Introduction

Want to know how much it costs to publish your mobile application on the Apple App Store? Then you are in the right place. Today, we will be discussing publishing mobile apps on the App Store and its cost involvement.

As we all know that there are several app stores available on the internet, some of them are present on mobile devices as an app itself, and some are available through web-based app store services. Obviously, they are not free; app stores do charge several fee amounts in exchange for publishing the application. The fee could be on a monthly or yearly basis; this depends on the app store publishing terms and conditions and their services.

These app stores are the way to make your mobile applications accessible and allow your audience to install and use them.

Do you know how many genuine app stores there are?

There are over 300 app stores present on the internet world in 2023. These numbers surely give a better and clear idea of how so many popular apps are gaining millions and billions of downloads in just a year or two.

There are so many tactics that professional companies use to increase their app downloads and earn more revenue. Yes, not every app store is paid, but some charge a certain fee. Let’s go further deep down into the topic to understand the cost of publishing any category app on the App Store.

So, firstly let’s understand a bit about the App Store, shall we? Okay.

What is App Store?

App Store is a platform developed by Apple Inc. where developers publish or launch their mobile apps. Technically, it’s a channel for apps from where users can download the application and install it on their Apple devices.

The App Store was first launched on July 10, 2008, with only 500 apps. Ever since then, the platform has grown tremendously, and today, the Apple App Store has over 2.5 million apps. Here is some basic information about the App Store 2023:

—> Launched: July 10, 2008

—> Developer: Apple Inc.

—> Operating Systems: iOS, iPadOS

—> Number of Apps: Over 2.5 million

—> Annual Revenue: Over $65 billion

—> Revenue Share: 30% for most apps, 15% for apps sold in China

Moreover, to get featured in the Apple App Store, apps should be approved by the technical team of Apple. Of course, they charge for publishing apps to the App Store.

Do you know what process the Apple team follows to publish apps?

So, this process includes after the developer submits the app, Apple takes your app for the reviewing stage. They check the app's content, quality, functionality, and performance. After a complete review, the Apple team publishes the app on the App Store and then makes it accessible to users.

The process might look simple, but it’s not that simple. Apple is kind of strict when it comes to publishing any sort of application on its App Store. There are so many things that you need to consider before choosing the iOS application to publish on the App Store.

Wanna know what sort of things you need to check out first? Okay, let’s dive into this section.

Things to Consider While Publishing The Mobile App On The App Store

In the Apple App Store system, everything runs systematically. The product goes into review, and if the Apple development team finds any sort of issues in the app, they reject the app submission application right away. The rejection topic can be anything like performance or legality issues. Therefore, to publish your app on the App Store, consider things that we have mentioned below:

App Store Review Guidelines - Apple has their own set of rules and guidelines. If you want your app to get published on their platform, adhering to those rules and guidelines is compulsory. Their guidelines cover everything, such as app content, functionality, and performance.

App Store Optimization (ASO) - To get your app on the top and visible in the App Store search results, you need to bring your effort into App Store Optimization. Make sure you optimize your app title, keywords, and description, as these components help your users find your app in the ASO results.

Pricing - Of course, you can’t forget about pricing, as it is the main concern for all app developers. You need to decide how much you want to charge for your app. It is something that you really should research about most. As you know, Apple takes a 30% cut from all in-app purchases; for example, if your app includes in-app purchases or subscriptions, then when a user makes a transaction within your app, suppose they bought in-app items from $10, then Apple will take the $3 in their pocket. And the remaining amount will be yours. Therefore, you need to factor this into your app pricing strategy.

Marketing - Here is the biggest challenge, marketing your iOS mobile application. Once you publish your app on the App Store, you will need to market it to users. You can use different marketing channels to market your iOS app, like social media channels, ASO, and paid advertising.

However, there are more things that a developer needs to consider while publishing the mobile app on the iOS App Store. Here are some additional tips to take into your account:

• Make sure your iOS app is well-designed and user-friendly.
• Before submitting your iOS mobile application for review, test it thoroughly.
• Add clear and concise information about your app in the description section.
• Use relevant keywords in the app’s title and description accordingly.
• Keep up-to-date your iOS app with new features and bug fixes.

By following these tips, you can increase your chances of successfully publishing the mobile app on the iOS App Store.

What Types of iPhone/iOS AppsCan’t Be Publish on the Apple App Store?

