How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store?

$99 per year for the Apple Developer Program. It is a recurring membership rather than a one-time fee, it covers unlimited apps on the account, and if it lapses your apps are removed from sale until you renew.

How much does it cost to publish on Google Play?

$25, paid once when you register a Google Play Console developer account. It is per account rather than per app and it never renews, which makes Android dramatically cheaper than iOS over time.

What costs do first-time launchers forget?

The domain and the page. Apple requires a support URL and both stores require a privacy policy URL, and those are live web pages — so a domain and a page are effectively mandatory even though no store charges for them.

Do I need a Mac to publish an iOS app?

For the build and submission steps, yes — they require macOS tooling. Cloud build services reduce how much you need one, but for a first iOS launch the practical answer is that you need access to a Mac, and it is usually the largest single cost.

Can I publish an app for free?

Not on iOS — the $99/year membership is unavoidable. On Android you can reach a live listing for the $25 registration fee plus a domain for the privacy policy URL, so under $40 in year one is realistic if you build it yourself and design your own icon.

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App Launch Cost Calculator

Apple charges $99 a year. Google charges $25 once. Neither covers the domain, the page or the icon the stores make mandatory — work out what your launch actually costs.

Where are you publishing?

Apple App Store

Apple Developer Program — recurring, not one-time

$99/yr

Google Play

One registration fee per account, never renews

$25 once

What the stores require but do not charge for

Apple needs a support URL. Both stores need a privacy policy URL. Both need a 1024×1024 icon. None of it is optional.

Domain

Your package ID derives from it, permanently

$12/yr

One-page site

Hosts the support page and the privacy policy

$19/yr

App icon

Free if you design it yourself; untick if you will

$40

I need to buy a Mac

Building and submitting an iOS app needs macOS

$600+

How long will the app stay listed?

Years listed3 years

Apple's fee recurs every year. If the membership lapses, your apps come off sale until you renew.

Your launch budget

First-year total

$195

Everything you pay before the app is live

Every year after that

$130/yr

Apple's membership plus the domain and page

Over 3 years

$455

Cover the mandatory lines

The store fees are fixed. The domain, the page and the icon are the parts you control — and they are what actually block a first submission.

Store fees are current published prices. The domain, page, icon and Mac figures are realistic mid-range estimates, not quotes — your own numbers will vary, and this page excludes anything your app needs at runtime such as servers or paid APIs.

Check your app name Generate the privacy policy The full launch path

App launch costs, answered

How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store?: $99 per year for the Apple Developer Program. It is a recurring membership rather than a one-time fee, it covers unlimited apps on the account, and if it lapses your apps are removed from sale until you renew.
How much does it cost to publish on Google Play?: $25, paid once when you register a Google Play Console developer account. It is per account rather than per app and it never renews, which makes Android dramatically cheaper than iOS over time.
What costs do first-time launchers forget?: The domain and the page. Apple requires a support URL and both stores require a privacy policy URL, and those are live web pages — so a domain and a page are effectively mandatory even though no store charges for them.
Do I need a Mac to publish an iOS app?: For the build and submission steps, yes — they require macOS tooling. Cloud build services reduce how much you need one, but for a first iOS launch the practical answer is that you need access to a Mac, and it is usually the largest single cost.
Can I publish an app for free?: Not on iOS — the $99/year membership is unavoidable. On Android you can reach a live listing for the $25 registration fee plus a domain for the privacy policy URL, so under $40 in year one is realistic if you build it yourself and design your own icon.

The full breakdown is in how much does it cost to publish an app.