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App store publishing costs

Cost to publish an app on the App Store

Get a clean breakdown of developer fees, revenue share, and launch expenses for Apple and Google. Plan your release budget and avoid surprises before you submit.

Start with Capgo See the launch checklist

Apple developer fee

$99/year

Google Play fee

$25 one-time

Store review

1-3 days

Fees and review times vary by region and app category. Always confirm the latest program terms before you submit.

First-year minimum

$124

Apple + Google developer fees

Baseline budget

App Store submission

Annual membership

$99

Google Play Console

One-time registration

$25

Launch with Capgo to keep shipping updates without waiting on store reviews.

See Capgo pricing

Publish smarter

Capgo keeps your app moving after launch

Store submissions are just the beginning. Capgo helps you ship fixes, features, and experiments after approval without sacrificing user trust.

Ship fixes without waiting on review

Push web-layer updates instantly after your app is approved, keeping your users current between releases.

Staged rollouts that protect revenue

Release to a percentage of users, monitor performance, and expand only when you are confident.

Instant rollbacks and safe channels

Undo a broken update in minutes and keep teams shipping in parallel with isolated channels.

Automate releases from CI/CD

Connect your pipeline to push updates, tags, and metadata with the Capgo CLI or API.

Quick comparison

Apple App Store vs Google Play

Use this as a baseline. Your totals depend on revenue and services.

Apple App Store

iOS and iPadOS

Apple Developer Program

Developer fee

$99/year

Commission

15% to 30%

Review

Typical review: 1-3 days

Submissions

Unlimited submissions

Google Play

Android

Google Play Console

Developer fee

$25 one-time

Commission

15% to 30%

Review

Typical review: hours to 2 days

Submissions

Unlimited submissions

Annual fee calculator

Estimate your developer account fees

This is the minimum cost to publish. It excludes revenue share, backend services, and production tooling.

Select platforms

Your estimate

$99

Apple Developer Program

Fees do not include revenue share or additional tooling. Consider backend hosting, analytics, and compliance costs.

Revenue share

Commission rates to plan for

Store commission applies to paid apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions sold through the stores. Small business programs can reduce the rate.

Standard rate

30%

Typical revenue share for most app sales and subscriptions.

Reduced rate

15%

Available for qualifying developers and some subscriptions.

Hidden costs

Extra expenses to budget for

Most teams spend more on launch assets and infrastructure than on store fees.

Business setup and compliance

$0 - $500

Local registration, tax IDs, or legal review depending on your region.

Branding and store assets

$0 - $2,000

Screenshots, preview videos, icons, and localization for store listings.

App Store Optimization

$0 - $1,000

Keyword research and conversion optimization for your listing.

Backend infrastructure

$0 - $300+/month

APIs, storage, authentication, and serverless workloads that power your app.

Testing devices

$0 - $1,200

Real devices for QA, accessibility, and performance validation.

Analytics and monitoring

$0 - $200+/month

Crash reporting, product analytics, and observability tooling.

Launch checklist

How to publish your app

Follow these steps to submit your app. Prepare credentials early to avoid delays during review.

Apple App Store

  1. Create an Apple Developer account and enroll your team.
  2. Prepare certificates, profiles, and app identifiers.
  3. Build and upload your binary with Xcode or CI.
  4. Complete App Store Connect metadata and screenshots.
  5. Submit for review and respond to any feedback.

Google Play

  1. Register a Google Play developer account.
  2. Create your app listing and content ratings.
  3. Upload an AAB build and configure release tracks.
  4. Complete policy declarations and data safety forms.
  5. Publish and monitor initial rollout.

After launch

Keep shipping without store delays

Every store update adds review time. Capgo helps you deliver web updates instantly while keeping native releases for the moments that truly need them.

Start shipping with Capgo Explore live updates

Capgo quickstart

Connect Capgo to your app in minutes and ship your first update.

Live updates guide

Learn what you can update safely without a full store review.

Native build pipeline

Automate App Store and Google Play builds with Capgo.

FAQ

Common questions about publishing costs

Still unsure? We can help you plan your release timeline.

How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store? +

Apple requires an annual developer membership to publish on the App Store. Additional costs depend on your stack, backend, and launch needs.

Do I need to pay Google Play every year? +

No. Google Play charges a one-time developer registration fee for most accounts.

What commission do Apple and Google charge? +

Both stores take a revenue share on paid apps and in-app purchases. Reduced rates may apply to qualifying developers and subscriptions.

Can I update my app without a full store review? +

Store updates go through review, but web-layer changes can be delivered faster with tools like Capgo after your app is approved.

Ready to ship your app with confidence?

Start with Capgo to move faster after approval and keep your release costs predictable.

Create your account View pricing