• Apps that promote violence or hate speech.
• Apps that is sexually suggestive or explicit.
• Apps that is illegal or harmful.
• Apps that violate Apple's privacy policies.
• Apps that is not original or creative.
• Apps that is not functional or stable.
• Apps that are not optimized for iOS devices.
• Apps that is not compatible with the latest version of iOS.
• Apps that are not in English.

These are points that you need to note down when planning to publish your iOS applications on the App Store.

Benefits of Publish Mobile App On The App Store

Without a doubt, publishing your iOS app on the App Store provides you with numerous benefits compared to the different unofficial iOS app stores. Check out the benefits:

Reach a large audience: The App Store has over 650 million average weekly visitors worldwide. This means that your app has the potential to reach a large audience of potential users.

Get discovered: The App Store has a number of features that help users discover new apps. These features include search, recommendations, and editorial curation.

Get paid: Apple takes a 30% cut of all in-app purchases and subscriptions. However, this is still a significant source of revenue for app developers.

Get support: Apple provides a number of resources to help developers with their apps. These resources include documentation, tutorials, and support forums.

Here are some additional benefits of publishing your mobile app on the App Store:

Increase brand awareness: Publishing your app on the App Store can help to increase brand awareness for your company.

Improve customer loyalty: By providing a valuable and engaging app, you can improve customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.

Gather user feedback: The App Store allows users to rate and review apps. This feedback can be invaluable for improving your app and making it more user-friendly.

Gain access to analytics: The App Store provides developers with access to analytics data about their apps. This data can be used to track app usage, identify trends, and make informed decisions about future development.

Overall, publishing your mobile app on the App Store can be a great way to reach a large audience, increase brand awareness, improve customer loyalty, and gather user feedback. If you are considering developing a mobile app, the App Store is a great platform to consider.

Features That Apple App Store Offers iOS App Developers

For iOS app developers, Apple brings nourishing features that help them to publish their mobile app on the App Store and even develop apps via Apple iOS app development tool kits. They provide various types of iOS development programs to help tech enthusiasts with iOS app development. Wanna know what features Apple Store offers? Check below:

Distribution Made Secure, Easy, and Reliable

• Apple provides unlimited hosting and bandwidth services for all of your apps, error-free updates, in-app purchases, machine learning models, and more. The best part is that whether your app is free or paid, these services are for all.
• Apple handles your entire in-app payment processing world widely. They provide payment options like debit/credit cards, carrier billing, digital wallets, or App Store and iTunes gift cards, depending on their region.
• Users can easily switch their iOS devices to other iOS devices without compromising user data and in-app purchases. They can restore and access their content seamlessly on any device.
• Apple offers you top-end security features. Apple verifies user accounts to check if they are real or fake. And also they help you get paid securely, ensuring that your intellectual property is completely protected.
• They take care of your tax obligations and support any dispute process to help protect your app trademarks and copyrights.
• Users can easily opt for the latest versions of your iOS app and download them without any hassle.
• Developers can release their developed applications and update manually or automatically at a time or in stages over a 7-days period.
• Reply to your user's feedback on your apps on the App Store.

Built-in Business & Marketing Opportunities

• Apple provides several built-in business & marketing opportunities. They have eight business models that app development companies can use, such as free with advertising, free with physical goods and services, free with in-app purchases, free with subscription, paid, reader, and cross-platform. Although, Apple only collects commission if you sell digital goods and services through your app to your users.
• These business and marketing features provide introductory offers, promotional offers, and offer codes for subscriptions.
• Apple helps developers distribute the offer/promo codes for apps or in-app purchases.
• Apple allows you to add your app as a pre-registration function that helps your users pre-order your app and receive it through automatic download once it’s released.
• The app bundle feature in the App Store allows developers to bundle up to 10 apps together as a single purchase. This enables users to buy grouped apps together in a single package.
• Apple has great marketing campaigns for businesses to promote their mobile application on the App Store via App Search Ads.

Take Your App To The Next Level

• Apple offers several iOS app development tools and resources to help iOS app developers succeed. They offer a variety of app-building tools and resources to help developers create and promote their apps. This feature pack includes the Xcode IDE, the App Store Connect portal, and the Apple Developer website.
• The App Store is present in over 175 countries and regions, so businesses can reach a global audience with their apps.
• Apple provides end-to-end support to developers.

