How much are you paying the App Store?
Subscription apps lose 15–30% of every dollar to Apple. Web billing runs at 2–5%. Put in your revenue and see the difference, per year.
Monthly recurring revenue
Drag the slider or click the value to edit
Subscription age
Apple reduces its cut to 15% after a subscriber's first year
You could save
$71,999
/year vs. Apple's commission
$215,996 over 3 years
What Apple costs you per year
| Annual revenueMRR × 12 | $599,988 |
| Effective fee rate | 15%Small Business rate |
| Apple’s annual cut | −$89,998per year to Apple |
| Your revenue after fees | $509,990annual take-home |
| Web billing equivalent~3% payment processing | −$18,000 |
| Kept with web billing instead | +$71,999 |
Fee rates as of 2025. Apple's policies are subject to change.
How app store fees have evolved
The key policy changes that shaped the App Store and Google Play economy, and opened the door to web billing.
App Store launches
Apple opens the App Store with a flat 30% commission on all app and in-app purchases.
Google Play launches
Google rebrands the Android Market as Google Play, also charging a 30% commission on all digital goods.
Apple Year 2+ subscription discount
Apple introduces a reduced 15% rate for auto-renewing subscriptions after the first year.
Apple Small Business Program
Developers earning under $1M/year qualify for a 15% commission rate instead of 30%.
Google cuts to 15% for small devs
Google follows suit: first $1M in annual earnings is charged at 15% instead of 30%, effective July 1.
Epic v. Apple ruling
A federal court rules Apple must allow apps to inform users about external payment methods.
Google drops subscription fees
Google reduces Play Store commission on all subscriptions to 15% from day one, regardless of developer size.
Apple Reader App exception
“Reader” apps like Netflix and Spotify are allowed to link directly to their websites for sign-up.
Google User Choice Billing pilot
Google begins testing alternative billing options, allowing developers to offer a second payment system alongside Google Play billing.
EU Digital Markets Act enforced
The DMA forces both Apple and Google to allow alternative payment systems and app marketplaces in the EU.
US anti-steering order (Apple)
A US court enforces anti-steering provisions: apps can now link to web-based purchases.
Apple allows external payment links (US)
Following a court ruling in May 2025, developers can freely link to external purchase pages from US apps with no Apple commission on those sales.
Apple EU fee overhaul
Apple replaces its EU fee structure with a tiered system: 2% acquisition + 5–13% store services + 5% technology commission. The €0.50 Core Technology Fee is sunset.
Google opens US alternative billing
Google allows alternative payment systems in the US with no fees. Following the Epic settlement, commission drops to 9–20% depending on purchase type.
Apple CTF sunset (EU)
Apple’s per-install Core Technology Fee is fully replaced by a percentage-based Core Technology Commission for all EU developers.
App Store fees, answered
How much does Apple charge for subscription apps?
Apple takes 30% on Year 1 of auto-renewing subscriptions and 15% from Year 2 onward. If you earn under $1M/year, the Small Business Program reduces all rates to 15%.
Is it legal to sell subscriptions outside the App Store?
Yes. The Epic v. Apple ruling and EU DMA allow developers to direct users to web-based purchases. Apple has introduced "link entitlements" with specific rules and reduced fees depending on region.
What is the App Store Small Business Program?
It reduces Apple’s commission from 30% to 15% for developers earning under $1M in proceeds in the prior year. Applies globally to all purchase types including subscriptions.
How much can I save with web billing?
Web payment processing is typically 2.5–3.5% vs. Apple’s 15–30%. At $500K/year ARR, that’s $60K–$135K in annual savings. Use the calculator above for your specific numbers.
Does Apple still take a cut if I sell through my website?
If you use Apple’s "link entitlement" from within the app, Apple may charge a reduced commission (currently 27% Year 1, 12% after). If users find your site organically, Apple has no mechanism to collect fees.
What does Appfunnel do?
Appfunnel provides web-based subscription infrastructure for mobile apps: optimized purchase flows, payment processing, post-iOS 14.5 attribution, and revenue maximization. Start a 14-day free trial to see how it works.
The fee is the smallest number on this page.
Industry LTV curves put web-acquired subscribers at roughly 2x the value of store-acquired ones: better cohorts, owned billing, prices you can actually test. The 15–30% you keep just pays for the infrastructure.
Benchmarks: State of Web2App 2026 · RevenueCat State of Subscription Apps