Apple charges $99 a year and Google Play $25 once. What each fee covers, what launching an app really costs, and the setup to do before you pay.
The short answer
| Store account | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program | $99 a year | Individual or organisation. Shown in local currency (GBP in the UK) at enrolment; tax added where applicable |
| Google Play Console | $25 once | One-off registration for the life of the account |
| Apple Developer Enterprise Program | $299 a year | Internal apps only, organisations with 100+ employees. Not for the public App Store |
Sources: Apple, enrolment, Apple, Enterprise Program, Google Play Console Help. Checked September 2026.
Those are the only fixed prices in launching an app, and the smallest. The rest of this guide covers what the fees include, what they do not, and the setup that trips teams up before the first release.
What the $99 includes
The right to publish on the App Store, for as many apps as you like.
TestFlight: up to 100 internal testers from your own team, and up to 10,000 external testers (Apple).
App Store Connect, certificates, provisioning profiles and push notification services.
Access to beta OS releases and to the developer forums.
The membership runs for a year. If it expires, Apple says your apps are no longer available for download and you cannot submit updates, although copies already installed keep working (Apple, renewal). Expiring certificates are the more common day-to-day failure: a build signed with an expired certificate cannot be installed by testers, even though the app on the store keeps working.
The fee is the easy part
If you are pricing a first app, the $99 is the one line you can pay in a minute. The money goes on building the product: design, the iOS and Android apps, a backend and an admin panel, testing, and a round or two of store review. Our app development cost guide sets out real UK ranges and what moves them, and the app cost calculator gives a first figure for your own feature list in a few minutes.
Before anyone pays Apple, five pieces of setup decide how smoothly the launch goes:
Company or individual account. An individual account shows your personal name on the App Store as the seller. A business should enrol as an organisation, in the company's legal name.
D-U-N-S number. Organisations need one so Apple can verify the legal entity. It is free; Apple says to allow up to 5 business days to receive it from Dun & Bradstreet and up to 2 more for Apple to see it (Apple). The legal name must match exactly, and Apple also asks for a working company website and a work email on its domain.
Privacy policy and privacy labels. Every App Store submission needs a public privacy policy URL and the privacy “nutrition label” answers in App Store Connect (Apple). Write them from what the app actually collects, including third-party SDKs.
TestFlight and Google's closed test. Beta testing is where review surprises are found cheaply. New personal Google Play accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days before applying for production access (Google).
App Review. Apple reviews 90% of submissions in under 24 hours on average (Apple), but an incomplete submission is delayed or rejected. Budget engineer time for at least one rejection on a first release.
Planning your first app?
Free 30-minute call: we'll estimate it and tell you what to set up before you pay Apple.
Magora sets up the Apple and Google developer accounts in your company's name and publishes your app to the App Store and Google Play for you, as part of the build. You own the accounts and the app from day one.
See how we work: MVP development · mobile app development
How the Apple Developer Enterprise Program compares
The Enterprise Program is $299 a year and exists for proprietary, internal-only apps distributed to employees of one organisation, which must have at least 100 employees (Apple). It cannot be used to ship to the public, and Apple runs a verification interview and ongoing evaluation. Choosing it because “we are an enterprise” is a common mistake: for public apps, or custom apps for clients, Apple directs organisations to the standard programme.
Individual or organisation account?
An individual account is fast: an Apple Account with two-factor authentication and a card. Your legal name appears on the store as the seller.
An organisation account needs a D-U-N-S number, legal binding authority for the person enrolling, a public website on the company domain and a work email on it (Apple). Apple does not accept trading names or branches as the legal entity.
Working with Magora, the client owns the app, so we set up and publish from the client’s own accounts. Moving an app between accounts later is possible but fiddly: TestFlight has to be switched off and Xcode Cloud data removed first, Apple Pay merchant IDs do not move, and users of apps with keychain sharing have to sign in again (Apple, app transfer). It is better to publish from the right account in the first place, which is one of the things an experienced iOS development partner sets up on day one.