10 Steps to Publish Mobile App On The App Store

Do you want to know how you can easily publish your mobile app on the App Store? The steps are simple; however, there are a lot of things you have considered, which we have mentioned earlier in this topic. Here we have mentioned 10 steps to publish your iOS app on the App Store:

1. Enroll in the Apple Developer Program

• Create an Apple Developer account on the Apple Developer website.
• Pay the required annual fee to enroll in the program.

2. Prepare your App for Submission

• Develop and test your app thoroughly to ensure it functions properly and meets Apple's guidelines.
• Ensure your app's design and user interface are intuitive and visually appealing.

3. Create an App Store Connect Record

• Log in to your Apple Developer account and gain access to App Store Connect.
• Create a new record for your app by providing necessary details such as the app's name, description, keywords, and category.

4. Configure App Store Information

• Provide comprehensive information about your app, including its screenshots, app preview videos, app icon, and app store promotional text.

5. Set Pricing and Availability

• Determine the price and availability of your app.
• Choose whether your app will be free or paid, and select the applicable pricing tiers for different regions.

6. Prepare App Metadata

• Write a compelling app description that effectively communicates the features and benefits of your app.
• Include relevant keywords to improve discoverability.

7. Upload App Binary

• Create an app archive using Xcode or another compatible tool.
• Upload the app binary to App Store Connect for review.

8. Submit for App Review

• Submit your iOS mobile application for review by Apple's App Review team.
• Wait for the review process to complete, which may take several days.

9. Manage In-App Purchases (if applicable)

• If your app includes in-app purchases, configure them in App Store Connect.
• Define the types of in-app purchases and set their pricing and availability.

10. Release Your App

• Once your app passes the review process, you can release it on the App Store.
• Choose whether to manually release the app or schedule an automatic release.

These are the steps that you can follow to publish your app on the App Store. However, make sure that your app meets the end-to-end criteria of Apple app publishing guidelines and process.

Cost To Publish The iPhone Mobile Application On The App Store

Whether you are a business owner or an entrepreneur, if you want to create a mobile app, then you should also know the cost of iPhone app development along with the cost to publish. As you know, there are two popular app stores; Google Play Store, an Android app publishing platform and Apple App Store, an iOS app publishing platform. Although, this topic only focused on the cost to publish the app on the App Store. So accurately, the cost to publish the mobile app on the App Store is $99/year. Apple has not changed the cost of publishing the mobile app on the App Store. There are some other things as well that are mentioned in the below table:

General FAQs

Can you publish it on the app store for free?

No, you can't publish an app on the Apple App Store for free. You need to be a member of the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 per year. This gives you access to the App Store Connect portal, where you can submit your app for review and manage your app's presence in the App Store.

Why would Apple reject an app?

Apple has a strict set of guidelines for apps that are allowed on the App Store. Apps that are rejected may be rejected for a variety of reasons, including:

* Violating Apple's terms of service.

* Apps are not functional or stable.

* Apps contain malicious code.

* Apps are not original or creative.

* Apps are not appropriate for all ages.

How do I get my app approved by the App Store?

To get your app approved by the App Store, you need to make sure that it complies with Apple's guidelines. You can find the guidelines here: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

Once you're sure that your app complies with the guidelines, you can submit it for review. The review process can take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks.

How long does the average Apple App Store approval take?

The average Apple App Store approval time is 7 days. However, it can take longer for some apps. If your app is rejected, you will receive an email with the reason for the rejection. You can then revise your app and resubmit it for review.

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

The total time it takes to publish an app on the App Store can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the complexity of your app and the number of times it is rejected. However, you can expect the process to take at least 1 or 2 weeks.

Ready to Publish Your iOS App On The App Store?

In this comprehensive guide, you have learned about the cost of publishing a mobile app on the App Store. Along with that, the guide also explains to you the steps to publish your app on the App Store. If you have any additional queries regarding iOS app development or want a partner to help, you develop your iPhone app and also publish it, reach out to our top expert in app development consultant.

We are a highly experienced and leading mobile app development company, and we have 15+ well-experienced mobile app developers, helping you develop fully functional and feature-packed mobile app solutions. Our flexible development structure enables an agile development process along with cost-effectiveness.

If you are looking to build and publish a mobile app for your business, look no further than Orion InfoSolutions. Book a free consultation with our experts. We will understand your core requirements and develop mobile apps with advanced features according to your project-specific needs.