Estimated learn time: 17 minutes, 36 seconds
Key Takeaways About Promoting Outdoors the App Shops:
- Cellular app marketplaces such because the Apple App Retailer and Google Play Retailer make app distribution straightforward, however they cost steep charges.
- There are a number of necessary parts to promoting exterior the app marketplaces, reminiscent of selecting a funds associate, organising consumer accounts, and structuring your purchases and packages.
- A service provider of file reminiscent of FastSpring could make promoting globally a lot simpler for cell app and recreation publishers.
In case you’re undecided the right way to promote an app direct to shopper (additionally known as D2C or app2web) exterior the app marketplaces — or for those who’re in search of a brand new approach to monetize your cell app or recreation — it’s possible you’ll be questioning what choices you might have.
Steep charges from platforms just like the Apple App Retailer and the Google Play Retailer can understandably trigger recreation builders and app creators to look past the comfort, discoverability, and ubiquity of conventional app marketplaces.
Traditionally, restrictions from the platform suppliers have made that tough — however on account of ongoing courtroom circumstances together with the event of recent legal guidelines and laws, the cell panorama is altering.
TL;DR: In case you’re trying to promote exterior Apple’s App Retailer and Google’s Play Retailer, you will have extra choices than you thought.
On this article, we’ll cowl:
FastSpring is how gaming studios and cell app makers promote in additional locations world wide. For over twenty years, FastSpring has been a fee supplier you need to use to promote apps, video games, or in-game gadgets in your web site, net store, or embedded instantly into your app with totally customizable and branded checkouts only for you. FastSpring permits you to offload the complexity of world funds, gross sales tax and VAT compliance, participant funds assist, and plenty of different facets of funds administration. Spend much less time managing your funds and compliance and extra time making nice apps! Arrange a demo or strive it out for your self.
Word: Data on this article was validated at time of publishing and is topic to alter.
How Cellular App Marketplaces Work
Making up over 99% of cell OS market share globally, Android with the Google Play Retailer and iOS with the iPhone App Retailer have loved a duopoly over cell app distribution and cell app ecommerce worldwide. Whereas these markets are starting to open up, it’s useful to know the enterprise mannequin that app marketplaces have historically labored underneath.
On the plus facet, as a result of main app marketplaces are utilized by principally each human on earth with a cell phone, the power to draw new customers in your app or gamers in your recreation is unmatched.
Marketplaces make it straightforward and handy for customers to obtain and pay for brand spanking new apps and in-app purchases by means of a market and inside an ecosystem they already belief, and with fee strategies they’ve already saved to their account.
Marketplaces additionally make it straightforward for cell app builders to distribute their apps. They handle necessary transaction elements reminiscent of diversified fee strategies and currencies, fraud, tech assist associated to the transaction, and accumulating and paying gross sales taxes.
However that ease of use can come at a steep worth for builders.
Charges and Commissions Charged by Main App Marketplaces
Assuming your recreation or app is accepted by the cell app retailer app evaluate gatekeepers within the first place, the whole lack of competitors ensures that the charges related to gross sales by way of iOS and Google Play app shops are very excessive — often round 15% on the primary $1 million in gross sales yearly and as much as 30% on income streams exceeding $1 million per 12 months.
That’s on prime of the $99 per 12 months membership payment required to affix the Apple Developer Program, create your developer account, obtain Xcode, and entry App Retailer Join.
These charges additionally apply to in-game purchases as effectively. Because of this even for those who intend to launch a free app however monetize it utilizing in-app purchases, you and/or your gamers and customers will nonetheless be burdened by paying steep charges to the app shops.
Passing App Retailer Prices on to Shoppers
Some apps have taken efforts to make it clear that no less than a portion of excessive app retailer charges are being handed alongside on to consumers, however that there are lower-cost choices as an alternative.
Including Charges to Subscriptions Bought by way of App Marketplaces
When Otter — an AI assembly agent and transcription app — revamped its pricing choices in mid-2023, there was one notably notable choice for Professional plans: Paying for a yearly subscription by way of the Apple App Retailer or Google Play Retailer value customers an additional $10, rising the worth by about 8% from $119.99 to $129.99 USD.
To elucidate how customers might keep away from this upcharge, Otter positioned a inexperienced “Tip” field slightly below the Otter Professional pricing grid, encouraging customers to “Learn to transfer your Apple App Retailer or Google Play Retailer subscription to Otter by way of Internet.”
To deal with this pricing discrepancy extra instantly, the FAQ part on the backside of the announcement web page said the upper worth by way of app marketplaces “displays the extra costs required to host the Otter.ai subscriptions on each Apple and Google’s app shops.”
