Sometimes, maybe even inevitably, everything feels eventual. At one point in time, Apple’s 30% fee for its App Store felt like a standard thing, like that’s just how it’s supposed to be. But, things change, and now there’s definitely a much louder outcry regarding the fee. And, more than that, Apple’s need to change it.
Which is why folks in high places, like, for instance, the CEO of Tesla, have thoughts on Apple’s App Store fee. There are some folks out there who support it! Even say that it makes sense for what Apple provides, both for developers and the end user. But, there are also a lot of people out there who want to see Apple make some sweeping changes.
Namely, by lowering that fee — if not outright dissolving it completely.
Here we are today and Elon Musk, the aforementioned chief executive of Tesla –and future owner of Twitter— is out there commenting on Apple’s App Store fee. Musk likens Apple’s fee to “having a 30% tax on the internet” which definitely does not sound great. He goes on to add in the same tweet that it’s, “Definitely not ok.”
Apple’s store is like having a 30% tax on the Internet. Definitely not ok.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2022
That’s not all, though. Musk goes on in another tweet that Apple’s App Store fee is, “Literally 10 times higher than it should be”.
This isn’t Musk’s first effort at raising some attention at Apple’s business model. Last year, he commented on Apple’s “walled garden” and said that Tesla would not go the same route. So, this is Musk beating a familiar drum, so to speak.
Now, here’s where the details come in. It’s true that Apple still has a 30% fee associated with the App Store, but the company has made some changes. That fee is for the developers and businesses who make more than $1 million through the App Store. For those who do not fit that bill, like a plethora of small businesses out there, the App Store fee is 15% through the Small Business Developer Program.
There’s still some room to change, though. And maybe Apple will make some additional alterations to its App Store fee model at some point down the road. Maybe.