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IncomeShip

Subscription or paid mobile apps

Selling a paid or subscription app through the Apple App Store and Google Play, with store commissions, a small median first-year revenue, and no guarantee of income.

Published Facts checked 30 sources
Where to sign upWhat you'd keep
On this page8 sections

RevenueCat's 2026 report puts median revenue at about $72 a month one year after launch, and the top 10% at $2,574 a month or more, in a sample of RevenueCat-connected apps only (RevenueCat). In Adapty's sample, the top 10% of apps capture 94.5% of subscription revenue (Adapty).

Apple's Small Business Program charges 15% on paid apps and in-app purchases up to $1M in prior-year proceeds, and Apple's standard commission of 30% applies above that. Google Play's service fee page lists a 10% fee plus a 5% billing fee (15% combined) on auto-renewing subscriptions for the first $1M of annual earnings, under the U.S. structure effective June 30, 2026.

This suits people who can build the software themselves and can fund the first year without income.

How the money works in app stores

Customers pay through the store, which keeps its commission and pays you the rest. Google's fee depends on whether an install is new or existing relative to the June 30, 2026 U.S. rollout date.

Apple's U.S. guidelines have allowed links to outside payment since May 1, 2025. In December 2025 the Ninth Circuit found Apple's 27% commission on linked-out purchases violated the injunction. MacRumors reports the court said Apple may charge a reasonable commission, with the rate to be set later.

What apps actually earn

FigureWhat it is
~$72/monthMedian revenue one year after launchRevenueCat · 2026
$2,574/monthTop 10% threshold, one year inRevenueCat · 2026
$492/monthMedian monthly revenue per appAdapty · 2026
94.5%Subscription revenue to top 10%Adapty · 2026
17.3%New apps reaching $1K/monthForasoft · 2026
$135,980/yrMedian wage, software developersBLS · May 2025

Every app figure is revenue, before developer fees, tools, design, servers and your time. None of these sources publish indie developer profit. The BLS wage covers employees.

What you'd keep per $100 of subscription sales

Prefilled from the sources below. Change any number to match your situation.

$
%

Use 0 for direct clients.

$

Travel, waiting, messaging.

You keep per $100 of subscription sales
$85
after $15 fee and costs
Per hour of all time spent
—
including unpaid minutes
Per week
$850
for about 0.0 hours, before taxes

This is an example, not a prediction. Defaults: price from Example price, not a sourced figure.; fee from Apple Small Business Program rate on proceeds up to $1M. Google Play subscriptions are 10% + 5% billing fee (15% total) for the first $1M.; unpaid time is Development, support and marketing time varies widely and is not sourced.; costs: Developer fees, tooling and servers are not allocated per sale.; 10 $100 of subscription saless a week is a starting point, not a typical workload.

Where the time goes

The calculator shows only a 15% store cut because no source publishes build or support hours. Both stores pay monthly. Apple pays about 33 days after the fiscal month ends, per Superwall, a third party. Google pays around the 15th of the following month.

What it costs to publish an app

ItemCostNeeded?
Apple Developer Program$99 a yearRequired
Google Play registration$25Required
RevenueCat subscription toolingNot publishedOptional
Adapty subscription toolingNot publishedOptional

Where to sell and manage subscriptions

PlatformWhat it keepsFirst paySign up
Apple App Store15% under Small Business Program†Not publishedApply
Google Play10% + 5% billing fee†Not publishedApply

First pay combines each platform's approval time and payout delay. Bank transfers can add a few days, depending on your bank and payout method. Full terms are on each platform's page. Checked Oct 26, 2026; confirm on the official page before you sign up.

† Reported by a third party; the platform doesn't publish it.

For subscription tooling, RevenueCat and Adapty both publish pricing, summarized in the costs table.

Requirements and rules in the U.S.

Apple lets individuals or organizations enroll. Individual enrollment needs an Apple Account with two-factor authentication and your legal name. Google may require a government ID and a credit card in your legal name (Google Play Console Help). Business-license rules vary by state and city, so check your state's business portal or your city's licensing office.

The IRS says self-employment tax applies once net earnings reach $400, at 15.3% (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare), and net earnings are gross income minus ordinary and necessary expenses. Sole proprietors report on Schedule C and compute the tax on Schedule SE, per the IRS self-employed tax center. Google files a Form 1099-K only above $20,000 and 200 transactions a year, and U.S. merchants submit a W-9 (Google Payments Center Help).

Risks and red flags for app developers

Apple's App Review Guidelines say manipulating ratings or App Store discovery leads to removal and expulsion. Hidden or undocumented features are grounds for removal and account termination, and an unclear business model can delay or fail review.

Google's enforcement process counts suspensions as strikes, and multiple strikes can end the account. In-app purchases stop working in suspended apps. Rejections don't affect standing, but repeated ones can lead to suspension.

Who paid apps fit, and who should skip them

Fits you if:

  • You can write the software or pay someone to, and can fund the first year without income.
  • You want recurring subscription revenue from one product rather than pay per hour or per job.
  • You can handle store review and policy changes, including a commission for outside payments that is still being set.

Skip it if:

How to start

  1. Choose a store and enroll: Apple's enrollment page for iOS or Google's account setup page for Android.
  2. Read Apple's App Review Guidelines on in-app purchases and business model before you build the paywall.
  3. Check Google's service fees page to see which fee applies to your installs.
  4. On a new personal Google Play account, plan for the required closed test before production access.
  5. Set aside money for self-employment tax using the IRS guidance, and track revenue and expenses from the first sale.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Government

Official platform and company pages

Research and surveys

News and community reports

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