[necubi]

You don't need to distribute via the app store for your app to be notarized, you just need to have an apple developer account ($99/year) and go through the notarization flow, which is automated and typically takes less than a minute.

You're free to distribute (and sell) your notarized app however you want.

[wiseowise]

> You're free to distribute (and sell) your notarized app however you want.

Provided you’re continuing paying every year.

[jitl]

Sure, to notarize a new version you need to have an active subscription. I pay the fee out of my entertainment budget because writing Apple platform apps in my free time is more fun than tv. It’s less than the price of Netflix too.

[lenkite]

~$100/year is not nothing outside the first world. Esp when you need to balance it with other subscription costs. The hardware is owned by other people. Why should one have to pay Apple for running a binary outside their premises ? Its just plain tyranny.

[fragmede]

> automated and typically takes less than a minute

I have no problem with the fee, but getting that frickin signing process just right took me days to get working right the first time.