[threeseed]

Don't people understand the App Store model ?

You aren't paying for their effort in hosting the app. It's a fixed cost and the App Store runs largely on the back of the iTunes Store platform. You are paying Apple for being a distribution channel i.e. channel to market. And it's incredibly common for those to be based on a percentage rather than fixed amount.

Apple does spends a significant amount of money (far more than your 30%) on giving developers the perfect market to sell to. Every customer has a credit card, is on the latest OS, is willing to spend, is unable to pirate etc.

[ballenf]

And don't forget that Apple doesn't get a cent of any non-IAP monetization of the app of which advertising is primary.

Off topic here, but I find it interesting that Apple cracks down on various other workarounds like in app "tipping", but doesn't touch ads.

Would be interesting to see what the effective % apple tax is, if all ad revenue was factored in to the gross.