Apple overhauls its EU App Store fees, loosens rules for alternative app stores

Apple has revamped its fee structure for European developers, swapping out a controversial per-download charge for a flat 5% commission on apps distributed outside its own App Store. The change also lowers barriers for third-party marketplace operators, signaling continued adaptation to the EU's Digital Markets Act.

Apple is restructuring how it charges developers in the European Union, moving away from a per-install fee model that drew significant criticism since its introduction. Under the new arrangement, apps distributed through channels other than Apple's own App Store will be subject to a 5% commission — a more predictable cost structure that many developers had been pushing for.

The company is also easing the requirements for businesses that want to run their own alternative app marketplaces on iOS within the EU. This comes as Apple continues to navigate compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act, which forced the iPhone maker to open its platform to third-party distribution for the first time. The adjustments suggest Apple is gradually softening its approach as regulatory pressure and developer pushback mount.

Apple has announced a meaningful overhaul of its App Store economics for European Union developers, replacing the widely criticized per-installation fee with a simpler 5% commission on revenue generated by apps distributed outside its native App Store ecosystem. The shift represents one of the more substantive concessions Apple has made since being forced to comply with the EU's landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA).

When Apple first introduced its alternative distribution framework in early 2024, it coupled the opening with a 'Core Technology Fee' — a charge of €0.50 for each install beyond 1 million annually. Developers and industry observers immediately condemned the structure as punitive, arguing it made alternative distribution economically unattractive and undermined the spirit of the DMA's goals. The new percentage-based commission addresses that core complaint by tying costs directly to revenue rather than download volume.

Alongside the fee restructuring, Apple is also loosening the operational requirements for companies that wish to run their own app marketplaces on iOS within EU borders. Previously, marketplace operators faced steep financial requirements and complex approval criteria. Making this path more accessible could encourage more viable third-party storefronts to emerge, further breaking Apple's historical monopoly on iOS software distribution.

Why it matters: These changes reflect how sustained regulatory and developer pressure can actually shift behavior from one of the world's most powerful technology companies. The EU's DMA has proven to be one of the most effective tools yet for prying open closed digital ecosystems, and Apple's continued adjustments — however incremental — set a precedent for how platform gatekeepers may be compelled to operate globally. Observers in other markets, including the United States and United Kingdom, will be watching closely as their own regulatory frameworks evolve.

For developers, particularly smaller studios and indie creators with large but low-revenue user bases, the switch to a revenue-based model removes a significant financial risk that had made alternative distribution feel like a trap rather than an opportunity. Whether these changes will be enough to satisfy EU regulators and encourage a genuinely competitive app marketplace ecosystem on iOS remains an open question.