Majority of app developers don’t pay us commission: Apple, Google

Big Tech companies Apple and Google have said that a majority of app developers do not pay a commission to them for using their respective app stores. The service fee is paid by the developers only when they charge the users for their app, or offer their content for purchases within the app, and the user makes the payment, officials from the companies told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.

While Apple said 87% of Indian developers on its App Store do not pay any commission to the company, Google said that 97% of developers on its Play Store can distribute their apps and utilise the services at no cost.

“There are 21,000 Indian apps or app developers who have live apps on the app store. As a percentage of those who pay 30% commission is 0.08%. It is 17 out of 21,000 developers who have live apps,” an official of Apple told the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Finance.