It went on to explicitly advocate customers cancel their present Apple App Retailer or Google Play Retailer subscription and re-subscribe by way of Otter’s web site.
On the time of this writing, it seems that pricing for Otter Professional is now the identical whether or not the consumer indicators up by way of the Play Retailer or by way of net instantly from Otter.ai, however their assist web page (linked above) about the right way to change to an internet subscription continues to be up, and the web page mentions two extra advantages apart from financial savings: entry to the Otter assist staff in case you have any subscription points, and simpler account administration with entry to improve choices that aren’t accessible within the app.
Providing Reductions for Direct Purchases
Subsequently, recreation and app builders could decide to supply discounted costs to customers in the event that they buy exterior of the app by way of an exterior consumer account that’s linked again to the app.
Builders can promote these sorts of reductions and consumer accounts on their web sites or within the app, relying on app market laws and site.
App devs make it straightforward for a consumer to enroll by merely opening the app on their telephone, tapping a button to create a consumer account, and finishing registration.
Then customers can simply make purchases from the developer’s web site instantly, for a lot lower than they’d pay in the event that they made the identical purchases throughout the app. (Extra on consumer accounts under.)
Extra App Builders Are Promoting D2C
Whereas there are numerous advantages to promoting video games and apps by means of the iOS App Retailer and Google Play, the downsides on pricing & charges and the restrictions on recreation distribution imply that as courtroom circumstances proceed and new laws open up the markets, increasingly builders shall be questioning how they will implement a D2C technique for his or her app or recreation.
In actual fact, by the center of 2025, the gaming business leaders we surveyed have been already utilizing direct-to-consumer monetization at a price of 57%, and when mixed with these not but utilizing D2C however planning to inside 12 months, about 83% of all these surveyed shall be utilizing it by mid-2026.
Learn extra of the illuminating gaming business survey ends in our publish, Huge Gaming D2C Survey From FastSpring and Omdia.
Tips on how to Promote Apps Outdoors App Marketplaces
Within the Otter instance above, although Otter’s app is downloaded by way of the Apple App Retailer or the Android Play Retailer — and Otter was charging a better worth if customers paid for his or her yearly Professional subscription by way of these shops — there was nonetheless a lower-cost choice for his or her customers: Downloading the app from one of many shops, however paying for his or her service on Otter’s personal web site utilizing a distinct fee providers supplier (PSP).
This mannequin is an instance of the distinction between distributing an app by means of the app marketplaces, and monetizing an app by means of the app marketplaces.
Even when downloads of your app are captive to proprietary shops, that doesn’t imply it’s the one approach customers can pay in your service or options.
Listed here are among the key issues to contemplate when organising your individual app monetization choice exterior of main app marketplaces.
Selecting a Cost Supplier
The 1st step is selecting the way you’ll settle for funds exterior app marketplaces.
There are various choices for fee providers suppliers (PSP) and retailers of file (MoR) available on the market which you could set as much as take funds exterior of device-captive app shops.
However there’s a key distinction between fee providers suppliers and retailers of file.
A PSP helps companies promote a product by dealing with the specialised providers and back-end connections wanted to take action (reminiscent of connecting fee gateways, fee processors, and a service provider account).
An MoR like FastSpring does all that and extra — from dealing with fee processing to taking over necessary obligations reminiscent of worrying about card model guidelines, regulatory guidelines throughout jurisdictions, threat administration and fraud prevention, dealing with refunds and chargebacks, gross sales taxes, VAT, and GST, and extra. That features calculating, accumulating, and remitting taxes.
FastSpring is how gaming studios and cell app makers promote in additional locations world wide. For over twenty years, FastSpring has been a fee supplier you need to use to promote apps, video games, or in-game gadgets in your web site, net store, or embedded instantly into your app with totally customizable and branded checkouts only for you. FastSpring permits you to offload the complexity of world funds, gross sales tax and VAT compliance, participant funds assist, and plenty of different facets of funds administration. Spend much less time managing your funds and compliance and extra time making nice apps! Arrange a demo or strive it out for your self.
Can I Simply Use Stripe?
Earlier than you leap to contemplating an excellent less complicated and lower-cost PSP reminiscent of Stripe, observe that it’s very easy — Stripe will not be a service provider of file.
As a result of they don’t assume the identical obligations an MoR like FastSpring does, you’ll nonetheless be liable for necessary duties reminiscent of managing threat, coping with chargebacks, and dealing with taxes.
Stripe has a number of upgrades accessible to fill a few of these gaps, however every improve bundle will proceed to extend the worth anyway. Be taught extra about how Stripe costs for his or her Tax upgrades in our article 2Checkout vs. Stripe vs. FastSpring: Evaluating Funds, Taxes, and Platform Options (+ Pricing).
