How much does it cost to publish an app in 2026? Store fees and commissions
Publishing costs US$25 once on Google Play and 99 USD a year on the App Store. If you sell inside your app, the stores take a share. Here are the fees as of October 2026.
How much does it cost to publish an app in 2026? As of October 2026, Google Play charges a one-time US$25 registration fee and Apple charges 99 USD per membership year. Publishing a free app costs nothing more. If you sell something inside your app, the store also keeps a share of each sale, usually 15% or less for small developers, and up to 30% in some cases.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
- Google Play: US$25 one-time registration fee (Google).
- Apple App Store: 99 USD per membership year; Apple shows the price in local currency (Apple).
- Google's new fees: from June 30, 2026 in the US, UK and EEA, a 10% service fee on the first US$1 million a year, plus a 5% billing fee when Google Play's billing is used (Google).
- Apple in the EU: new terms from October 1, 2026, with 26% on in-app purchases, or 15% for most small developers (Apple).
- Time for the closed test. Personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for at least 14 days before the app can go public (Google).
- Keeping up to date. New apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36) from August 31, 2026 (Google).
- Standard: during a subscriber's first year you receive 70% of the subscription price, which means Apple keeps 30%. After one year of paid service you receive 85% (Apple).
- Small Business Program: 15% on paid apps and in-app purchases if you earned up to 1 million USD in the previous calendar year (Apple). You have to enroll.
- Play Console: registration fee (Google)
- Service fees (Google Play Console Help)
- Expanded billing choice and lower fees on Google Play (Android Developers Blog, June 24, 2026)
- Testing requirements for new personal developer accounts (Google)
- Target API level requirements (Google)
- Apple Developer Program enrollment (Apple)
- App Store Small Business Program (Apple)
- Auto-renewable subscriptions (Apple)
- Apple announces changes for apps in the European Union (Apple, August 18, 2026)
The short answer in one table
| Google Play | Apple App Store | |
|---|---|---|
| Account fee | US$25, one time | 99 USD per membership year |
| What else you need | Identity verification | An Apple Account with two-factor authentication |
| Before going public | New personal accounts: closed test with 12 testers for 14 days | No required test |
| Share of sales, small developers | 15% in most countries; 10% + 5% billing fee in the US, UK and EEA | 15% with the Small Business Program |
| Free app with no sales | No commission | No commission |
How much does it cost to publish an app on Google Play?
Google charges a US$25 one-time registration fee. There is no yearly fee. Google also checks your identity, which Google's own guide says can take "anywhere from 10 minutes to a few days" (Google Codelabs).
Two non-money costs to plan for:
Step by step: how to create a Google Play developer account.
How much does it cost to publish on the App Store?
The Apple Developer Program costs 99 USD per membership year. Prices may vary by region and are shown in local currency when you enroll. Nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities that meet Apple's requirements can request a fee waiver.
Keep the membership active. It renews every year, and you need it to keep updating your apps. Step by step: how to create an Apple Developer account.
What do the stores take from your sales?
If your app is free and sells nothing, the stores take nothing. Google says 97% of developers distribute their apps "at no charge" (Google). Fees apply when you sell the app itself or sell digital things inside it, like subscriptions, premium features or coins.
Google Play's new fees from June 30, 2026 (US, UK, EEA)
On June 24, 2026, Google split its fee into a service fee and a billing fee. The new structure started on June 30, 2026 for users in the US, UK and EEA, and on September 30, 2026 in Australia and Japan. It depends on whether the user first installed your app before or after that date.
| What you sell | Service fee | Billing fee if you use Google Play's billing |
|---|---|---|
| First US$1 million of yearly earnings | 10% | + 5% |
| Auto-renewing subscriptions (any amount) | 10% | + 5% |
| Above US$1 million, users who installed on or after the start date | 20% | + 5% |
| Above US$1 million, users who installed before the start date | 25% (20% for external web links) | + 5% |
Google Play in the rest of the world
Until the new fees roll out globally, Google's service fees page lists: 15% on the first US$1 million a year for developers enrolled in the 15% tier, 30% above that, and 15% on auto-renewing subscriptions.
Apple App Store
Apple in the EU from October 1, 2026
Apple announced a single set of EU terms on August 18, 2026 (Apple):
| How you sell in the EU | Apple's commission |
|---|---|
| Apple in-app purchase | 26%, or 15% for most developers (Small Business Program and some others) and for subscriptions after their first year |
| Alternative payment inside the app | 20% (10% for eligible programs) |
| Link out to your website | 15% (10% for eligible programs) |
| Alternative marketplaces or web distribution | 5% Core Technology Commission |
Apple in the US
In the US, apps may link to outside payment pages (Guideline 3.1.1(a)). As of October 2026 Apple charges no commission on those purchases while a court decides what it may charge (MacObserver). This can change. Details in Stripe or in-app purchases in 2026.
What about physical goods and services?
If you sell physical products or real-world services (deliveries, bookings, tickets), the stores do not let you use their in-app purchases at all. You use a payment provider like Stripe, which charges its own processing fee, and the stores take no commission. See accept payments with Stripe.
A simple first-year example
Publishing one free app on both stores in the first year costs US$25 + 99 USD = about 124 USD in store fees, as of October 2026. From year two, it is 99 USD a year for Apple. Add whatever you pay to build the app (your time, a developer or a builder), plus any services like a database or a domain.
Want to estimate building costs with Snapp? Try the Snapp cost calculator.
Where Snapp fits
Snapp builds iPhone and Android apps from a description. Building and previewing is possible on the free plan. Publishing to Google Play and the App Store needs a paid plan, and each store build uses one build from your plan (US prices; the stores show local prices):
| Snapp plan | Price | Credits a month | Store builds a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $24.99 a month or $249.99 a year | 150 | 3 |
| Popular | $99.99 a month or $999.99 a year | 600 | 10 |
| Pro | $499.99 a month | 3,000 | 40 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Google Play fee yearly? No. Google charges US$25 once. Apple's 99 USD fee is yearly.
Can I publish an app for free? Not on the public stores: both need a developer account. You can share an app without a store, for example as a web app on the home screen. See can you publish an app for free?
Do I pay a commission on a free app? No. Store commissions apply only to paid apps and in-app sales of digital goods and subscriptions.
What is Google Play's billing fee? Since June 30, 2026, in the US, UK and EEA, Google adds a 5% billing fee when a purchase goes through Google Play's billing. It does not apply to alternative billing or external web links.
Does Snapp take a cut of my sales? Payments from Stripe go to your own Stripe account, and in-app purchase money goes to your own developer account. The stores keep their commission as described above.
Ready to build? Start free at snappai.co.
Sources
Last updated: October 2026.
Snapp Team
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