App Store and Google Play Costs 2026: Account, Commission and Publishing Fees

How much does it really cost to publish my mobile app in stores? Apart from the development fee, publishing on the App Store and Google Play has its own costs: annual account fees, in-app sales commissions, new version approval costs and additional items arising from legal obligations. Most business owners completely skip the store side when planning development pricing; However, at the end of the first year, store fees may account for 10-25% of the total budget.

In this article, we discuss Apple App Store and Google Play Console account fees, commission structures, valid rates as of 2026, and side items you need to plan in a transparent framework. We also offer a practical checklist so that you can plan your pre-publication budget properly and avoid surprises in the future.

Apple Developer Program costs

To open an organization account, the company's DUNS number is required. For most SMEs in Turkey, this process may take 1–3 weeks. During the approval process, Apple may request legal documents for company verification; Therefore, it is necessary to start the process at least one month before the store publication date.

Google Play Console costs

Google Play Console account one time 25 USD opens with ; There is no annual renewal. However, with the corporate verification rules that come into effect in 2024–2025:

• Tester requirement for personal accounts (beta tester verification)
• DUNS number and official documents for corporate accounts
• Filling out the data security form completely
• Privacy policy URL is mandatory

Applications that do not meet these requirements are either taken down or rejected at the initial review stage.

Commissions: App Store and Play Store

Apple App Store commission

• Standard: 30% (for in-app purchases, digital content and subscription sales)
• Small Business Program: 15% for revenues below 1 million USD per year
• Subscriptions: After the first year, it decreases to 30% → 15%
• Physical product/service: No commission is charged (when payment is made via external system)

Google Play commission

• Standard: %30
• Below 1 million USD: 15% up to the first 1 million USD annually
• Subscriptions: 15% from day 1
• Physical product/service: No commission charged

Frequently skipped items before store release

1. Application icon and screenshots: Images compatible with different device sizes. A pen worth between 8,000-25,000 TL with a professional design.
2. Promotional video: App Preview / Play Store video is optional but increases conversions. 15,000-60,000 TL.
3. Store texts and ASO: Title, short description, long description and keyword strategy. ASO consultancy can be a separate item.
4. Privacy policy: Mandatory for both Apple and Google. If prepared with legal support, 5,000-15,000 TL.
5. User agreement (EULA): For Apple, the standard EULA is used by default; However, if you have special circumstances, legal support is required.
6. Age/content rating: It's free, but if filled out incorrectly your app may be removed.
7. Apple App Privacy Manifest: Declaration of data collected by the application. It is mandatory starting from 2024.

Third party service costs

Apart from store publishing, you typically use the following services to run the app and these incur monthly/annual costs:

Annual total cost estimate

Example table of annual fixed costs for a medium-sized business application:

• Apple Developer Organization: 99 USD
• Google Play Console: 25 USD (one-time)
• Cloud infrastructure: 2,000 TL per month × 12 = 24,000 TL
• Analytics + crash tracking: 6,000 TL/year
• Push notification: 2.500 TL/year
• Map + SMS: monthly average 3,000 TL × 12 = 36,000 TL
• Application maintenance (monthly package): 15,000 TL × 12 = 180,000 TL

Total: approx 260,000 TL/year (out of development). This figure may be double or half, depending on the intensity of use and the number of integrations.

Apple Small Business Program details

The Apple Small Business Program offers a 15% commission rate to developers with less than $1 million in annual gross revenue. To join the program:

• Having earned less than 1 million USD in revenue last year
• Send an application form to Apple
• Not associated with another account

Developers who exceed 1 million USD move to a 30% commission from the exceeding point. If you fall below the limit the following year, you can go back to 15%.

No app sales or commission?

If your app is free and there are no sales in it, stores will not receive commission. Only the annual Apple Developer account fee remains mandatory. Advertising revenues are not subject to store commission because the advertising provider (AdMob, AdX, Meta, etc.) receives its own commission.

Post-release surprise costs

• New OS compatibility: A new iOS/Android version is released twice a year; Maintenance hours required for fit testing and correction.
• New device size: Foldable screens and new iPad sizes require layout changes.
• API changes: Code changes may be required when third-party services update the API.
• Privacy requirements: An update is required when Apple or Google introduces a new obligation (App Tracking Transparency, Data Safety, etc.).

To plan the total budget in more detail Mobile Application Prices 2026 And How Long Does It Take to Have a Mobile Application Made? Also check out our articles.

Frequently asked questions