Epic Games dismisses Apple's simplified EU App Store fees as 'junk'
- ID
- 15708
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 20 Aug 2026, 12:21 AM
- Fetched
- 20 Aug 2026, 1:51 AM
- Provider
- The Register
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/08/19/epic-games-dismisses-apples-simplified-eu-app-store-fees-as-junk/5289794
- Source URL
- https://www.theregister.com/headlines.atom
Summary
- Score
- 4.5
- Created
- 20 Aug 2026, 1:52 AM
- Tags
- Audience
- developerssaas_founders
What happened
Apple introduced simplified EU App Store business terms on August 18, consolidating developers onto a single fee structure: 26% for Apple In-App Purchase (15% for qualifying devs/subscriptions after year one), 20% for alternative payment processors (10% qualifying), 15% for web link-outs (10% qualifying), and a 5% 'Core Technology Commission' for apps distributed via alternative marketplaces or the web. Epic Games called the fees 'junk' and said the plan fails to open the mobile ecosystem as required by the DMA, while consumer group BEUC cautioned that 'the devil is in the detail.'
Why it matters
If you ship apps to EU users, these are the new commission tiers you need to model into your pricing — but the rates remain high enough that alternative distribution may not save much money, and the legal fight isn't over. For Malaysian builders not targeting the EU, this is a signal of where App Store economics may eventually shift globally if other regulators follow the DMA precedent, but there is nothing to change today.
Discussion angle
Compare the effective cost of EU alternative distribution (5% CTC + 10-20% payment processing) versus staying on Apple IAP (15-26%) — is there a real margin win, or is Apple structuring fees to make leaving pointless?