this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023
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Nobody has beef with the annual developer fee.
The problem isn't even that they want to charge 30% for processing app payments. They can charge whatever they want for their own services.
The problem is that Apple prevents users from installing any apps from outside their own app store, then bans developers from using any other service but Apple to process payments. It's anticompetitive 101.
If Apple allowed 3rd party app stores or let apps implement their own payment processing, there would be no issue here.
But that’s the whole point: Apple spent billions of dollars to create a set of phones that are good, built a strong OS ($$$$), and advertised like crazy to get it to where it is now.
The sale of the phones is not enough to cover that, plus all the customer service (they are famous for being very good and accommodating with their support & warranty). Their plan has been to have a store to actually make the bulk of the money.
Now, years and years after they continuously spent $$$$ to get it to a good place, developers are saying “but but but I want this whole thing for free”. If they want to, go make yourself a phone, an OS, and all the rest, don’t force them to changed their business plans.
I’m a developer too, and I fully understand that 30% is a bunch, but I wouldn’t try to force them to open it up to me for basically free