Publish an iOS App as an Individual: 2026 Cost Checklist
To publish an iOS app as an individual, the only required cost is the $99 yearly Apple Developer Program fee, plus an iPhone and a computer.
To publish an iOS app as an individual, the only required cost is the Apple Developer Program membership, US$99 per year. You also need an iPhone for testing and a computer you can build on, which can run Windows, Linux or macOS. Enroll, test on the device, prepare a privacy policy URL and screenshots, then upload a build and submit it for review.
Everything else depends on your app. Paid apps also need the Paid Apps Agreement, tax and banking details, and should join the Small Business Program to cut the commission to 15%. Below is a checklist sorted into required, recommended and optional, followed by a timeline. Apple’s rules are as of October 2026.
What do you need to publish an iOS app as an individual?
| Item | Level | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program membership | Required | US$99 per year, charged in local currency in some regions | Enroll as an individual or an organization, renew every year |
| Test iPhone | Required | Used-market price | One that can update to the latest public iOS release is enough |
| Computer | Required | Use what you have | Windows, Linux or macOS |
| Development and build tools | Required | Depends on the tool | Xcode on a Mac. You can also use KXBuild on Windows, Linux and macOS to develop, build, debug on an iPhone and produce an .ipa |
| Privacy policy URL | Required | Web hosting | App Store Connect requires it for every app |
| Support URL | Required | Same as above | The page needs real contact information |
| App Store screenshots | Required | Free if you take them yourself | At least one for iPhone, plus iPad sizes if you support iPad |
| App privacy details | Required | Free | Answer the data collection questions in App Store Connect |
| Regional filings and permits | Required in some storefronts | Depends on the region | Some storefronts need local filings or permits before the app appears there |
| Paid Apps Agreement, tax and banking | Required for paid apps | Free | Only if you sell the app or offer in-app purchases |
| Small Business Program | Recommended for paid apps | Free | Cuts the commission to 15% |
| Your own domain | Recommended | Registrar pricing | Host the privacy policy and support pages somewhere more stable than free space |
| TestFlight beta testing | Recommended | Included in the membership | Let other people try the app before release |
| Copyright registration | Optional | Depends on how you file | The App Store doesn’t require it |
How much does the developer account cost?
Fee and payment
The Apple Developer Program costs US$99 per year. In some regions Apple charges the local currency equivalent, and the exact price is shown during enrollment. See Apple’s membership purchase help.
If you enroll as an individual and pay by credit card, use your own card. Paying with someone else’s card delays processing, and Apple asks for a government-issued photo ID. You get a confirmation email after payment. If it doesn’t arrive within 24 hours, contact Apple Developer Support.
Individual or organization
| Individual | Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Seller name on the App Store | Your legal name | Your company name |
| What you need | An Apple Account with two-factor authentication, the age of majority where you live, your legal name, a valid email, phone number and address | All of that, plus a legal entity, a D-U-N-S Number, a work email on your organization’s domain and a public website |
| Team members | Only you | Invite members with different roles |
When you enroll as an individual, the first and last name on your Apple Account must be your legal name. A nickname, alias or company name delays approval. An organization must be a legal entity that can sign contracts with Apple. DBAs, fictitious businesses and branches aren’t accepted. See Apple’s enrollment help for the full requirements.
Fee waivers
Apple has a fee waiver program, but individuals can’t apply. It’s only for nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities that haven’t signed the Paid Apps Agreement and don’t sell digital goods or services through their apps. Individuals, sole proprietors and single-person businesses are explicitly excluded. See Apple Developer Program fee waivers.
Try a free account first
If you haven’t decided to pay yet, test on your own phone with a free Apple Account. A free account can register up to 10 App IDs and 3 devices, with up to 3 apps per device. Provisioning profiles expire after 7 days, and you can’t submit to the App Store or use TestFlight. Join the program when you’re ready to release. See Apple’s membership comparison.
What test iPhone do you need before you submit?
Before you submit, go through your main flows on at least one physical device. App Review Guideline 2.1 requires a complete, stable app. A good enough test phone meets these points.
- It can update to the latest public iOS release. Problems on a new iOS version show up in App Review and for your users, so find them yourself first.
- Its iOS version is at least your minimum deployment target. If you want to support older versions, make your second test phone one that stays on an older release.
- It has a common screen size. You can take your App Store screenshots on it too.
On iOS 16 and later, turn on Developer Mode before installing a development build for the first time. See Where to turn on Developer Mode on iPhone. The phone must be registered in your developer account before it can install development builds. See Device not registered and UDIDs.
Which computer and tools can you build on?
You can develop iOS apps on Windows, Linux or macOS. On a Mac you use Xcode. On Windows, Linux and macOS you can also use KXBuild, which gives you code completion, building, signing and breakpoint debugging on an iPhone inside VS Code, with Release builds producing an .ipa. See the install page, and for the full flow from build to App Review see Publish to the App Store on Windows, from .ipa upload to review.
App Store builds are signed with a distribution certificate and an App Store provisioning profile, which you create in your developer account at no cost. For setup on Windows, see sign an iOS app on Windows and Get an iOS certificate, p12 and provisioning profile on Windows.
What goes into the App Store listing?
Privacy policy URL and support URL
App Store Connect requires a privacy policy URL for every app, and Guideline 5.1.1(i) also requires the privacy policy to be easy to find inside the app. A support URL is required too, and the page needs real contact information. See Manage app privacy and Platform version information.
Both pages can live on the same site. Free static hosting works as long as the pages load during review and match the data the app actually collects. Your own domain is more stable, because you don’t have to update the app if the host changes its URL. The privacy policy should say what data you collect, what it’s used for and how users can delete it.
