How much does it cost to put an app on the App Store and Google Play?
Apple charges $99 a year and Google charges US$25 once. Those are the only fees the stores charge to publish. You pay them whether you built the app yourself, wrapped it or had it rebuilt, and whether your app is free or paid.
- Amount
- $99 per membership year
- Notes
- Prices may vary by region and are shown in local currency when you enroll. Eligible nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities can request a fee waiver
- Amount
- US$25, one time
- Notes
- Paid by credit or debit card; prepaid cards aren't accepted
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program | $99 per membership year | Prices may vary by region and are shown in local currency when you enroll. Eligible nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities can request a fee waiver |
| Google Play developer account | US$25, one time | Paid by credit or debit card; prepaid cards aren't accepted |
Commissions only apply when you sell through the stores: paid apps, subscriptions and other digital purchases. A free app with no in-app purchases pays the developer fees and nothing more.
How much do Apple and Google take from app sales?
Apple takes 15% if you're in its Small Business Program and 30% at the standard rate. Google Play's fees depend on where your users are: users in the US, UK and EEA moved to a new structure with a separate 5% billing fee on June 30, 2026, and users in Australia and Japan on September 30, 2026.
- Auto-renewing subscriptions
- 15%
- Other digital sales
- 15%
- Auto-renewing subscriptions
- 30% in a subscriber's first year, 15% after one year of paid service
- Other digital sales
- 30%
- Auto-renewing subscriptions
- 10% + 5% billing fee
- Other digital sales
- 20% + 5% billing fee for new installs; 25% + 5% for existing installs
- Auto-renewing subscriptions
- 15%
- Other digital sales
- 15% on the first $1M a year, 30% above
| Store and region | Auto-renewing subscriptions | Other digital sales |
|---|---|---|
| Apple, Small Business Program | 15% | 15% |
| Apple, standard rate | 30% in a subscriber's first year, 15% after one year of paid service | 30% |
| Google Play, US, UK, EEA, Japan and Australia (first $1M of annual earnings) | 10% + 5% billing fee | 20% + 5% billing fee for new installs; 25% + 5% for existing installs |
| Google Play, markets not yet on the new fees | 15% | 15% on the first $1M a year, 30% above |
- Apple's Small Business Program is for developers new to the App Store and those who made up to $1 million in proceeds in the prior calendar year. Pass $1 million in the current year and the standard rate applies to future sales.
- In the Small Business Program, you keep 85% of subscription revenue from the first billing cycle, without waiting a year.
- On Google Play, a new install is a user's first install or update on or after the rollout date for their region; earlier ones are existing installs. The rollout date was June 30, 2026 in the US, UK and EEA, and September 30, 2026 in Australia and Japan.
- Google's billing fee applies to in-app digital purchases through Google Play Billing and to the first purchase of a paid app.
- Developers in Google's Play Games Level Up or Apps Experience programs pay 15% + 5% on other transactions from new installs.
- Apple's rules on payments and links outside the app vary by region, so check Apple's terms for the countries you sell in.
Selling digital features or content inside an iOS app means using Apple's in-app purchase (Guideline 3.1.1). That's one of the things App Review checks, alongside the other reasons Apple rejects AI-built apps.
How much does it cost to turn a web app into a mobile app?
From nothing but your time with Capacitor, to a one-time or monthly fee for a wrapper, to a flat fee or a quote for someone to do it for you. If your builder already makes native apps, like Rork, Anything, FlutterFlow or RapidNative, there's no conversion to pay for, only the store work.
- What it costs
- Free (MIT license), plus a Mac for iOS builds
- What you still do
- Build, sign, list and submit the apps yourself
- What it costs
- $249 once for one platform, $498 once for both
- What you still do
- The store work, with its one-click publishing
- What it costs
- $19 a month, $49 a month or $699 once; publishing service from $600
- What you still do
- The store work, unless you buy the service
- What it costs
- See Median's pricing page
- What you still do
- The store work, unless you buy its publishing service
- What it costs
- Hourly or a quote
- What you still do
- Whatever isn't in the contract
| Route | What it costs | What you still do |
|---|---|---|
| Capacitor | Free (MIT license), plus a Mac for iOS builds | Build, sign, list and submit the apps yourself |
| Despia | $249 once for one platform, $498 once for both | The store work, with its one-click publishing |
| Natively | $19 a month, $49 a month or $699 once; publishing service from $600 | The store work, unless you buy the service |
| Median | See Median's pricing page | The store work, unless you buy its publishing service |
| Freelancer or agency | Hourly or a quote | Whatever isn't in the contract |
The cheapest route can cost the most if it gets rejected. Wrapped websites often fail Apple's Guideline 4.2, and every rejection adds a fix and another review. See the best ways to publish a vibe-coded app for how the routes compare, and how to fix a 4.2 rejection if it has already happened.
