.apple.com/app-store) charges per tap on its Advanced plan, and its Basic plan charges per install at a price you set, with a 100 USD credit for [eligible developers](https://ads.apple.com/app-store/basic).

I'd spend nothing on ads until you know which free places turn visitors into downloads. [Campaign links](https://launchindieapps.com/blog/app-store-campaign-links) tell you that for free.

## What can you skip?

- **The Enterprise Program.** It's [299 USD a year](https://developer.apple.com/programs/enterprise/) and only for apps a company uses internally. You can't publish to the App Store with it.
- **A company, for now.** For publishing, you need one only to show a company name as the seller.
- **Paid press release distribution.** Writers who cover indie apps [want a short email instead](https://launchindieapps.com/blog/ios-app-press-kit).
- **Submission services.** App Store Connect is the only way in, and it's included in your 99 USD.

If you also want Android: Google Play charges a [US$25 one-time registration fee](https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en), against Apple's 99 USD every year.

## Where Launch Indie Apps fits

A [Launch Indie Apps](https://launchindieapps.com/blog/what-is-launch-indie-apps) listing is one of the paid launch options on this list: $5 at the launch price, then $9, paid once. A person reviews the app, the listing stays up after launch week, and the Launch Kit writes your launch posts for everywhere else.

## Do this today

If you're about to sell anything, enroll in the App Store Small Business Program today. If you haven't joined the Developer Program yet, check first that your Mac runs the macOS the current Xcode needs.

## A note from Rashem

I wrote this because the answers I found mixed up building an app with publishing one. Every price here is dated. If a line is out of date when you read it, tell me at hello@launchindieapps.com and I'll fix it.

## Questions

**How much does an Apple developer account cost?** The Apple Developer Program is 99 USD per membership year, for individuals and organizations alike. Apple adds local tax and shows the price in local currency during enrollment where it offers one.

**Is it free to publish a free app on the App Store?** Not quite: you still need the 99 USD a year Developer Program. But Apple takes no commission on a free app with nothing to buy inside it.

**Does an organization pay more than an individual for an Apple developer account?** No, the fee is the same 99 USD a year. An organization also needs a legal entity and a D-U-N-S Number, which is free in most places.

**Is it cheaper to publish on Google Play than the App Store?** Google Play has a US$25 one-time registration fee. Apple's Developer Program is 99 USD every year.

## Sources

- Apple Developer Program, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/programs/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Become a member, Apple Developer Program: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Enrollment, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/program-enrollment/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Program Renewal, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/renewal/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Apple Developer Program Fee Waiver, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/fee-waivers/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- D-U-N-S Number, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/D-U-N-S/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Apple Developer Enterprise Program, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enterprise/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- App Store Small Business Program, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Auto-renewable Subscriptions, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Apple Developer Program License Agreement, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/support/terms/apple-developer-program-license-agreement/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Changes for apps in the European Union, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/support/apps-in-the-eu/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Developing for the App Store, Apple: https://www.apple.com/app-store/developing-for-the-app-store/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Xcode, Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12 (checked 2026-11-03)
- SDK and system requirements, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/xcode/system-requirements (checked 2026-11-03)
- Upcoming Requirements, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/news/upcoming-requirements/ (checked 2026-11-03)
- Developer account overview, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/help/account/basics/about-your-developer-account (checked 2026-11-03)
- App information, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/app-information (checked 2026-11-03)
- Platform version information, Apple Developer: https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/platform-version-information (checked 2026-11-03)
- What is GitHub Pages?, GitHub Docs: https://docs.github.com/en/pages/getting-started-with-github-pages/what-is-github-pages (checked 2026-11-03)
- Get started with Play Console, Google: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en (checked 2026-11-03)
- Apple Ads Basic, Apple: https://ads.apple.com/app-store/basic (checked 2026-11-03)
- Ads on the App Store, Apple: https://ads.apple.com/app-store (checked 2026-11-03)