When developing an app, one of the first and most important decisions you’ll make is in which app store to release your product. This is because the decision will affect the developers you hire and the design you choose.
While you can choose one and develop a second version of your app later, this is often time-consuming and expensive. In addition, a lot of code won’t translate between the two unless you’ve chosen a language that works for both operating systems from the start.
That’s why it’s imperative to consider each app store’s differences and advantages so you can make an educated decision.
Overview of Apple’s App Store
The iOS App Store is a digital distribution platform for mobile apps on Apple’s iOS operating system. The store allows users to browse and download apps developed with Apple’s iOS SDK.
The app store opened on July 10, 2008, with an initial 500 applications available. Currently, they have 1.8M apps available worldwide.
The store allows users to browse and download apps developed with Apple’s iOS software development kit.
Rules and Regulations
Apple has a strict process when it comes to app submissions. It is looking for apps that are innovative and useful to the customer. Apple also has a dedicated team of reviewers who review the apps before they are released on their store.
Apple reports that it rejected over 215,000 submissions last year for violating privacy guidelines.
To submit an app, you must register as an Apple developer, which is free of charge. Developers can then upload their app through iTunes Connect and wait for approval from Apple’s review team. Once approved, the app will be available on the App Store for download by customers worldwide.
As the developer, you are ultimately responsible for adhering to guidelines. They provide a complete list of development, design, and brand and marketing guidelines here.
Competition
Due to Apple’s strict uploading guidelines, there are fewer apps on the Apple App Store than on Google’s Play Store. Naturally, this lowers the quantity of the competition, but the overall quality will be higher.
Profitability
Apple currently takes 30% of the profit from apps sold on its platform.
However, this rate only applies to apps that have made more than $1 million in annual net sales. The rate is halved at 15% for smaller apps under the App Store Small Business Program. In addition, this rate isn’t static and will fluctuate if sales fall below a certain margin.
One deciding factor is that customers are more likely to pay for Apple apps than Android. Therefore, if you plan to ask for upfront payment, you will have a higher chance of success going with Apple.
Audience
For the first time since 2010, Apple has overtaken Android, with more than 50% of the US market.
However, this is only in the United States. Globally, Apple still sits at 28% of the market. This means that app developers primarily targeting the US have an equal reason to choose between iOS and Android. But those looking at a global audience may want to prioritize Android.
Overview of the Google Play Store
Google Play Store is a digital distribution platform for Android applications, games, movies, and TV programs. It is the official store of Android devices, regardless of manufacturer.
The Play Store provides a centralized place to access all types of content from various sources and developers.
Google launched Google Play (initially branded as Android Market) on October 22, 2008. It rebranded as Google Play in 2012.
Google Play Store is the world’s largest mobile app store. It hosts 3.48 million apps currently, but that number is rising steadily. Over 3,000 apps are regularly added daily.
Rules and Regulations
Google has a less stringent review policy than Apple. However, they still have an extensive policy center that you should familiarize yourself with before developing.
Although the bar for entry is lower than with Apple, Google still regularly sweeps the store to remove low-quality products.
You need to create a free Google Play Developer Account to get started. Then, before you release your app, you should check it against Google’s quality standards for the visual experience, functionality, stability, and privacy.
Competition
Since there are almost twice as many Android apps as iPhone apps, there are different issues when it comes to competition. If you have a high-quality app, you’ll have an easier time floating to the top of the competition.
However, the big issue is getting noticed and accruing enough downloads and ratings to stand out against the crowd.
Profitability
The service fees for Google Play are similar to Apple’s but implemented differently.
Only 3% of developers on Google Play have to pay the service fee, leaving 97% to distribute their products for free.
On Google, 99% of developers qualify for a service fee of 15% or less for the first $1 million of earnings. That goes to 30% after the first year to give smaller developers more room to grow but isn’t limited to small businesses.
All subscription revenue is subject to a 15% service fee.
The Google Play Store offers significantly more free apps than Apple does. Unfortunately, if you’re planning to charge for your app, you may encounter more resistance and have to compete with free apps.
The global revenue is much lower on Google Play than on the app store.
Audience
Apple only dominates in the United States and Japan. Elsewhere Google Play wins by a significant margin.
Android is open source, making it an attractive option for more inexpensive phones and, thus, more accessible to a broader audience.
Battle of the App Stores
Selecting which OS to release a mobile app on is a tricky decision. On the one hand, Google Play has a significantly wider audience and fewer regulations and barriers to entry. But on the other, once you have released an app on Apple’s app store, you have a better chance of standing out and profiting from your product.
Ultimately the choice relies on the specifics of your app, which is where Confianz can help. Our team can walk you through the planning stages and help you decide which app store is best for you.
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