[kalleboo]

For macOS (which is what we're talking about in a topic about notarization), you can sell your software any way you want outside of the App Store, without the 30% cut. There's still a $100/year developer account fee to be able to notarize new builds of your app.

This is not iOS where the App Store is the only way to install an app.

This comment is not an endorsement of any aspect of Apple's business model, I'm just correcting a factual error in your comment.

[nicky0]

Just FWIW it's a 15% cut nowadays. (Unless you are doing >$1million a year of sales, which anyone quibbling over a $100 annual fee isn't.)

[kalleboo]

That is correct, but that is a special discount program you have to apply for, wait for judgement, and get approved for in advance. It's not the default.

It was a great step forward, but I don't understand why they made it so complicated with an approval process, when Google did the same thing afterwards and could just say "the first million dollars a year is 15%, after that it's 30%".

The total revenue difference for the different companies is probably negligible.

(or... outside of the App Store you can sign up for a PayPal account and accept payments at a 3% rate instantly)

[nicky0]

They review applications because they want to make sure big developers with many apps aren't dividing their apps across lots of different developer accounts so as to get around the total sales cap. (The application form asks questions about other accounts you have, related businesses etc.)

If you are a small dev with just one developer account, you'll sail through the applicaton process.