App privacy details
Apps distributed on the App Store must describe their data collection and use under App Privacy in App Store Connect, including data collected by third-party SDKs. In code you also need a privacy manifest and permission usage descriptions. See Write an iOS privacy manifest (PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy) and declare required reason APIs and Info.plist usage descriptions.
Screenshot sizes
Upload 1 to 10 screenshots per size, as .jpeg, .jpg or .png, with no transparency. As of October 2026, Apple requires these sizes.
| Device | Required | Portrait pixels (swap for landscape) | Example models |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone with Dynamic Island (medium) | Required, at least 1 | 1179 × 2556 or 1206 × 2622 | iPhone 15, iPhone 16, iPhone 17 |
| iPhone with Dynamic Island (large) | Optional | 1260 × 2736, 1290 × 2796 or 1320 × 2868 | iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro Max |
| iPad 13-inch | Required if the app supports iPad | 2064 × 2752 or 2048 × 2732 | iPad Pro 13-inch |
If your UI is the same across sizes, upload only the highest required resolution and App Store Connect scales it for the other sizes. iPhone-only apps don’t need iPad screenshots. Apple also states that starting April 2027, apps built with the iOS 27.1 SDK or later must provide iPhone Duo screenshots. Sizes change with new devices, so check Screenshot specifications before you submit.
Screenshots must show the app in use, not just the splash or login screen. This is a common rejection reason. See 12 common reasons App Review rejects apps.
Do some regions need filings or permits?
Some storefronts have local requirements. For example, many apps in mainland China need an ICP filing number entered under App Information in App Store Connect, and certain categories such as games and news need extra permits there. Until the requirement is met, the app isn’t available in that storefront, and other storefronts aren’t affected. See App information and App and submission statuses.
If you distribute in mainland China, check local filing requirements before you set a release date. If you don’t, deselect that storefront in Pricing and Availability in App Store Connect.
Do you need copyright registration to publish an iOS app?
The App Store doesn’t require copyright registration for your software, and Apple’s enrollment and submission flows don’t ask for it. Some other stores or business partners might, so file only when you actually need it.
How do paid apps cut the commission to 15%?
Skip this section if your app is free. To sell an app or offer in-app purchases, the Account Holder first signs the Paid Apps Agreement in App Store Connect, then enters banking and tax information. Until the agreement is active, you can only set the app as free. See Sign and update agreements.
Every individual developer with paid apps should join the App Store Small Business Program.
- Eligibility. Your proceeds across all apps were US$1 million or less in the previous calendar year and stay under that in the current year. New developers can join too. Associated developer accounts count together.
- Commission. The commission on paid apps and in-app purchases drops to 15%.
- Over the limit. Once your proceeds pass US$1 million in the current year, later sales go back to the standard commission. If you fall back under the threshold in a later year, you can reapply for the following year.
- When it starts. The new rate applies from 15 days after the end of the fiscal month in which you’re approved.
To join, you must be the Account Holder and have accepted the latest Paid Apps Agreement. Apply on the Small Business Program page. For in-app purchases, see Add in-app purchases with StoreKit 2 and test them on iPhone with a sandbox account.
What is the timeline to publish an iOS app?
| Stage | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Enroll | Turn on two-factor authentication, submit the enrollment, pay | Individuals usually get a confirmation email after payment. If it doesn’t arrive within 24 hours, contact Apple. Organizations first go through D-U-N-S and identity verification, and Apple gives no standard duration |
| Develop and test on a device | Get the main flows working on your test phone | Depends on the app |
| Regional filings (if needed) | Submit through the local process | Depends on the local authority, so run it in parallel with development |
| Prepare the listing | Privacy policy, support page, screenshots, app privacy details, age rating | A day or two |
| Upload a build | Apple processes it after upload | A few minutes to tens of minutes |
| TestFlight (recommended) | Internal testers need no review. The first build for external testers goes through Beta App Review | Depends on your test plan |
| App Review | Submit for review | Apple says that on average 50% of submissions are reviewed within 24 hours and 90% within 48 hours |
Review times come from Apple’s App Review page. If you need to fix a critical bug or hit a date for an event, you can request an expedited review, and Apple decides whether to grant it. A resubmission after rejection starts the review again, so when you publish an iOS app on your own, leave a few days of buffer before your launch date.
FAQ
How much does it cost an individual developer to publish an iOS app?
The only required cash cost is the Apple Developer Program at US$99 per year, renewed annually, plus an iPhone for testing. A privacy policy page can use free hosting, or add a yearly domain fee if you want your own domain. For paid apps, also count Apple’s commission, which is 15% in the Small Business Program.
Can I get the Apple Developer Program fee waived?
Not as an individual. Fee waivers are only for nonprofits, accredited educational institutions and government entities. Individuals, sole proprietors and single-person businesses are explicitly excluded, and the organizations that apply can’t sell apps or in-app purchases.
Do some countries need extra filings before my app appears there?
Yes, some storefronts do. Mainland China, for example, requires an ICP filing number for many apps as of October 2026. Until it’s provided, the app isn’t available in that storefront, and other storefronts work as usual.
Do I need to register copyright to publish on the App Store?
No. Apple’s enrollment and submission flows don’t ask for copyright registration. Some other stores or partners might, so file it when you need it.
How long does App Store review take?
Apple says that on average 50% of submissions are reviewed within 24 hours and 90% within 48 hours. First submissions and resubmissions after rejection both go into the queue again, so leave a few days of buffer before your launch date.