LetsDeployIt's plans for a native rebuild with the store work done, live from our pricing:
- Price
- Free
- What it covers
- Full native conversion, preview on your phone, editor access. Edit and re-preview as much as you like.
- Price
- $99.50 (usually $199)
- What it covers
- Full React Native source code. You handle submission.
- Price
- $499.50 (usually $999)
- What it covers
- App Store and Google Play. We handle everything. Care plan: 3 months included, then $99/month.
- Price
- $349.50 (usually $699)
- What it covers
- App Store or Google Play. Same service, one platform. Care plan: 3 months included, then $99/month.
| Plan | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Preview | Free | Full native conversion, preview on your phone, editor access. Edit and re-preview as much as you like. |
| Export | $99.50 (usually $199) | Full React Native source code. You handle submission. |
| Launch | $499.50 (usually $999) | App Store and Google Play. We handle everything. Care plan: 3 months included, then $99/month. |
| Launch (single store) | $349.50 (usually $699) | App Store or Google Play. Same service, one platform. Care plan: 3 months included, then $99/month. |
Fixed-price add-ons for phone-only features: In-app purchases + RevenueCat, Sign in with Apple, Push notifications, Android closed testing, Deep links / universal links, Offline mode + caching, Analytics + attribution, Admin panel.
Prices in USD, excluding Apple and Google developer account fees. Full details on the pricing page.
More detail on each tool: Median, Despia, Natively, Capacitor, and DIY vs freelancer vs agency.
How long does it take to publish an app?
Apple reviews most apps within two days, but a new personal Google Play account adds at least 14 days of closed testing before you can launch. On top of that comes the time to build the native app, prepare the listings and fix anything reviewers flag.
- How long
- At least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours, 90% in under 48 hours
- Who says
- Apple
- How long
- At least 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row
- Who says
- How long
- Usually 7 days or less
- Who says
- How long
- A fix, then another review
- Who says
- Both stores
| Step | How long | Who says |
|---|---|---|
| App Review on the App Store | At least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours, 90% in under 48 hours | Apple |
| Closed test on a new personal Google Play account | At least 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row | |
| Production access review on Google Play | Usually 7 days or less | |
| Each rejection | A fix, then another review | Both stores |
The closed test applies to personal accounts created after November 13, 2023; organization accounts skip it. Here's how to find and keep 12 testers. Apple also notes that incomplete submissions take longer, so send a demo account and reviewer notes the first time. The full steps are in the guides to publishing on the App Store and Google Play.
What are the ongoing costs of keeping an app in the stores?
The main ongoing cost is Apple's $99 renewal every year; Google's $25 fee is paid once. After that, it's the cost of keeping the app current with each store's rules.
- Apple Developer Program renewal: $99 each membership year.
- Google's target API level: since August 31, 2026, new apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36) or higher. Google raises this requirement over time, so plan an update when it moves.
- Updates: a native app's new screens go through store review each time. A wrapper's content updates with your website, but its monthly or yearly plan keeps running.
- Your backend and builder plan: the database, hosting and builder subscription your app runs on.
- Policy changes: rules like in-app account deletion and privacy labels apply to every update, not only the first release.
For a full launch list with every fee in one place, see the Lovable launch checklist and costs; the same steps apply to apps from Bolt.new, Base44, v0 and other web builders.
We take your AI-built app the last mile.
We rebuild your web app as a native React Native and Expo app, or take your already native app as it is, and do every store task for a flat fee: listings, screenshots, privacy labels, the Data safety form, the 12-tester closed test, signing and submission to both stores. We resubmit until approved, and refund the full fee if an app that follows the store policies can't be approved. Apple's and Google's fees are paid to them directly. Preview your app free on your phone first.
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