Apple is changing the rules for developers

Apple is changing its rules for the EU App Store after regulators accused it of violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in June. At first glance, the updated rules appear to give developers more freedom to link to external purchases, but the new restrictive fee structure will require developers to pay Apple a commission for sales on any platform, not just iOS, as long as they include external links.

Starting this fall, all developers in the EU will be able to include links that lead to purchases outside of their apps. The updated rules will allow developers to notify users of offers online, in another app store, or otherwise "at a location of their choice." They allow developers to include any number of links and give users the option to disable pop-ups to promote sales in the Apple Store.

However, the cost of using this feature is so high that it's hard to imagine any developer using it. When a developer adds external links, Apple charges a new fee for sales of digital goods and services that occur within one year of the date a user installs the app—on any platform, even if the user never actually clicks on the external link.

This could include purchases made from an alternative app store or developer's website from any type of device, such as a Windows PC. If the user reinstalls or updates the app, the watch restarts. The fee for apps available only through the App Store is 20 percent. Apps that add support for third-party stores pay 10 percent, but will face other related fees.

In addition, Apple imposes a 5% "initial acquisition fee" on digital goods and services purchased on any platform within one year of the user's first installation of the app. Combined, this means Apple can collect up to a 25% commission on purchases made within a year of installation, including off-platform subscriptions and automatic subscription renewals. Developers in Apple's Small Business Program and those who charge automatic new subscriptions for more than one year will have lower fees. Fees also do not apply to subscriptions or auto-renewals purchased prior to downloading the app.

"Apple's terms make it completely uneconomical for developers to distribute their apps in both the Apple App Store and competing iOS app stores," Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney wrote in a post on X discussed the new rules.

Apple said the fees reflect the extensive value its app store provides. The initial acquisition fee "reflects the value the App Store provides in connecting developers with customers in the EU," while the store services fee "reflects the ongoing services and capabilities Apple provides to developers."

Outside the EU, Apple charges up to a 30% commission on in-app purchases.