Onside Developer Fees: 12% Commission, Fast Payouts

Sep 22, 2026•7 min read

FEES & PAYOUTS lettering with blue euro coins and the Onside logo on a dark navy background

© Onside

Onside developer fees are 12% — a flat rate covering paid apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions, with no tier changes at renewal and no separate rate by revenue source.

Apple charges 30% as standard, 15% for smaller developers, and resets subscription commissions at year one. Onside doesn't. One rate, every transaction type, every billing cycle. Here is how the numbers compare — and what they mean before you commit to distribution.

Onside fees vs Apple and other iOS stores

What Onside charges developers

FeatureDetail
Commission12% (Onside Payment SDK)
Payouts1-click after a 30-day standard hold period
Supported revenue modelsPaid apps, in-app purchases, subscriptions
MarketsEU and Japan now; Brazil coming soon
App Store typeApple-approved Alternative App Store (DMA-compliant)

How Onside compares to other curated iOS stores

StoreFeeNotes
Apple App Store30%Standard rate; 15% for developers under $1M
Onside12%Flat rate with Onside Payment SDK
Epic Games Store12%0% on first $1M; games only
Skich15%Indie gaming; niche positioning
Aptoide10–20%Android heritage; variable fee
AltStore PAL0%Self-hosted; power-user focus; not built for mainstream distribution

AltStore PAL's 0% requires self-hosted infrastructure — meaning you own discovery, trust signals, and moderation. Onside's 12% includes App Store review sync, virus checks, moderation, and automatic updates: the signals mainstream users rely on before they pay.

For a broader breakdown of all alternative iOS stores, see the complete iOS stores comparison guide.

What the fee gap means per transaction

A lower commission changes what is viable to build and what is viable to charge. Apps that couldn't survive a 30% take rate can find sustainable economics at 12%. Subscriptions that required a high price floor to absorb Apple's cut can be offered at a lower price point — and developers distributing via Onside keep more per transaction without passing the cost to the user.

The fee applies consistently. The same 12% covers paid apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions — including every renewal cycle. No blended rate, no acquisition-source split, no rate change after year one.

What Onside is

Onside is an Apple-approved Alternative App Store operating under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Japan's Smartphone Software Competition Promotion Act (MSCA). It allows developers to distribute iOS apps outside the App Store without violating Apple's terms. It is not a jailbreak tool, not a grey-market store, not a workaround — it is DMA-ready infrastructure that Apple has authorised.

Onside is headquartered in Amsterdam (Onside.io B.V.) and currently available in the EU, Japan and Brazil.

How to publish an app on Onside

Register as a developer

Create an account at developer.onside.io. The developer portal handles onboarding, documentation, and compliance requirements for your target market.

Submit your app for notarisation

Onside uses Apple's streamlined notarisation process for Onside-exclusive apps. Standard notarisation runs 2–3 hours — not the days or weeks typical of App Store review cycles.

Go live on the Onside storefront

Once notarised, your app is published to the Onside storefront. Reviews sync with the App Store. Automatic updates are available. Apple Pay and card payments are supported from day one.

Beyond lower fees, Onside's infrastructure includes:

  • Distribution speed. 2–3 hours from notarisation to live for Onside-exclusive apps.
  • Trust signals. Reviews sync with the App Store. Moderation and virus checks are standard. Automatic updates work for both the store and installed apps.
  • Payment support. Apple Pay and card accepted.
  • Publishing models. Merchant of Record for non-regulated apps. Distributor model for regulated categories: fintech, licensed gambling, age-verified professionally produced adult content. Each model handles the compliance layer the developer would otherwise own.

Developers who are already live: Tango and Playgama

Tango: from App Store removal to 6,000 monthly installs in 8 weeks

Tango — a live-streaming platform with 400M+ registered users — was removed from the App Store and relaunched on iOS in the EU via Onside in June 2025. Time from removal to live: 8 weeks. Monthly installs post-launch: 6,000 and growing.

Dor Isseroff, COO at tango.me: "Onside handled full DMA compliance and made the rollout faster and smoother than expected."

Playgama: 100+ games, 300M players at launch

Playgama launched 100+ HTML5 games automatically through Onside, reaching 300 million monthly players across its distribution network at the time of the partnership. Playgama's network has since grown to 450M+ monthly players across all platforms.

Dmitry Kachmar, founder of Playgama: "Onside shows that mobile distribution can be fast, transparent, and fair."

Both cases follow the same pattern: lower fees reduce friction, but faster distribution and reduced compliance burden are what recover lost distribution time at scale.

Brazil: what the CADE agreement means for iOS developers

On June 18, 2026, Apple announced new app distribution rules in Brazil following an agreement with CADE. Alternative marketplaces are now permitted.

Alexander Baksheev, CEO of Onside, on the Brazil opening: "We already operate the same infrastructure in the EU since November 2024 and in Japan since February 2026, so we know the real question isn't just whether the market is open — it's how it will be open in practice. For developers, the actual flow needs to work: installation, integration, payments, and user experience need to be viable, not just formally available."

How Apple's Brazil fee structure compares to the EU

Apple's Brazil fee structure mirrors the adversarial Japan model, not the EU framework:

FeeApplies to
21%In-app purchases processed via third-party payment system
15%External link purchases within 7 days of a tap
5%All purchases on alternative marketplaces and apps distributed from them

Onside's commission is 12%, with no per-install fee and no 7-day purchase tracking obligation.

Baksheev confirmed Onside is "watching closely whether this creates a model closer to the EU, where alternative stores and apps can operate meaningfully, or whether it creates the same kind of friction we saw in Japan."

For developers evaluating Brazil: confirm your users are on iOS 26.5+ with a Brazilian Apple ID — these are the current requirements for alternative marketplace access.

Frequently asked questions

What is Onside's developer fee? Onside's developer fee is 12% with Onside Payments SDK. The same rate applies to paid apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions with no separate tier for renewals.

How does Onside compare to the App Store? Apple's standard commission is 30% (15% for developers earning under $1M annually). Onside is 12%.

When does Onside pay developers? Onside offers 1-click payouts after a 30-day standard hold period for fraud protection and compliance.

Does Onside support subscription apps? Yes. Paid apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions are all supported. The same commission percentage applies to every billing cycle.

How long does app review take on Onside? After notarisation, Onside reviews apps within 2–3 hours.

Is Onside legal and Apple-approved? Yes. Onside is an Apple-approved Alternative App Store operating under the EU Digital Markets Act and Japan's MSCA. Developers distribute iOS apps through Onside without violating Apple's terms.

Which payment methods does Onside support? Apple Pay and card payments are supported.

What regulated categories can distribute on Onside? Fintech apps, licensed gambling apps, and age-verified professionally produced adult content can distribute via Onside using the Distributor publishing model, which handles compliance requirements.

Where does Onside operate? Currently in the EU, Japan and Brazil.

Distribute your iOS app through Onside →