How Much Does It Cost to Put an App on the App Store?

The Google Play Store and the App Store are two of the biggest app stores followed by the Amazon Appstore.

Whether you are a business owner, a gaming enthusiast, or a tech-savvy user, you can easily find apps that match your needs. But if you are planning to launch your own app, one important factor to consider is the cost to put an app on the App Store.

But, have you ever wondered about these questions?

👉 What is the app store pricing to release an app?

👉 How much does it cost to put an app on Google Play Store?

👉 How much does it cost to have an app on the app store?

👉 How much does it cost to make an app?

👉 How to get an app onto the app store?

The following table answers your question about the cost of publishing an app on the Google Play Store and App Store.

Name of App Store Google Play Store Apple App Store
Publishing Cost $25 – One-time fee $99 – Annual Basis

But, that is not it. You need to understand the steps to publish an app on the Google Play Store and the App Store. As a well-known iOS app development company, we have consulted our iOS app developers and gathered information such as cost and the complete steps to publish an app on App Store. Check the following information to learn more.

How Much Does It Cost to Put an App on the App Store?

Beyond app development costs, the next big question every founder asks is how much does it cost to put an app on the app store. The following table shows the app publishing fees for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Apple App Store Publishing Cost

Considered the most premium app marketplace, Apple holds over 95% of the app store market along with Google. Also, iPhone and iPad users rely only on the Apple App Store to download apps and games. As per a report by Business of Apps, Apple’s App Store has 2.42 million apps and 304,000 games. Here is a quick breakdown of the cost to publish app on Apple App Store 2026, along with the typical publishing timeline.

Elements Description
App Store Name Apple App Store
Apple App Store Fee $99/Year
Publishing Timeline
  • 24 hours to Review
  • After receiving approval the app will go for publishing

Google Play Store Publishing Cost

As per a report by Statista, there are approximately 1.93 million apps available on the Google Play Store as of April 2026. Here is a quick breakdown of the cost to publish app on Google Play Store 2026, along with the typical publishing timeline.

Elements Description
App Store Name Google Play Store
Google Play Store Fee $25 – One Time Fees
Publishing Timeline 2-3 Days, Up to 7 days

Build an iOS App That Clears Review

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Amazon Appstore Publishing Cost

The Amazon Appstore is also one of the alternatives app publishers are using nowadays. The Amazon Appstore has a clearer pricing policy compared to other App Stores. You can easily register as a developer, and publishing a mobile app is free. Also, 30% of fees will be charged for each transaction.

According to Statista, as of February 2026, over 88,000 free and 21,000 paid gaming apps were available on the Amazon Appstore, making gaming the largest app category. Education apps ranked second, with more than 23,600 free and around 6,000 paid apps available for download.

Now you have a clear idea about the cost and timeline to publish the app on the App Store and Play Store. Next, understand the meaning of the App Store.

What is App Store?

An app store is an online portal to download or purchase mobile apps. As mobile devices are increasing, the concept of developing an app has become necessary. Even though it has extended to a number of desktop operating systems as well as web browsers.

Even, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome have app stores where you can easily download and install web-based applications.

With their own app stores, each of the main mobile operating system providers—including Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Blackberry—can manage the apps that are made accessible on their respective platforms.

10 Steps to Publish an App on the Apple App Store

Now that you are aware of how much does it costs to publish an app on Apple Store. The Apple App Store always offers a personal way to get Apple products and accessories. Follow these steps to upload an app to the app store.

  1. Gather app information
  2. Create a bundle identifier
  3. Create a Certificate Signing Request
  4. Create an app store production certificate
  5. Create a production provisioning profile
  6. Make an app store listing
  7. Create the release build
  8. Fill out the Version Information
  9. Present Version for Evaluation
  10. Launch the application

To successfully launch an app, you need to build one first. We did that with one of our clients, Glovo. Initially, the idea was to develop an on-demand delivery app with basic features. However, as the development began, the ideas were discussed and implemented. Initially, it was challenging for us to build the Glovo app, after investing 6 months, our developers built Glovo with the necessary features, functionalities and design interface that is easy to use for end users. For UI/UX aspects of the app you can learn more by referring our post on cost to design a mobile app. Check out the complete information about Glovo in the following table.

