App Store Cost to Publish: What an Owner Pays

App store cost to publish for a small business: the store fee, the build, the upkeep and who submits, with a table you can copy.

The app store cost to publish is only one line on the bill. The store fee is small next to the build and the upkeep. Apple and Google each charge a fee to put an app in their store, and both post the current figure on their own pages. The larger costs are the build, every iOS release after launch, and the person who submits it. This post lays out all of them in a table you can copy.

Key Takeaways

The store fee is one cost. The build and the upkeep are the others.
Check the current fee on Apple's and Google's own pages before you budget.
Someone has to test, fix, rebuild and resubmit the app for every iOS release.
Ask any studio who submits the app and whose account it lives in.

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

Apple charges a fee to publish, and it is not the same as the cost of the app. We do not quote the figure here, because it can change and we do not want you to budget from an old number. Read it on Apple's developer pages the week you decide.

The fee is only the entry ticket. You still need an app to put in the store. You also need someone to follow Apple's rules. Apple publishes them in its App Store Review Guidelines. Every app is checked against that page before it goes live.

Does it cost money to publish an app on the App Store?

Yes. Apple asks for a fee to publish. Even with that fee paid, the app still costs money to build and to keep running.

Think of three buckets.

Store fee. Paid to Apple or Google.
Build. Paid once, to a studio or a developer.
Upkeep. Paid every month, for hosting, fixes and new iOS releases.

How much does it cost to publish an app on Google Play?

Google charges its own fee to register as a developer. Like Apple's, the current figure sits on Google's own Play Console Help pages. We do not copy it here for the same reason. Look it up when you are ready to publish.

If you want both stores, ask your studio to price each one. An iPhone app and an Android app are two builds, not one.

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

It depends on the review. We do not give a number, because we have not measured one and Apple does not promise one in the guidelines linked above. Plan for a wait, and leave room for a fix and a second submission if Apple asks for a change.

This is why upkeep matters. A new iOS release can break an app that worked last month. Someone has to catch that and resubmit.

What does it cost to keep an app on the App Store after it is live?

An app is not finished at launch. Each iOS release needs a test, a fix, a rebuild and a new submission. The app also needs a server for its data and a way to send push notifications. Bugs need fixing.

At Kin Studios, the monthly price covers all of that. It covers backend hosting and push delivery, every iOS release (test, fix, rebuild, resubmit), bug fixes, and two edit requests a month, app or website.

If you build with a one-time developer and no care plan, ask who does this work next September.

Who submits the app if I hire a studio?

The studio should, and you should ask before you sign. Ask three things.

Who submits the app?
Whose name is the store listing under?
Who handles it when Apple asks for a change?

Kin App Pro includes your own App Store listing, with a 12 month minimum. We submit and maintain it for you. You can see the plans on a Kin App with its own App Store listing.

What is the app store cost to publish in total? A table to copy

Here is a table you can copy. The Kin rows come from our posted prices. The store fee row is blank on purpose. Fill it in from Apple's and Google's pages.

Cost	Who is paid	How often	Kin App	Kin App Pro	Custom App
Store fee	Apple, Google	Check their pages	Fill in	Fill in	Fill in
Setup	Studio	Once	$1,500	$3,500	From $25,000
Monthly	Studio	Each month	$199	$399	$450 care
Minimum term	Studio	Contract	12 months	12 months	Quoted after a call

Custom App is half to start and half when it is live on the App Store. Our custom quotes so far run from $25,000 to $45,000. Care for the first 3 months is included.

An illustrative example, with every number an assumption. Say you pick Kin App Pro and stay 12 months. Setup is $3,500. Twelve months at $399 is $4,788. Together that is $8,288 for the first year, plus the store fee you looked up. Redo it with your own plan.

For a retail case, read what a shop app costs. For the steps before you publish, read how to create an app for your business.

FAQ

Is the store fee the main cost of an app? No. In our table it is one row, and the build and monthly upkeep are the bigger ones.

Can I publish an app myself? Yes, if you follow Apple's guidelines. You then own every release and every fix.

Does Kin submit the app for me? Yes. The monthly price covers every iOS release, and Kin App Pro includes your own App Store listing.

Next step

Look up Apple's and Google's current fees, fill in the blank row, and compare. Then see the Kin App plans to price the rest.