App Store commission in 2026: rates by country and program

The App Store commission is no longer one number. For most of the world it is still 30% on paid apps and in-app purchases, or 15% if you are in the Small Business Program. But Apple now charges 25% in mainland China, 26% in the European Union, 21% plus a 5% payment fee in Japan, and, from October 31, 2026, 26% on the Taiwan storefront. In the US, purchases you send to your own website are a fight still running through the courts.

Apple announced the Taiwan change on October 29. It is the third regional cut this year, after China in March and the EU in October. This guide puts every current rate in one table, explains which programs get you the lower rate, and shows what each one means for the money you actually keep. Every rate is quoted from Apple's own developer pages, linked where it appears. Rates change often, so check those pages before you set prices.

Key takeaways

• Default rates: 30% standard, 15% for Small Business Program members and for auto-renewing subscriptions after a subscriber's first year.
• Taiwan: the standard rate drops from 30% to 26% on October 31, 2026. You do not have to sign anything first.
• China mainland: 25% standard and 12% reduced since March 15, 2026.
• EU: since October 1, 2026, 26% standard and 15% reduced with Apple In-App Purchase, lower with alternative payments or link-outs.
• Japan: 21% (or 10%) commission plus a 5% fee if Apple processes the payment.
• US: Apple cannot currently charge a commission on purchases made through external links, but the Supreme Court has agreed to hear its appeal.
• The cheapest fix for most indies is still enrolling in the Small Business Program. It is not automatic.

App Store commission rates by country in 2026#

This table covers sales through Apple In-App Purchase and paid app downloads, the path most apps use. Alternative payment and link-out rates follow below.

"Reduced rate" means the rate for qualifying members of the Small Business Program (and, depending on the region, the Mini Apps Partner Program and Video Partner Program), and for auto-renewing subscriptions after a subscriber's first year of paid service.

Taiwan: 26% from October 31, 2026#

Apple's October 29 notice says the change follows "discussions with the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission" and is short:

"As of October 31, 2026, the commission rate for standard Apple In-App Purchase and paid app transactions will be 26% on the Taiwan storefront of the App Store on iOS and iPadOS. Currently, that rate is 30%."

Two details matter. First, "Signing the updated terms by October 31 is not required to receive the benefit," so the lower rate applies automatically. Second, the notice only mentions the standard rate. If you are already in the Small Business Program, or most of your Taiwan revenue is subscriptions in their second year, the notice gives no reason to expect your rate there to change.

Taiwan is the latest storefront with its own rate, after China and the EU. Photo: Belle Co / Pexels

China mainland: 25% and 12%#

Apple's March 12 notice set new rates "following discussions with the Chinese regulator", effective March 15, 2026. The standard rate is 25%, and qualifying Small Business Program and Mini Apps Partner Program purchases, plus "auto-renewals of Apple In-App Purchase subscriptions after the first year, will be 12%." China is the only storefront where the reduced rate dropped too.

European Union: four different rates#

The EU moved to a single set of business terms on October 1, 2026, which Apple announced on August 18. The rates depend on how the customer pays. From Apple's EU apps page:

For link-outs, "Only sales made within 7 days of the link tap are subject to this commission." The old per-install Core Technology Fee is gone. If you distribute through the App Store only and use Apple In-App Purchase, the practical change for an indie developer in the Small Business Program is nothing: 15% before, 15% now. The standard rate fell from 30% to 26%.

Japan: commission plus a payment fee#

Japan's rules came with iOS 26.2 under the country's Mobile Software Competition Act. Apple's Japan distribution page splits the charge in two: an App Store commission of 21% (10% for program members and subscriptions after year one), plus an "Apple payment processing fee" of 5% when the purchase goes through Apple In-App Purchase. So the total with Apple's payment system is 26% standard or 15% reduced, which is close to the EU numbers. Link-outs pay a 15% (or 10%) store services commission on sales within 7 days of the tap.

The United States: link-outs and a court case#

The US storefront still charges 30% and 15% on Apple In-App Purchase. What changed is the external purchase link. Since a court order in April 2025, apps on the US storefront can link to a web checkout, and Apple has not been allowed to take a cut of those sales. In December 2025 the Ninth Circuit said Apple may charge some commission and sent the amount back to the district court. As 9to5Mac reported in May, "Apple still can't charge commissions on linked-out purchases until the District Court approves a new rate."

In August, Apple proposed 15% for standard apps, 10% for partner programs and subscription renewals, and 5% for Small Business Program apps. Then, on June 30, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Apple's appeal of the contempt finding. Until a rate is approved, US link-outs carry no Apple commission, but do not build a pricing model that depends on that lasting.

How to qualify for the 15% rate#

For most indie developers, the single biggest commission decision is not where you sell. It is whether you are enrolled in the right program.

