Apple’s New EU App Store Rules: What Developers Need to Know Before October 1, 2026

Apple is making one of the biggest changes to its App Store business model in Europe since the introduction of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

On August 18, 2026, Apple announced a new, simplified set of business terms for developers distributing apps in the European Union. The new structure takes effect on October 1, 2026 and changes how developers can distribute apps, process payments and pay commissions to Apple.

But there is an important distinction to make from the outset:

October 1 is not the date a new EU law suddenly bans Apple’s traditional 30% commission or introduces sideloading.

The underlying legal framework is the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which has already imposed obligations on Apple as a designated gatekeeper. October 1 is the date Apple’s newly consolidated EU business terms are scheduled to take effect.

For developers, however, the practical impact could be substantial.

Depending on how an app is distributed and how customers pay, Apple’s share of a digital transaction can now look very different.

Why is Apple changing its EU App Store rules?

The story begins with the Digital Markets Act.

The DMA was designed to make major digital platforms more open and contestable. Apple has been designated as a gatekeeper for several services, including the App Store and iOS.

For app developers, several DMA provisions are particularly important.

The rules require gatekeepers to permit alternative app distribution, allow developers to communicate with users about purchasing options outside their app stores, and prevent platforms from forcing developers to use the gatekeeper’s own in-app payment system.

In practical terms, the EU wants developers and consumers to have more choice.

That includes the ability to distribute iPhone and iPad apps outside Apple’s App Store and the ability for developers to offer alternative ways to purchase digital goods and subscriptions.

Apple has been modifying its EU policies in response.

The European Commission has also taken enforcement action. In April 2025, it found Apple in breach of the DMA’s anti-steering obligation and imposed a €500 million fine. The Commission said developers distributing apps through the App Store should be able to inform customers about alternative offers, direct them to those offers and allow purchases outside the App Store.

Apple’s latest changes are another major development in that process.

One EU business model instead of multiple systems

One of the biggest changes is simplification.

Apple previously had multiple sets of EU-specific terms and fee structures, including the Alternative Terms Addendum for Apps in the EU and the StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlement (EU) Addendum.

That created a complicated decision for developers.

Different combinations of distribution methods, payment options and App Store services could result in different fees.

From October 1, Apple says developers distributing apps in the EU will move to a single set of business terms.

The practical rules will be consolidated under Attachment 14 of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement.

That means developers will still have choices, but the commercial framework surrounding those choices should become easier to understand.

And the biggest differences can be seen in the fees.

What will Apple charge from October 1?

For many developers, this is the most important question.

Under the new model, the amount paid to Apple depends on both where the app is distributed and how the customer pays.

For a standard developer, the simplified headline rates are:

Reduced rates apply in qualifying circumstances, including Apple's Small Business Program and certain subscriptions.

That creates several distinct strategies for developers.

Option 1: Continue using Apple In-App Purchase

The simplest route remains using Apple's App Store and In-App Purchase system.

Under the new standard EU terms, Apple's total charge for these transactions is 26% for a standard developer.

For example, imagine a SaaS business sells a subscription for €10 per month.

Ignoring taxes and other adjustments for simplicity:

Customer pays €10 → Apple receives €2.60 → developer receives approximately €7.40.

For developers qualifying for Apple's reduced rate, including eligible Small Business Program participants and qualifying subscriptions, the rate can be 15%.

There are still reasons developers may prefer Apple's payment system despite the higher commission.

Apple handles the payment infrastructure, and consumers are already familiar with purchasing through their Apple account.

For some businesses, the conversion rate and reduced operational complexity could justify the additional commission.

The cheapest percentage is not automatically the most profitable business model.

Option 2: Use an alternative payment provider inside the app

This may be one of the most significant changes.

An EU App Store app can offer an alternative payment processor for digital transactions. Under the new structure, developers can also offer alternative payments alongside Apple's own In-App Purchase option where permitted by the terms.

That means an app could potentially present customers with more than one way to pay.

For a standard developer using alternative in-app payment processing, Apple's commission is 20%.

The reduced rate is 10% for qualifying developers or transactions.

But there is an important detail:

The payment processor charges its own fee as well.

So if a customer pays €10 through a third-party processor, the calculation is not simply:

€10 minus Apple's 20%.

Instead, it is approximately:

€10 → €2 to Apple → payment-processing fee → remaining revenue to the developer.

The economics therefore depend on the payment processor, transaction size, country, payment method and other factors.

Still, the difference between Apple's 26% IAP route and a 20% alternative-payment commission could be meaningful at scale.

Option 3: Send customers to your website

Another option is to direct customers from the app to a website where they can complete their purchase.

For example, an app could present a call to action such as:

“Subscribe on our website.”

Under Apple's new EU model, the standard commission for qualifying purchases generated through this route is 15%, falling to 10% at the reduced rate.

There is also an important attribution window.

Apple's commission applies to relevant purchases made within seven days after the user follows the link.

That distinction matters.

It does not mean Apple automatically receives 15% of every future purchase that customer ever makes through the developer's website.

For subscription businesses with an established brand and strong web checkout experience, the external website route could therefore become particularly attractive.

Developers will need to compare the lower Apple commission against possible checkout friction.

Moving a user away from the native purchasing experience can affect conversion.

Saving several percentage points in fees does not necessarily help if significantly fewer customers complete the transaction.

Option 4: Distribute outside the App Store

The most dramatic difference appears when the app itself is distributed outside Apple's App Store.