Pick your features in our calculator for a ballpark, or send us your brief for a free estimate. Developers from £49/hour; a full team with QA and product ownership £65–£70/hour.
What is not in the fee
For anything that sells, the commission matters more than the membership. Apple takes 15% under the App Store Small Business Program (up to $1m in proceeds in the prior year) and its standard rate above that. A subscription app turning over £10,000 a month at 15–30% pays Apple £1,500–£3,000 in the same month, which is why the $99 is rarely the decision that costs money.
| Cost | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple annual fee | $99/yr | Per account, not per app |
| Google Play | $25 once | Per account |
| Apple commission | 15–30% of in-app revenue | 15% under the Small Business Program |
| Google commission | 15–30% | Similar tiers |
| Push, analytics, crash tools | Free tiers first | Paid plans grow with users |
| Backend hosting | Monthly | Depends entirely on the product and traffic |
| Code signing on CI | Included | Engineer time to configure it is not |
| App review rejections | Engineer days | We budget for one or two rounds on a first release |
The UK specifics
Apple lists the fee in local currency at enrolment and adds tax at your region's rate where applicable (Apple).
You need a bank account in the entity’s name to receive payouts, plus tax forms in App Store Connect.
For digital goods sold to consumers, Apple handles VAT as the marketplace in most territories, but not everywhere and not for every product type. Take advice before assuming.
Renewal, and the trap in between
In the UK, auto-renewal can be switched on in your membership details, and memberships bought in the Apple Developer app renew as a subscription (Apple). The trap is a card that expires in the same month as the membership: the charge fails, the membership lapses and the apps stop being available for download until someone notices.
Two habits prevent it: a calendar reminder 30 days before renewal, and a payment method owned by the company rather than by whoever set the account up three years ago.
Apple Developer fee: frequently asked questions
How much is the Apple Developer fee in 2026?
The Apple Developer Program is $99 a year, shown in local currency at enrolment with tax added where applicable. The Apple Developer Enterprise Program is $299 a year. Google Play charges a one-off $25.
Do I need an Apple Developer account to write iOS code?
No. Xcode is free from the Mac App Store, and you can build and run apps in the simulator without paying Apple. The paid programme is needed to distribute apps through the App Store or TestFlight.
Can I test an iOS app on my own iPhone without paying?
Yes. Sign in to Xcode with a free Apple Account, connect the device and install the build. Free provisioning is limited: builds expire after a few days, and capabilities such as push notifications, iCloud and Sign in with Apple need the paid programme.
What is the difference between the standard and Enterprise programmes?
The $99 programme distributes apps to the public through the App Store and to up to 10,000 external TestFlight testers. The $299 Enterprise programme is for proprietary internal apps distributed to your own employees, for organisations with 100+ employees, and cannot publish to the App Store.
Is the $99 Apple Developer fee one-time or annual?
Annual. If the membership expires, your apps are no longer available for download and you cannot submit updates; apps already installed keep working.
Is the Apple Developer fee tax-deductible in the UK?
For a UK business it is normally an allowable business expense. Check VAT treatment and reclaim with your accountant.
Can I transfer my Apple Developer account?
Not the account itself, but you can transfer individual apps between accounts. Ratings and reviews move with the app; TestFlight must be switched off first, and Apple Pay merchant IDs do not transfer.
What is the App Store Small Business Program?
Developers with up to $1m in proceeds in the previous calendar year, and new developers, can qualify for a 15% commission on paid apps and in-app purchases.
How long does App Store review take?
Apple says 90% of submissions are reviewed in under 24 hours on average. Incomplete submissions take longer or are rejected.
Can Magora set up the developer accounts and publish the app for us?
Yes. We set up the Apple and Google developer accounts in your company's name, configure App Store Connect and Google Play Console, and publish the app for you. Ownership stays with you from day one, which keeps the IP, reviews and analytics under your control.
Ready to launch?
Free 30-minute call: we'll estimate your app and tell you what to set up before you pay Apple.
- A first estimate and timeline for your feature list
- Developer accounts set up in your company's name
- App Store and Google Play submission handled by us
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