1. Small Business Program. Apple's program page offers "a reduced commission rate of 15% on paid apps and Apple In-App Purchases" to developers who earned up to $1 million in proceeds in the prior calendar year, and to developers new to the App Store. You must enroll, and you must list any associated developer accounts. If you pass $1 million during the year, the standard rate applies to future sales.
2. Subscriptions after year one. Apple's subscriptions page says you receive 70% of the price in a subscriber's first year and 85% after a year of paid service. Small Business Program members get the 85% share from the start.
3. Mini Apps Partner Program. Introduced in November 2025 for apps that host third-party mini apps or games. Apple's program page says members "earn 85% of qualifying In-App Purchase sales within qualifying mini apps", but it requires the Advanced Commerce API and the Declared Age Range API.
4. Video Partner Program and News Partner Program. Narrow programs for premium video and news publishers that meet Apple's integration requirements.

If you only do one thing after reading this post, open the Small Business Program page and check whether you are enrolled. New developers frequently miss it, and Apple does not enroll you for you.

What you actually keep: a worked example#

Here is a $9.99 monthly subscription in a subscriber's first year, before taxes and currency conversion, for a developer who is not in the Small Business Program:

The last row is the point. A developer who enrolls in the Small Business Program keeps more on every storefront than any regional cut gives a developer who does not. Regional rate changes matter most for larger studios above the $1 million line.

The rate is set per storefront, so your Sales and Trends reports will start to show different proceeds per country. Photo: Karola G / Pexels

Keep in mind that proceeds also depend on tax. Apple's EU page notes that "App Store commission rates apply to the price paid by the customer," and Apple announces tax and price adjustments to proceeds several times a year. Check proceeds per storefront in App Store Connect rather than calculating them by hand.

How the App Store commission compares with Google Play#

Google rebuilt its fees in 2026 too. In the US, UK, EEA, Australia and Japan, Google Play now charges a 10% service fee on the first $1 million of annual earnings and on auto-renewing subscriptions, plus a 5% billing fee when the purchase goes through Google Play Billing, so about 15% in total for most indie apps. Above $1 million the rates are higher. Our guide to Google Play service fees in 2026 has the full rate card, and how much it costs to publish an app covers the registration fees on both stores.

In short: on both stores, a small developer who sets things up correctly pays about 15%. The headline 30% is for developers above $1 million a year, or those who never enrolled.

What to do this week#

• Confirm you are enrolled in the Small Business Program if you earned under $1 million in proceeds last year.
• If Taiwan is a meaningful market, expect lower commission on standard-rate sales from October 31. No action is needed to get it.
• Accept the updated Apple Developer Program License Agreement when App Store Connect asks, so nothing blocks your next submission.
• Revisit prices by storefront only if you are on the standard rate. A 4-point cut does not justify a price change on its own, but it may change the math for a regional discount.
• If you sell in the EU or Japan, decide deliberately whether alternative payments or link-outs are worth the engineering. For most indie apps under the 15% rate, they save little.
• If you use US link-outs, keep an eye on the district court and the Supreme Court. Apple's proposed rate for Small Business Program apps is 5%.

Lower commission is worth having, but it only matters once people find and buy your app. If you are looking for more reach outside the stores, you can list your iOS app on the AppRanker leaderboard, where position is a plain sort on what each listing has paid and every row links straight to your App Store page. And if subscriptions are your model, iOS 27 also brought subscription bundles and multiseat purchases, which change how much each customer can be worth, and promoted in-app purchases can put your subscription in App Store search results.

FAQ#

What is the App Store commission in 2026?#

In most countries, 30% on paid apps and Apple In-App Purchases, and 15% for Small Business Program members and for auto-renewing subscriptions after a subscriber's first year. China mainland is 25% and 12%. The EU and, from October 31, 2026, Taiwan are 26% standard. Japan is 21% plus a 5% payment processing fee.

Why is Apple lowering its commission in Taiwan?#

Apple's notice says the change follows discussions with the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission. It applies to standard Apple In-App Purchase and paid app transactions on the Taiwan storefront from October 31, 2026.

Do I have to sign anything to get the new Taiwan rate?#

No. Apple says signing the updated terms by October 31 is not required to receive the lower rate. You still need to accept the updated agreement in your account at some point, as with any license update.

Is the Small Business Program automatic?#

No. You have to enroll through Apple's program page and list any associated developer accounts. New developers qualify too, so enroll before your first paid sale.

Does Apple take 30% of subscriptions?#

Only in a subscriber's first year, and only if you are not in the Small Business Program. After a year of paid service, Apple's share drops to 15%. Small Business Program members pay 15% from the first month.

Can I avoid the App Store commission by linking to my website?#

In the US, Apple currently cannot charge a commission on purchases made through external links, but the rate is still being decided in court. In the EU and Japan, link-outs carry a 15% (or 10%) commission on sales within 7 days of the tap. Elsewhere, Apple's rules on links depend on the storefront and the type of app, so check the guidelines for your region first.

Image credits#

• Cover, calculator and coins: photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels, Pexels License. Cropped to 1200x630.
• Taipei skyline with Taipei 101: photo by Belle Co on Pexels, Pexels License. Cropped.
• Phone, cash and coins on a desk: photo by Karola G on Pexels, Pexels License. Cropped.