Is the EU App Store Fee Nightmare Finally Over?
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Apple has restructured its App Store fees in the European Union to appease regulators, resulting in a much simpler commission fee structure with unified business terms that will apply to all developers who choose to sell their apps on alternative marketplaces.
This represents the second major change Apple has made in EU app pricing models since opening up app distribution over two years ago to comply with the new Digital Markets Act (DMA).
At that time, developers were given the option to either stay on the App Store and continue paying the same 15–30 percent commission structure that’s long been the norm, or transition to a new program that would reduce their fees to a maximum of 20 percent — 17 percent for Apple plus 3 percent for payment processing. In exchange, the new program would charge a “Core Technology Fee” of €0.50 per install — but only for developers with over a million installs per year.
The Core Technology Fee would be charged on all installs, whether from the App Store or an alternative app marketplace, and since it wasn’t percentage-based, it would apply even to free apps — a situation that alarmed many developers who were afraid they might go broke if their apps suddenly went viral and garnered over a million downloads. Apple adjusted its fee structure in response, and then issued an even more complicated round of fees in January 2025.
The per-install Core Technology Fee was dropped in favour of a new 5 percent “Core Technology Commission,” and then Apple added a new series of fees for apps that want to “communicate and promote offers for digital goods or services,” including an “initial acquisition fee” of up to 2%, and two tiers of “store services fees” — a 13% fee for those who want a full suite of “Tier 2” features to “maximize visibility, engagement, growth, and operational efficiency,” and a 5% fee for those who only wanted basic “app delivery, trust & safety, app management, and engagement.”
If that sounds complicated, it’s because it is — and it’s hard to shake the feeling that Apple wanted it that way. Many developers likely read through the complicated list of fees and decided it would be far less confusing to stay on the App Store and do everything through Apple’s in-app purchasing system.
It’s likely EU regulators were about as impressed with that as a US judge was when it tried a similar tactic in the US App Store. While we haven’t heard any scathing rulings from the EU, Apple’s announcement does say it followed “close collaboration with the European Commission” to “resolve Apple’s disagreements with the Commission over business terms and alternative distribution.”
The new terms come into effect on October 1, 2026, and they’re definitely simpler than what Apple had previously concocted. Every developer will be moved to these new, unified terms, which will charge four flat commission tiers, with lower rates for smaller developers or those in special partnership programs.
| Standard Rate | Special Rate | |
|---|---|---|
| App Store apps using Apple In-App Purchase | 26% | 15% |
| App Store apps using alternative payment processing | 20% | 10% |
| App Store apps that link out of the app to complete purchases | 15% | 10% |
| Apps distributed via alternative app marketplaces or the web | 5% | 5% |
Specifically, the special, lower rate will be available to developers in the App Store Small Business Program, Mini Apps Partner Program, and Video Partner Program. That includes developers who make less than $1 million per year for their apps and those who are new the App Store entirely, those who produce basic HTML5 or JavaScript applets, and streaming providers from big players like Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max to smaller regional ones like the CBC and Crave.
Meanwhile, the more complicated “initial acquisition fee” and “store services fee” are gone.
There are some new restrictions baked into these changes. For one, payment options can only be changed every twelve months, so a developer who chooses Apple In-App Purchase won’t be able to swap to alternative payment processing or linking out to the web right away.
Apple says this is “to provide consistency and clarity for users,” but it’s also not as bad as it sounds, as developers will finally be allowed to use Apple In-App Purchase alongside alternative payment options, as long as they select it at the outset.
Parental safety controls are also being factored in here. Apps in the Kids category will not be allowed to link out to the web to complete transactions, “to reduce the risk of fraud or scams targeting children.” Similarly, users under 18 years old will have to get parental clearance to make purchases through alternative payment processing or website links, and those under 13 years old won’t be allowed to link out at all.
