App Store and Google Play Publishing: Fees, Review Times and Requirements

App Store and Google Play Publishing: Fees, Review Times and Requirements

> Quick Summary: Publishing on the App Store costs 99 US dollars a year, Google Play costs a one-time 25 US dollars. Both stores take 15 to 30 percent of digital sales. Apple reviews most submissions within a day or two; a new personal Google Play account must first run a 14-day closed test with at least 12 testers. Figures are from the stores' own pages as of November 2026; check them before you budget.

I have taken apps and games through both stores many times. This page is the sheet I wish every client had before the first call: plain numbers, no opinions.

Account fees

• Apple Developer Program: 99 US dollars per year. The app is removed from sale if the membership lapses.
• Google Play Console: 25 US dollars, paid once.
• Organization accounts on both stores need a D-U-N-S number. Getting one is free and can take from a few days to a few weeks.
• Who owns the account matters. Publish under your own company account, not your developer's. The account holds your reviews, your subscribers and your revenue.

Commission on digital sales

• Standard rate: 30 percent on paid apps, in-app purchases and subscriptions.
• Small business rate: 15 percent. Apple applies it to developers earning up to 1 million US dollars a year who enrol in the App Store Small Business Program. Google applies 15 percent to the first 1 million US dollars each year.
• Subscriptions: 15 percent on Google Play from day one, and on the App Store after a subscriber's first year.
• Physical goods and services (food delivery, rides, a gym membership used in person) are not charged a store commission.
• Rules differ in some regions, for example the European Union, and they change. Treat these as the default case.

Review

• App Store: Apple reports that most submissions are reviewed within 24 to 48 hours. Rejections are common on a first submission; the usual reasons are missing login details for the reviewer, incomplete purchase flows and privacy answers that do not match the app.
• Google Play: review for a new app can take several days. Updates are usually faster.
• Plan a buffer. I schedule one week between "build ready" and "live" for a first release.

The Google Play 12-tester rule

Personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 cannot publish straight to production. They must first:

1. Run a closed test.
2. Keep at least 12 testers opted in for 14 days in a row.
3. Then apply for production access.

Organization accounts are exempt. Internal testing does not count towards the 14 days. If your launch date is fixed, start the closed test at least three weeks earlier.

Size limits

• Google Play: the base module of an Android App Bundle can be up to 200 MB of compressed download. Extra assets go into asset packs, up to 4 GB in total.
• App Store: iOS asks users for confirmation before downloading an app over 200 MB on mobile data, which lowers installs. Keeping the first download under that line is worth the effort.

What both stores ask you to prepare

• App name, subtitle or short description, full description, keywords
• Screenshots for the required device sizes, and an icon at 1024 by 1024 pixels
• A privacy policy URL that is publicly reachable
• Privacy answers: App Privacy details on the App Store, the Data safety form on Google Play
• An age rating questionnaire
• A support URL or email address
• A demo account for the reviewer if the app has a login
• Account deletion inside the app if users can create accounts (both stores require it)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you want this handled end to end, including the store listings and the review back-and-forth, that is part of every project I take. See the work on the home page or get in touch.