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Microsoft criticizes Apple’s download fees for developers
Apple is taxing developers, forcing them to stay only on App Store
2 min. read
Published onJanuary 30, 2024
published onJanuary 30, 2024
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Apple plans to comply with the European Union’s tech regulations by allowing users to sideload apps from third-party stores. While this is good for end users, it seems that developers will be hit with additional fees.
This move has sparked criticism from Epic Games, Spotify, and now Microsoft. So, what is this criticism about and is it justified?
Apple’s new policy is a step in the wrong direction according to Microsoft
With the support for sideloading, Apple has also introduced a Core Technology Fee for developers that host their apps on third-party stores.
This means that the developers will be forced to pay €0.50 per app install after one million downloads. Of course, there’s still a 17% tax on app developers using third-party payment processors.
Microsoft’s Xbox president Sarah Bond commented on these changes in a recent tweet criticizing this decision.
We believe constructive conversations drive change and progress towards open platforms and greater competition. Apple’s new policy is a step in the wrong direction. We hope they listen to feedback on their proposed plan and work towards a more inclusive future for all.https://t.co/mDRI5KPJf6
Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO also criticized this change in arecent postcalling this change “an extortion” that will impact startups and free app developers. The change could also increase the costs of major companies, up to 10 times:
With our EU Apple install base in the 100 million user range, this new tax on downloads and updates could skyrocket our customer acquisition costs, potentially increasing them tenfold. This, as we have to pay on every install or update to our free or paid app, even for those who no longer use the service.
Many aren’t happy with this change, and it seems that Apple is forcing developers to exclusively distribute their apps on the App Store or face additional costs.
It remains to be seen how Apple will handle this criticism, especially afterApple opened its store to Xbox Cloud Gamingrecently.
Hopefully, Apple will back down from Core Technology Fee thus allowing the software market to be open and fair. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!
More about the topics:apple,microsoft,Spotify
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
