Apple overhauls its EU App Store fees, loosens rules for alternative app stores
- ID
- 15269
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 19 Aug 2026, 1:12 AM
- Fetched
- 19 Aug 2026, 1:57 AM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/18/apple-overhauls-its-eu-app-store-fees-loosens-rules-for-alternative-app-stores/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 4.5
- Created
- 19 Aug 2026, 1:58 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_startup_founders
What happened
Apple replaced its EU per-install Core Technology Fee with a flat 5% commission on digital goods sold through alternative app marketplaces or the web. In-app purchase fees dropped to 26% from 30%, and alternative payment processing costs 20% (10% for qualifying programs). Apple also made it easier for developers to open alternative app stores, following a €500M EU fine and criticism that prior terms were 'malicious compliance.'
Why it matters
If you ship iOS apps to EU users, recalculate your distribution economics now: the old per-install Core Technology Fee is gone, replaced by a flat 5% on out-of-store transactions, which changes the break-even math for web or alternative marketplace distribution. Malaysian founders with EU revenue should compare the new 26% IAP rate and 20% alternative payment rate against their current setup before the next billing cycle.
Discussion angle
Does the EU's DMA pressure create a precedent that could eventually reach Southeast Asian app markets, or is this a one-off regulatory outcome that Malaysian builders can safely ignore unless they have EU users?