The costs of the two stores
These are the figures we state on our pages today: always check the up-to-date amount on Apple's and Google's official sites before signing up. On what you sell inside the app (digital purchases, subscriptions) the stores also keep a percentage under their rules.
- Apple Developer Program: $99 a year, to be renewed.
- Google Play Console: $25 one-off, at sign-up.
What you need to open the accounts
- Correct personal or company details: they must match your documents.
- For companies, generally a D-U-N-S number and the details of the person representing the business.
- A payment method for the sign-up fee.
- Identity verification with a document: it can take a few days.
Why the accounts must be yours
If the store account belongs to the agency, the app effectively belongs to the agency: changing the owner after publication is complicated and sometimes impossible without starting over. That is why we publish from your account: the app, the reviews, the downloads and the freedom to change supplier all stay yours.
How long review takes
Every version goes through a review, partly automatic and partly manual. It usually takes from a few hours to a few days, but allow some margin: a rejection over a detail (a missing privacy policy, a test account not provided) restarts the clock. Store rules change, including for new accounts: always check the current conditions.
On Google Play, for personal accounts created after 13 November 2023, there is an extra step before publishing: you must run a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers for 14 consecutive days, as Google Play's official guidance states. That is at least two weeks to plan for, even if the app is ready. For the overall timeline read how long it takes to build an app.
What your app must have ready
- A public privacy policy, with a web address.
- The store listing: name, description, icon, category and preview screenshots.
- The declarations about the data the app collects, required by both stores.
- A test account for the reviewers, if the app requires login.
The costs that come back over time
In our packages publication is included; the account is not, because it is yours. What each tier includes is on the iOS app development and Android app development pages.
- The yearly renewal of the Apple account: if it lapses, the app can be removed from the store.
- External services with usage-based costs, if the app uses them (maps, messaging and so on).
- Updates: every new version of iOS and Android may need small adjustments.