Google Ends Its 30% App Store Fee, Welcomes Third-Party App Stores

Google is eliminating its traditional 30% Play Store fee and introducing lower commissions, while at the same time allowing alternative billing systems and making it easier for third-party app stores to operate on Android. The changes stem largely from Google's settlement with Epic Games. Engadget reports: The biggest change is to how Google will collect fees from developers publishing apps on Android. Rather than take its standard 30 percent cut of in-app purchases through the Play Store, Google is lowering its cut to 20 percent, and in some cases 15 percent for new installs of apps from developers participating in its new App Experience program or updated Google Play Games Level Up program. Those changes extend to subscriptions, too, where the company's cut is lowering to 10 percent. For Google's billing system, the company says developers in the UK, US, or European Economic Area (EEA) will now be charged a five percent fee and "a market-specific rate" in other regions. Of course, for anyone trying to avoid those fees, using alternatives to Google's billing system is getting easier.

Google says that developers will be able to offer alternative billing systems alongside its own or "guide users outside of their app to their own websites for purchases." [...] Epic is ultimately interested in getting people to use the mobile version of its Epic Games Store, and Google's announcement also includes details on how third-party app stores can come to Android. Third-party app stores will be able to apply to the company's new "Registered App Stores" program to see if they meet "certain quality and safety benchmarks." If they do, they'll be able to take advantage of a streamlined installation interface in Android. Participating in the program is optional, and users will still be able to sideload alternative app stores that aren't part of the program, but Google clearly has a preference. [...]

Google says that its updated fee structure will come to the EEA, the UK and the US by June 30, Australia by September 30, Korea and Japan by December 31 and the entire world by September 30, 2027. Meanwhile, the company's updated Google Play Games Level Up program and new App Experience program will launch in the EEA, the UK, the US and Australia on September 30, before hitting the remaining regions alongside the updated fee structure. For any developers interested in offering their own app store, Google says it'll launch its Registered App Stores program "with a version of a major Android release" before the end of the year. According to the company, the program will be available in other regions first before it comes to the US.

Suspiciously

[liqu1d]

So what's the catch?

Re:Suspiciously

[Sigma 7]

Allegedly, developers have to send their ID to Google in order to have an app that can run on android.

https://keepandroidopen.org/ [keepandroidopen.org]

Re:

[Himmy32]

"Please don't legislate me as a monopoly!"

Re:

[The-Ixian]

Under Leena Kahn, yeah, I believe that Google feared this outcome.

I don't think that this is a fear for anyone any longer.

Re:

[Himmy32]

The US isn't the only market.

Re:

[The-Ixian]

Sorry, I forgot to add the "in the US" qualifier...

The catch is that the title is misleading trash.

[dinfinity]

"Rather than take its standard 30 percent cut of in-app purchases through the Play Store, Google is lowering its cut to 20 percent"

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

There better not be one. The EU doesn't take kindly to people trying to circumvent its rules, as Google has discovered in the past.

Re:

[mjwx]

So what's the catch?

It's in the summary.

They're only lowering the cut on in-app purchases, likely in response to the EU directives forcing Apple to allow apps to manage their own in-app purchases independent of Apple (you could always do this on Android). They "might" be lowering their cut on app sales themselves.

I suspect like me, most people just aren't using "apps" any more, everything I need can be accessed via web browsers (Firefox with ublock and privacy badger installed) as apps have just become delivery vehicles

Re:

[Jason Earl]

There's no catch. This is just Google trying to spike Apple's wheels. Play Store revenue is a much smaller piece of Google's overall revenue than Apple's App Store is of its overall revenue. Google can afford to be generous on that front, with the idea that both regulators and developers will love the change. Apple can't play that game without significantly lowering its total revenue.

Of course, consumers will pay for less expensive phone apps with increased surveillance, but, let's be honest, Apple an

What about "free" apps?

[XaXXon]

I can see google/apple having a problem with "free" apps that people want to host and have installed from official app stores and then only allow behind the scenes payment where google/apple don't get a cut.

Presumably google/apple will have a rule for this where you're charged a certain amount for pushing new versions (which require validation) and per-install costs that would be offset by payment %'s that those companies take.

And then hopefully they're still good for truly free apps.

Epic wants a cut

[MidSpeck]

So Epic is also going to open their games so that anyone can make and sell Fortnite skins using whatever billing system they want, right?
I guess it's good they were big enough to take on the big guys, but sometimes the hypocrisy was palpable.

Re:

[HannahBarbarian]

So Epic is also going to open their games so that anyone can make and sell Fortnite skins using whatever billing system they want, right?

Well the owners of the Epic store (Epic) already does allow the developer of Fortnite (also Epic) to sell their game and skins on competing stores.
There's the X-Box store, the Playstation store; before the lawsuits it was available on the IOS store; and considering the news today, will probably be returning to the Android play store (unless Epic decides to go the whole hog and put the Epic Games store on Android).

Calling Gabe Newell..

[HannahBarbarian]

Gabe, I think there's something you should see...

Your move, ...

[Sebby]

....Apple.

Re:

[mjwx]

....Apple.

I believe they already have moved, it was malicious compliance.

This is largely in response to the EU forcing Apple to allow in app purchases to go via someone other than Apple, to which Apple did the minimum they could to try to meet the letter of the law (ignoring the spirit of the law, which doesn't make you popular with the EU).

30% was always sweaty greed

[invisiblefireball]

TAKE NOTE, STEAM

Re:

[Bahbus]

Steam, at least, offers developers A LOT of tools and services for developers - backend, marketing, community management, analytics, and testing. Do all devs need or use these tools? No. Does a vast majority use at least some of them? Yes.

Apple, Google, and Epic provided next to nothing for their cuts.

On alternative app stores: F-Droid?

[mattb47]

Google was grumbling several months ago about blocking *ALL* other app stores.

So, does this mean that F-Droid will become an approved app store? Because it should. Lots of great and free (and no annoying ads, no spyware) apps on F-Droid.

Re:

[cen1]

Depends on what "certain quality and safety benchmarks." actually means

Why not an "Assurance" program?

[kwelch007]

I can see why Apple may have different goals with their App Store than Google would, particularly with respect to Apple's supposed "safe/walled ecosystem" model.

In Google's case though, they don't really make those claims at the same intensity. So, why not just have an "Safety Assured by Google" program, maybe not unlike the "Blue Checkmark" on X or "Verified" tag on LinkedIn? Apps on the Play Store with said "Assurance" tag get priority listing in searches, and I suppose the benefit to the end user of so