It may be very straightforward for SaaS firms and app companies to outgrow Stripe, so it might be simpler to begin with a extra strong service provider of file from the outset, notably for those who plan to develop rapidly and/or serve prospects globally.
FastSpring Steer ProtectedTM Makes Internet Purchases Very Straightforward for Cellular Customers
For a brilliant easy buy movement that sends app customers out of your app to your web site and proper again when the acquisition is full, FastSpring now has Steer ProtectedTM, an method to monetizing apps with the quickest, least-taps paths doable.
Simply add buy buttons or hyperlinks instantly in your cell app or recreation, and securely go participant data, product data, and extra to your FastSpring-powered checkout on the net. Then rapidly return the consumer to the app to get proper again to using their buy.
To be taught extra and even see gifs of the acquisition course of in motion, take a look at our Steer ProtectedTM posts about video games on iOS, video games on Android, or cell apps on each iOS and Android.
Setting Up Person Accounts
To attach purchases between your individual checkout choice and your app that was downloaded from an app market, you’ll doubtless want some sort of consumer account system for customers to trace — and activate in-app — their purchases.
Person accounts permit customers to make purchases exterior of the App Retailer or Play Retailer, then sign up to your app to see the acquisition credited there.
Within the case of FastSpring, we additionally present shopper assist to customers. If they’ve any points with their buy or their buy account, we’ll be there to assist — making one much less factor so that you can fear about.
Structuring Purchases and Packages
Purchases tied to customers’ accounts are sometimes within the type of in-app forex or subscriptions.
In-App or In-Sport Foreign money
To monetize your app utilizing in-app or in-game forex, the forex is bought utilizing actual cash in your web site after which redeemed in your app for in-app gadgets, options, and many others.
Within the case of many recreation apps, the apps use an in-game forex reminiscent of cash, gems, gold, or a singular fictional forex that customers can redeem for bonuses throughout the recreation. The forex can often be bought in numerous packages, with web-exclusive pricing provided if customers go away the app and purchase straight from the sport developer’s web site.
Customers can then take a look at with a typical on-line buy expertise, reminiscent of with FastSpring’s on-line checkout with built-in consumer expertise and conversion optimization.
FastSpring is how gaming studios and cell app makers promote in additional locations world wide. For over twenty years, FastSpring has been a fee supplier you need to use to promote apps, video games, or in-game gadgets in your web site, net store, or embedded instantly into your app with totally customizable and branded checkouts only for you. FastSpring permits you to offload the complexity of world funds, VAT and gross sales tax compliance, participant funds assist, and plenty of different facets of funds administration. Spend much less time managing your funds and compliance and extra time making nice apps! Arrange a demo or strive it out for your self.
Subscriptions
Somewhat than particular person purchases as wanted, it’s possible you’ll desire to supply entry to your app (or its premium providers and performance) by way of a subscription, usually accessible month-to-month or yearly.
Within the Otter instance, apart from a freemium choice, Otter’s packages can be found as month-to-month or annual subscriptions.
FastSpring supplies all kinds of subscription administration instruments that can assist you monetize your cell app, recreation, software program as a service, or different digital merchandise.
Objects and Upgrades
Objects and upgrades are yet one more packaging choice for monetizing your app. These could be unbiased of different choices like subscriptions and in-app forex, or they will work in tandem with them.
Within the case of Otter, which provides a freemium model of their service (both by way of net or utilizing their app), upgrades reminiscent of extra transcription minutes, staff collaboration, and superior export choices assist incentivize customers to subscribe to their Professional and Enterprise packages.
Within the case of gaming apps, the chances are practically countless — with unique gadgets, characters, power-ups, and extra to encourage gamers to buy by way of the web site and redeem within the app.
Authorized and Regulatory Updates Concerning App Gross sales and Monetization
In case you’re not acquainted with the latest and ongoing authorized challenges that would have an effect on each Google and Apple’s shops in a roundabout way, there have been fairly a number of world wide, together with within the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Brazil.
The EU’s Digital Advertising Act (DMA)
In Europe, the EU’s Digital Advertising Act (DMA) is aimed toward what the Fee referred to as “gatekeepers” (which incorporates Apple, Google, Meta, and many others.), and the Fee started implementing it in March 2024.
Apple has revised its App Retailer guidelines, giving builders extra freedom and adaptability relating to monetizing — however this was after the corporate was charged with violating the DMA guidelines by not totally permitting steering.
Get the fundamentals on the DMA and extra useful hyperlinks right here.