The DMA requires Apple to enable alternative distribution channels, including third-party app marketplaces and direct web distribution under applicable conditions.

Under the new terms, Apple is replacing its controversial per-install Core Technology Fee (CTF) with a Core Technology Commission (CTC).

The CTC is generally 5% of qualifying digital transactions for apps distributed outside the App Store.

This changes the economics substantially.

Consider the same simplified €10 subscription.

Instead of Apple receiving €2.60 through standard App Store IAP, the calculation for an externally distributed app could look conceptually like:

€10 → €0.50 Apple CTC → external payment-processing costs → remaining revenue to developer.

That is a potentially significant difference.

But once again, commission percentage isn't the entire story.

The App Store provides discovery, distribution infrastructure, user trust and a familiar installation process. A developer distributing through an alternative marketplace or the web may need to take greater responsibility for customer acquisition and other parts of the experience.

A 5% platform commission is only attractive if developers can still acquire and retain customers efficiently.

The Core Technology Fee is disappearing

The removal of the Core Technology Fee is particularly noteworthy.

Apple's previous EU model included a fee of €0.50 per first annual install above certain thresholds.

That structure attracted considerable criticism because it meant developers could potentially incur costs based on installations rather than revenue.

A free app with millions of downloads, for example, could theoretically face technology fees without having generated equivalent transactional revenue.

The new Core Technology Commission changes that model from a per-install charge to a transaction-based percentage.

For qualifying apps distributed outside the App Store, the headline CTC is 5%.

That creates a much more conventional revenue-based model.

Alternative payments also mean more responsibility

Developers should not look at the new percentages in isolation.

Moving away from Apple payments means taking responsibility for more of the commerce stack.

Depending on the chosen model, developers may need to manage areas such as:

• payment processing;
• refunds and chargebacks;
• subscription management;
• customer support;
• fraud and unauthorised transactions;
• transaction reporting;
• tax collection and remittance; and
• payment security requirements.

Developers using qualifying alternative-payment arrangements also have reporting obligations so Apple can calculate the commission it is owed.

So the decision is not simply:

“Use a third-party payment provider and save 6%.”

The correct calculation is closer to:

Apple commission + payment processing + operational costs + tax complexity + conversion impact + customer support costs.

For some businesses, alternative payments will clearly win.

For others, Apple's integrated payment infrastructure may remain economically competitive.

Child safety introduces additional requirements

Alternative payments also introduce additional safeguards where children and younger users are involved.

This is an area developers should examine carefully before changing their payment flows.

Apps serving children or younger users may face restrictions or additional parental controls around alternative purchasing mechanisms and external links.

For developers operating family, education, gaming or children's apps, compliance therefore needs to be part of the commercial decision rather than an afterthought.

What could a €10 subscription look like?

For a simplified €10 digital subscription, the headline comparison for a standard developer looks roughly like this:

These figures are deliberately simplified.

External payment processing, VAT, taxes, refunds, chargebacks, currency conversion and other costs can change the actual amount a developer keeps.

Developers in qualifying reduced-rate programs also face substantially different economics.

This is bigger than a commission cut

It would be easy to describe the October changes as Apple simply lowering its App Store fee.

That misses the bigger story.

The more important development is business-model choice.

For years, the standard iOS commercial model was straightforward: distribute through Apple's App Store, sell digital content through Apple's payment system and pay Apple's commission.

The EU's regulatory intervention has progressively separated those components.

Distribution and payments no longer have to be bundled together in the same way.

A developer can potentially use Apple's App Store for distribution while handling payments elsewhere.

Another developer might use the App Store but direct customers to a web checkout.

A larger company with an established audience could explore alternative distribution entirely.

That changes the strategic question from:

“How much does Apple charge?”

to:

“Which parts of Apple's ecosystem are valuable enough for us to pay for?”

That is a much more interesting question.

What developers should do before October 1

Developers distributing apps in the EU should avoid choosing a model based solely on the headline commission.

Instead, they should model the complete economics of each route.

That means looking at current App Store revenue, average transaction value, subscription retention, payment-processing costs, refund rates, VAT obligations, customer acquisition, conversion rates and operational costs.

A 5% commission looks extremely attractive next to 26%.

But if leaving the App Store dramatically increases customer acquisition costs, the theoretical saving may disappear.

Similarly, directing users to a website may reduce Apple's commission while also adding friction to checkout.

The optimal route will vary considerably between a small independent developer, a subscription SaaS company, a mobile game publisher and a global streaming platform.

The bottom line

October 1, 2026 should not be understood as the day the EU suddenly “bans Apple's 30% fee” or first forces Apple to permit alternative app distribution.

Those changes are part of the broader, ongoing impact of the Digital Markets Act.

Instead, October 1 marks Apple's move to a new unified commercial framework for EU apps.

And for developers, the headline numbers are significant:

26% for standard Apple IAP.

20% for alternative payment processing inside an App Store app.

15% for qualifying purchases after directing customers to a website.

And 5% Core Technology Commission for qualifying digital transactions associated with apps distributed outside the App Store.

Reduced rates can bring some of those numbers down further.

The biggest change, therefore, isn't simply that Apple's commission is lower.

It's that developers now have more ways to decide how much of the Apple ecosystem they want to use—and how much they are prepared to pay for it.

For businesses generating meaningful iOS revenue in Europe, that makes payment architecture and distribution strategy a financial decision worth modelling carefully before October 1.