Did you know? You don’t need to pay Apple thousands of dollars to publish an iPhone app. For most developers and businesses, the main Apple publishing cost is a US$99 annual Apple Developer Program membership.
If you’re planning to launch an iOS app in Nigeria or anywhere else, the total cost depends on whether you’re only publishing the app or also paying for development, design, testing, maintenance, and other services.
How Much Does It Cost to Publish an App on the Apple App Store?
The standard cost is:
US$99 per year
This is the fee for Apple’s Apple Developer Program.
Once enrolled, you can use Apple’s developer tools and submit apps to the App Store.
The US$99 fee is generally charged annually, so you need to maintain your membership to continue distributing apps through Apple’s App Store.
What If You’re Publishing From Nigeria?
If you’re a Nigerian developer or business, Apple charges the developer membership in U.S. dollars. The actual amount you pay in naira can depend on your payment method, exchange rate, and applicable charges.
At an exchange rate of roughly ₦1,500–₦1,600 per US$1, the US$99 membership would be approximately:
₦148,500 – ₦158,400 per year
Your actual naira cost may be different because exchange rates change.
Is There a Fee Every Time You Upload an App?
No.
You don’t pay US$99 every time you submit an app.
The annual developer membership gives you access to App Store distribution. You can submit new apps and updates while your membership remains active.
Does Apple Take a Commission From App Sales?
Yes.
If your app generates revenue through Apple’s in-app purchasing system, Apple may charge a commission on qualifying transactions.
Developers who qualify for Apple’s Small Business Program may be eligible for a 15% commission rate on qualifying paid apps and in-app purchases.
Larger developers may generally be subject to Apple’s standard commission structure.
What About Free Apps?
If your app is completely free and doesn’t use monetized in-app purchases, you generally don’t pay Apple a commission simply because users download it.
However, you still need an active Apple Developer Program membership to distribute the app through the App Store.
How Much Does It Cost to Publish an App Beyond Apple’s Fee?
The Apple developer fee is only one part of launching an application.
You may also need to budget for:
UI/UX Design
Approximately ₦300,000 – ₦1.5 million+, depending on the complexity of the application.
App Development
Approximately ₦2 million – ₦50 million+, depending on the type and complexity of the app.
Backend Development
If your app requires accounts, payments, APIs, databases, messaging, GPS, or other server-side functionality, backend development adds to the cost.
Testing
Your app should be thoroughly tested on different iPhone models and iOS versions before submission.
Apple Developer Account
US$99 annually.
Server and Cloud Costs
Depending on your infrastructure and number of users, you may have monthly hosting and database expenses.
App Maintenance
You may need ongoing updates for iOS releases, bugs, security, APIs, and new features.
How Do You Publish an App on the Apple App Store?
The general process looks like this:
- Create an Apple Developer Account
Enroll in the Apple Developer Program.
- Prepare Your App
Make sure the application meets Apple’s technical and design requirements.
- Prepare App Store Information
You’ll typically need:
- App name
- App description
- App icon
- Screenshots
- Category
- Keywords
- Privacy information
- Support information
- Upload the App
Your development team can upload the application build using Apple’s development and distribution tools.
- Complete App Store Connect Information
Configure pricing, availability, metadata, privacy information, and other required details.
- Submit for Review
Apple reviews the application against its App Review Guidelines.
- Fix Any Rejection Issues
If Apple identifies problems, you’ll need to resolve them and resubmit the application.
- Publish
Once approved, your application can become available on the App Store.
How Long Does Apple App Review Take?
Review times vary.
Some apps may be reviewed relatively quickly, while others can take longer depending on the complexity of the app, missing information, policy issues, or additional review requirements.
It’s therefore better to allow some flexibility in your launch schedule.
Why Do Apps Get Rejected?
Common problems can include:
- Crashes or serious bugs
- Incomplete functionality
- Misleading information
- Poor privacy disclosures
- Missing required account deletion functionality
- Payment or subscription issues
- Inappropriate content
- Poor user experience
- Failure to comply with Apple’s guidelines
This is why proper QA testing before submission is important.
Do You Need a Mac to Publish an iPhone App?
Not necessarily for every part of the process, but iOS development and Apple’s official development toolchain commonly rely on Apple’s development environment.
If you’re working with a professional development company, they can handle the build, signing, testing, and submission process for you.
How Much Should You Budget for Your First iPhone App?
For a simple application, your budget might look something like this:
Apple Developer Account: US$99/year
Development: ₦2 million – ₦5 million+
UI/UX: ₦300,000 – ₦1 million+
Testing: Depends on project complexity
Backend: Depends on functionality
Maintenance: Ongoing
A complex fintech, logistics, healthcare, marketplace, or ride-hailing application can require a significantly larger budget.
The Apple publishing fee is therefore usually a relatively small part of the overall project cost.
Don’t Confuse App Development With App Publishing
This is an important distinction.
Publishing an app means submitting an already-developed application to Apple’s App Store.
Developing an app means designing and building the actual product.
You could spend only US$99 on the Apple Developer Program and still need millions of naira to develop the application itself.
Publish Your App With Appfur
At Appfur, we help businesses take their applications from idea to launch.
Our process can include:
- Product validation
- UI/UX design
- iOS development
- Android development
- Backend development
- API integration
- Quality assurance
- App Store preparation
- App Store submission
- Post-launch maintenance
If you’ve already built your app and only need help preparing it for Apple’s App Store, you may only need a publishing and submission service rather than full development.
Validate Your App Idea Before Spending Millions
Before spending heavily on app development, validate the idea first.
Our Product Validation ebook teaches entrepreneurs how to:
- Validate an app idea
- Understand their target customers
- Identify real customer problems
- Test market demand
- Reduce development risk
- Avoid building unnecessary features
Get the Product Validation ebook here:
Final Thoughts
So, how much does it cost to publish an app on the Apple App Store?
The standard Apple Developer Program membership is US$99 per year.
For a Nigerian developer or business, the naira equivalent will depend on the current exchange rate and any applicable charges.
However, remember that this is only the publishing fee. The total cost of launching an app can also include:
- Development
- UI/UX design
- Testing
- Backend infrastructure
- Hosting
- Maintenance
- Marketing
If you’re planning to launch an iPhone app, Appfur can help you move from product validation and development to testing, App Store submission, and ongoing maintenance.
Have an app idea? Validate it first, build it properly, and then take it to the App Store.
We design and build high-quality, scalable mobile apps tailored to your needs.
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Your next big app starts here!
