[amatai]

Hmm, so Netflix, Audible, Spotify are "reader apps" - as a user you only consume content and don't create it.

What about Microsoft Outlook then? Microsoft charges for Exchange and Outlook is interface to Exchange to consume AND create content.

Any way, I look at this, its inconsistent applied rules by Apple.

[imron]

It's completely inconsistent.

For example, I have a Fastmail account that I pay $50/year for, and that needs to be paid via Fastmail's website.

I also have the Fastmail email app on my iPhone that I don't need to pay anything for, and that I can use to sign in to my Fastmail account.

I'm a big fan of Fastmail, and don't expect to use Hey, but it seems an almost identical use case and an identical market.

[weaksauce]

it certainly looks like the fastmail app is pretty much identical to this. login screen to gate off any use of the app; quite inconsistent.

[gigel82]

I'm pretty sure if you purchase your Microsoft 365 subscription in-app, Apple gets a huge chunk, which is pretty despicable...

It looks like MS just swallows the extra cost given that Microsoft 365 Family costs the same $9.99 from the iOS app and directly from the website.

[toasterlovin]

Software is 100% margins. How is it despicable that the party that originates the sale gets a share of the proceeds? Apple doesn’t get anything if Microsoft originates the sale on their own properties and the user simply enters their username and password. Getting paid for enabling the sale of goods and services is a completely normal thing in all aspects of business.