Glovo image

Glovo

Glovo is the on-demand delivery app that has received total funding of $1.2B from 33+ investors. With this, Glovo is the most downloaded on-demand delivery app with over 50 million downloads. Apple chose Glovo for its “Best of 2016” award as well.

What is Google Play Store?

The Google Play Store is an Android marketplace for apps, games, and digital content. It’s a store for Android users to discover and download various applications and entertainment. A Statista report states that the Google Play Store lists more than 2.3 million Android applications for users to download in August 2024, making it the largest app store in the world.

Google Play Store apps count

Source: Statista

8 Steps to Publish an App on the Google Play Store

The Google Play Store is the largest app store for promoting, distributing, and selling Android apps. Learn how to publish an Android app on the Google Play Store to get one step closer to your target audience.

All Android devices by default include the Google Play Store.

  1. Register as a Developer
  2. Create a profile for the Payments Center
  3. Develop an app
  4. Create the store listing, including the necessary information about the products, graphic assets, languages and translations, classification, contact information, and privacy policy.
  5. Upload the Android Package Kit to release an app
  6. Describe the content rating
  7. Create pricing and distribution systems
  8. Release the app to publish on the Google Play Store

Ready to Publish Your App on the App Store?

In this guide, you have learned about the cost of publishing an app on the app store. Along with that, it gives you a clear idea of the steps to publish an app on the App Store and Google Play Store. If you have additional questions regarding app development, such as how much does it cost to make an app, reach out to our app development consultant.

We are an experienced mobile application development firm and we have 250+ experienced mobile app developers, helping you develop fully functional mobile app solutions. Our developed mobile app, Glovo, has garnered more than 50 million downloads on the Play Store. If you are looking to build a mobile application for your business, book a consultation with our app consultants. We will understand your requirements, and develop mobile apps with advanced features according to them.

Skip the App Store Rejection Cycle

Our iOS developers know what Apple flags. Get your app built right the first time and live on the App Store sooner.

FAQ About Cost to Put an App on the App Store

What is the best alternative to the app store to publish apps?

  1. SlideME
  2. Amazon Appstore
  3. 1MobileMarket
  4. Samsung Galaxy Apps
  5. Opera Mobile Stores

How long does an iOS app take to publish?

According to the App Store, 90% of submissions are reviewed within 24 hours. However, the timeline may increase to 30 days as well. In the event of any changes, you will receive a notification via email. If you are searching for the answer to “how to upload an app to the app store,” you can also use our simple app store submission checklist to upload an iOS app.

How long does an Android app take to publish?

The Android app takes 2-3 days to get published on the Google Play store. However, for certain apps, the app review even takes more than 7 days.

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

Yes. Apple requires you to enroll in the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 USD per year. This membership allows you to submit and publish apps on the App Store. The fee covers your developer account, so you can publish multiple apps without paying a separate publishing fee for each app. Additional fees may apply if your app generates revenue through paid downloads or in-app purchases.

What is the cost of maintaining an app?

The cost of maintaining an app ranges from $1000 to $50,000. The cost depends upon the cost, features, functionality, and timeline of the app maintenance. Also, it is essential to maintain an app even after it has been published on the Google Play Store and App Store. If you want to learn 4 simple tips to save your app maintenance cost, check out this blog about how much it costs to maintain an app.

Bhaval Patel

Written by

Bhaval Patel is a Director (Operations) at Space-O Technologies. He has 20+ years of experience helping startups and enterprises with custom software solutions to drive maximum results. Under his leadership, Space-O has won the 8th GESIA annual award for being the best mobile app development company. So far, he has validated more than 300 app ideas and successfully delivered 100 custom solutions using the technologies, such as Swift, Kotlin, React Native, Flutter, PHP, RoR, IoT, AI, NFC, AR/VR, Blockchain, NFT, and more.