What do Apple and Google actually take?
Work out exactly what Apple and Google keep and what you are paid, including the 15% small-business rates and the reduced rate on subscriptions after year one.
Store
What is being sold
Reduced commission tier
Price per unit (USD)
Units
You keep
$8,491.50
$8.49 per unit, after a 15% commission.
- Gross sales
- $9,990.00
- Store commission (15%)
- − $1,498.50
- Your proceeds
- $8,491.50
Commission only. Your actual payout is further affected by local taxes, currency conversion at the store’s rate, and each store’s minimum payout threshold — so treat this as the ceiling, not the deposit.
Rates last verified 2026-09-02. Commission structures change — check Apple’s and Google’s current terms before making a decision that depends on them.
How the rates work
Both stores run a standard rate and a reduced rate, and the reduced rate is where most independent developers actually sit — but the two stores get you there differently.
Apple requires you to enrol in the App Store Small Business Program. It is not applied automatically, and developers have gone years paying 30% without realising they qualified. Eligibility is based on your proceeds in the previous calendar year.
Google applies its reduced rate to the first $1 million you earn each year automatically, and charges 15% on subscriptions from the first payment rather than the second year.
One consequence worth internalising: your blended commission rate is not a constant. It moves when you cross a program threshold and when a cohort of subscribers passes its first anniversary. If you are modelling revenue, model the rate as a variable.
Common questions
- How much does Apple take from App Store sales?
- Apple takes 30% as standard. It takes 15% if you are enrolled in the App Store Small Business Program, which requires proceeds under $1 million in the previous calendar year, and 15% on subscriptions after a subscriber has been paying for more than a year.
- How much does Google take from Google Play sales?
- Google takes 30% as standard on one-time purchases, 15% on the first $1 million you earn each year, and 15% on subscriptions from the first payment.
- Is the commission taken before or after tax?
- Commission is calculated on the price net of tax in most markets, because Apple and Google remit sales tax and VAT on your behalf. Your proceeds are what remains after both the tax and the commission.
- Why is my payout lower than this calculator says?
- This shows commission only. Currency conversion at the store’s rate, withholding tax, and each store’s minimum payout threshold all sit between your proceeds and your bank account.