Publishing an app on Google Play costs $25 — a one-time fee that stays valid for the lifetime of the account. On the Apple App Store, the Apple Developer Program membership costs $99 per year and must be renewed annually. As of 2026 these figures have not changed. In other words, the "store cost" of launching on both stores is roughly $124 in the first year and just $99 per year after that. In this guide we break down the developer account fees, the commission rates and the items that actually drive your budget, with concrete numbers.
Google Play Publishing Fee: $25, One Time
To publish on Google Play you need a developer account in Google Play Console. Registration costs $25, paid once, and the same account can publish an unlimited number of apps — there is no per-app fee. In 2026 there are two account types: personal accounts (which require identity verification) and organization accounts (which require your company’s D-U-N-S number and official details). If you are publishing a commercial app, we recommend an organization account: your company name appears on the store listing, and you are exempt from the mandatory closed-testing requirement applied to new personal accounts.
App Store Publishing Fee: $99 per Year
Publishing on iOS requires an Apple Developer Program membership at $99 per year. Unlike Google Play, this fee renews annually; if the membership lapses, your apps are removed from the App Store. The membership can be opened as an individual or as a company; for company enrollment Apple also asks for a D-U-N-S number. Nonprofits and educational institutions can apply for a fee waiver in some countries. There is also the $299/year Apple Developer Enterprise Program for large companies distributing internal apps, but for publishing on the App Store the standard $99 membership is all you need.
- Google Play: $25 one time — unlimited apps, no renewal.
- App Store: $99/year — if not renewed, your apps are taken down.
- Both stores together: roughly $124 in year one, $99 per year afterwards.
- Free apps pay no store commission; beyond the account fee there is no store cost.
- Paid sales and in-app purchases are charged 15% up to $1M in annual revenue, 30% above it.
Store fees are the smallest line in the budget: about $124 total for both stores in year one. The real cost is the app itself — development, design and yearly maintenance add up to hundreds of times the store fees.
Commission Rates: What Do Google and Apple Take?
Beyond the account fee, if your app makes money the stores take a commission on sales. In 2026 the standard rate on both stores is 30%; thanks to the small-developer programs, however, accounts earning under $1 million per year pay 15% (the first $1M revenue tier on Google Play, the Small Business Program on Apple). For subscriptions, Apple’s rate drops to 15% after the first year. Free apps — and physical goods or services delivered outside the app, such as orders in an e-commerce app — are exempt from commission. We covered how an app can generate revenue in detail in mobile app revenue models.
What Costs Exist Beyond the Store Fees?
The real budget of getting an app onto the Play Store or App Store comes down to three items:
- Development cost: the app itself. It varies with scope; see how much a mobile app costs for current ranges.
- Annual maintenance: OS updates, store policy changes and bug fixes require a yearly maintenance budget — detailed in mobile app maintenance costs.
- Launch assets: icon, screenshots, store copy and the mandatory privacy policy page. If you work with an agency, these are usually part of the development package.
Can You Publish an App for Free?
You can offer your app to users for free, but there is no way around the developer account fees: without paying Google $25 and Apple $99 per year, you cannot upload to the stores. For tight budgets, the alternative is launching as a PWA (Progressive Web App) first: no store fee, no commission, and users install it from the browser. We explained what PWAs can do in what is a PWA. But if you need store visibility, full push-notification support on iOS or deep hardware access, the road still runs through the stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I pay the $25 separately for every app?
No. On Google Play the $25 is paid once per account; you can publish as many apps as you like from the same account. Apple’s $99/year is likewise an account fee, not a per-app fee.
Should the developer account belong to us or to the agency?
The account should always be opened in your (your company’s) name — the app is your digital asset and ownership should stay with you. At Barel Yazılım we manage the whole process on your behalf as part of our mobile app service, from account setup to release.
Did the fees change in 2026?
No. Google Play’s one-time $25 fee and Apple’s $99 annual membership have been stable for years, and they are the valid figures as of 2026. What keeps changing is not the fees but the policies: identity verification, the D-U-N-S requirement for organization accounts, and mandatory closed testing for new personal accounts.
Conclusion
In short: publishing on the Play Store costs a one-time $25, and the App Store costs $99 per year. These are the smallest lines in your budget; what really needs planning is development and maintenance. You can find the full submission walkthrough in our App Store and Google Play publishing guide. If you would rather hand over development and store submission end to end, request a quote — we manage everything from account setup to release.