[mikhailt]

Or you can just distribute the apps without using the platform's payment processor.

No one says you have to use Apple's payment processor. Direct users to sign up on your website and then have them download the apps free of charge.

Btw; So does Google and Microsoft. They all take a cut of every app sale. The difference is the rate they take out.

Oh, for Apple, it's 30% the first year of the sub only, it goes down to 15% after that.

[SyneRyder]

> No one says you have to use Apple's payment processor. Direct users to sign up on your website and then have them download the apps free of charge.

Apple has removed apps from the App Store for doing this [1]. You have to provide an in-app subscription option that gives Apple the 30%/15% cut.

[1] https://changemap.co/hellocode/exist/task/1855-apple-blockin...

[mikhailt]

Interesting, I haven't heard of any other apps having this issue.

Did Exist offer a way to sign up new accounts in their app? If yes, that may be it.

Slack doesn't have IAPs and yet, I can sign in with paid accounts just fine. There are other apps that were like this but they didn't have a way to sign up in-app IIRC.

[erikpukinskis]

Yes, you can do this, but you can’t have ANY connection between your app and your web site. Your app can’t mention a subscription, can’t link to your site, etc.

So it only works if users first go to your web site, sign up, and then get the app on the App Store. If they get your app on the App Store, there’s no way to convert them without Apple’s blessing.

Essentially Apple contractually mandates friction between you and iOS users and then charges you to alleviate it.