App Store Fee Calculator

Apple and Google charge 30% standard, 15% for small businesses under 1M or subscription year 2+. This calculator figures which rate applies and what you keep. Significant difference on high-revenue apps.

500k subscription revenue past year 1: 15% fee = 75k to Apple/Google, 425k net. Same revenue without small biz exemption: 30% = 150k fees, 350k net. 75k difference matters for small app businesses.

EU Digital Markets Act and other regulations are changing this. Alternative billing allowed in some markets, reducing or eliminating store fees on specific categories. Worth checking current rules for your app and market.

Quick example

With annual revenue of 500,000 and small business program of 1 (plus subscription year 2+ of 1), the result is 75,000.00. Change any figure and watch the output shift — it's often more useful to see the pattern than to memorise the formula.

Which inputs matter most

You enter Annual Revenue, Small Business Program (1=Yes), and Subscription Year 2+ (1=Yes).

What's happening under the hood

15% if small business program under 1M OR subscription past year 1. Otherwise 30%. The formula is listed in full below. If the number looks off, you can retrace the calculation by hand — that's the point of showing the working.

What to do with a low result

A disappointing result is information, not a judgement. Pick the single input that dragged the figure down most and focus the next quarter on that one factor. Breadth-first improvement rarely works; depth-first on the worst input usually does.

What this doesn't capture

The score is a composite of the inputs you provide. Life context — job security, family obligations, health, housing — doesn't appear in the math but shapes the real picture. Use the number as a prompt, not a verdict.

Worked example: scaling from 200k to 1.2M revenue

Suppose an app begins the year with annual revenue of 200,000, not yet enrolled in the small business program, selling one-time purchases.

• Annual Revenue: 200,000
• Small Business Program: 0 (No)
• Subscription Year 2+: 0 (No)
• Fee rate: 30% (default)
• Platform fee: 60,000
• Net revenue: 140,000

By mid-year, the app launches a subscription tier. Revenue grows to 1,200,000, but 400,000 is from that new subscription in its first year (charged at 30%), while 800,000 remains from existing transactions. Enrollment in the small business program also occurs.

• Annual Revenue: 1,200,000
• Small Business Program: 1 (Yes) — but revenue exceeds threshold
• Subscription Year 2+: 0 (still year 1 for subscriptions)
• Fee rate: 30% (small business exemption does not apply; revenue exceeds limit)
• Platform fee: 360,000
• Net revenue: 840,000

By the following year, if subscription revenue continues and total annual revenue stays near 1,200,000, the subscription portion now qualifies for 15% rates.

• Fee structure shifts based on composition
• Blended rate falls between 15% and 30%
• Net retained revenue increases relative to year one

When this metric matters

This calculator applies when your app distributes through major platforms that take a commission. Scenarios include:

• One-time purchases (in-app transactions, games, tools)
• Subscription services entering their second year
• Apps qualifying for reduced-fee small business programs
• Revenue forecasting and net income projection
• Comparing distribution channels and fee structures
• Understanding the impact of tier eligibility on net proceeds

What the result shows and does not show

The calculator shows the platform fee in absolute terms and the remaining net revenue after fees. It does not account for:

• Development, hosting, or infrastructure costs
• Marketing and user acquisition spending
• Operational expenses or team payroll
• Tax obligations or regional variations in fee rules
• Future changes to fee structures or eligibility thresholds
• Volume discounts, special agreements, or variable conditions

The output illustrates fee mechanics based on the inputs provided and serves for educational comparison, not as a binding forecast of actual revenue or fees.