Japan’s Cellular Software program Competitors Act Pointers
The Japan Honest Commerce Fee (JFTC) launched the Cellular Software program Competitors Act Pointers, which incorporates regulatory steering in step with the EU’s DMA. The MSCA tips went into impact in December 2025 and deal with Apple and Google’s limiting of different app marketplaces, pressured use of their very own fee methods, and anti-steering & browser engine restrictions.
Epic Video games’ Lawsuits within the US
After Epic Video games used reductions to encourage its Fortnite customers to make use of a distinct fee system as an alternative of the app marketplaces, each Apple and Google subsequently eliminated Fortnite from their shops in 2020. Epic Video games then individually sued each Apple and Google.
Within the Apple case, judgments and appeals have been cut up between Epic and Apple. Of observe, the ninth Circuit U.S. Courtroom of Appeals dominated in April 2023 that Apple’s prohibition towards permitting app devs to ship customers to different non-App Retailer fee strategies violated California’s Unfair Competitors Regulation.
Appeals have been made to the Supreme Courtroom, however in January 2024, the Supreme courtroom determined to not hear these appeals; learn extra about responses from Epic and Apple right here.
In response to necessities that the corporate allow builders to information customers towards different fee choices exterior the App Retailer (also referred to as “fee steering”), Apple put in place guidelines that required builders to report — and pay Apple a fee — on transactions processed elsewhere. However n April 2025, a U.S. choose dominated towards Apple, stopping the corporate from charging commissions on exterior funds.
Within the Google case, appeals additionally proceed, however a December 2023 ruling present in favor of Epic on all counts, and the U.S. Supreme Courtroom dominated in October 2025 towards Google’s bid to delay required modifications to the Play Retailer set to take impact later that very same month.
Disclosure: FastSpring supplied key proof about different fee choices in EPIC’s antitrust lawsuit towards Google. Learn extra right here.
US State-Led Circumstances
In Utah v. Google, 37 attorneys basic (representing 21 million People) maintained that Google makes use of unlawful, anticompetitive, and/or unfair enterprise practices that prohibit competitors, drive up costs, and restrict decisions, all of which hurt customers that buy video games and different digital items by means of the Google Play retailer. Learn extra concerning the Google case right here.
Brazil’s Antitrust Regulation
After a 2022 criticism filed by MercadoLibre in each Brazil and Mexico — through which MercadoLibre took problem with Apple’s requirement that app builders should use Apple’s fee system for promoting digital items or providers provided throughout the apps — Brazil’s antitrust regulation company Cade said in Nov. 2025 that Apple wanted to raise restrictions relating to fee strategies for in-app purchases. That included permitting hyperlinks to different websites to assist facilitate different fee choices.
Incessantly Requested Questions About Promoting Outdoors the App Shops
Publishing an app on the Apple App Retailer requires you to keep up an Apple Developer Program membership, which prices $99 per 12 months (even for those who don’t plan to monetize your app). In case you monetize your app — and you choose to let Apple deal with the sale — the corporate costs commissions of 15-30% of your gross sales.
It is a complicated and evolving scenario. After numerous regulators world wide started requiring Apple to permit builders to hyperlink customers to exterior fee choices, Apple applied new guidelines requiring builders to report these exterior gross sales and nonetheless pay a (barely smaller) fee.
In April 2025, a U.S. choose dominated towards Apple’s skill to cost builders for exterior funds, however the exact authorized panorama round this continues to alter.
Whereas we’ve centered totally on monetizing exterior the app marketplaces (in different phrases: promoting D2C by way of your web site), the foundations for distribution are additionally altering.
In Europe, laws just like the Digital Advertising Act (DMA) are starting to pressure platforms like Apple to permit for different app marketplaces and distribution strategies. That mentioned, for many builders, the technique continues to be to distribute by means of the massive app shops whereas monetizing exterior of them.
By promoting direct, you may keep away from the steep 15% to 30% fee charges charged by the Apple App Retailer and Google Play Retailer. Promoting instantly may also help improve your revenue margins and/or go financial savings on to your customers by providing reductions for purchases made in your web site.
It additionally offers you improved entry to buyer knowledge and insights, extra management over pricing and promotions, higher model visibility and loyalty, and extra. See extra the reason why recreation publishers are already utilizing D2C in our survey outcomes.
Companion With FastSpring
In case you’re in search of assist promoting your cell app or online game on to customers, we may also help.
FastSpring powers international D2C funds for recreation studios and app publishers. As a service provider of file, we offer a completely managed fee resolution — together with customizable checkout, fraud mitigation, and 100% automated gross sales tax and VAT compliance.
? Arrange a demo or strive it out for your self.
Due to Tony Markov for contributing to this text!
This publish was initially printed in Feb. 2024 and has been up to date.
