Android developers fees, starting September

Magma

Magma

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Num3 said:
The end of free development is announced since 2025, I don't see anyone here much worried about the changes that will soon lock down android, and disable third party stores and sideloading.

What do you guys think on this matter? Where you even aware of this?

Google Announcement (August 2025)

Keep Android Open Initiative

Youtube Video
Click to expand...
Goodmorning !!!

I think that Google Announcement already had some threads... by the way the sideloading will be there but with some clicks more...

As for free development (what fees) ? Can't understand what do you mean ?

For sure - Play Store has limits, had limits... and will have more, for example apps created for first time, must be tested - but until now - i think is not a big problem... may be come to production will be slower - but it has to do - with your "target group" - if your app is for some hundreds of customers - then i think it is easy with the tools of Play Store to work.. if you wanna share to millions then you must get the hard way... with pre-releases...
 
aeric

aeric

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Magma said:
As for free development (what fees) ? Can't understand what do you mean ?
Click to expand...
I also not clear with this requirements.

My understanding is for us to publish to Play store, we are required to register for a developer account by paying US$25 for lifetime.
Meanwhile, to enable us to become developer in Apple developer account, even we don't want to publish an app on Appstore, we still need to pay US$99 annually for the registration and to generate the certificate and provisional profile.

So I guess the new rules would be similar to Apple, Google may charge Android developers at certain amount, which may be need to renew annually.
The new fee is different from the fee for Play store developer console.
edit: You may need to pay additional fees if you are publishing your apps on other Android store such as F-Droid.

For now, indie developers or students can develop any apps and share among their friends without registering for a developer account.
Anyone can start developing anytime and build an APK for Free!
This is going to be changed starting September 2026!
 
Magma

Magma

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aeric said:
I also not clear with this requirements.

My understanding is for us to publish to Play store, we are required to register for a developer account by paying US$25 for lifetime.
Meanwhile, to enable us to become developer in Apple developer account, even we don't want to publish an app on Appstore, we still need to pay US$99 annually for the registration and to generate the certificate and provisional profile.

So I guess the new rules would be similar to Apple, Google may charge Android developers at certain amount, which may be need to renew annually.
The new fee is different from the fee for Play store developer console.
edit: You may need to pay additional fees if you are publishing your apps on other Android store such as F-Droid.

For now, indie developers or students can develop any apps and share among their friends without registering for a developer account.
Anyone can start developing anytime and build an APK for Free!
This is going to be changed starting September 2026!
Click to expand...
But I ve already payed 25$ for a life :) before 14 years (ps: lifetime warranty for memory - is when memory stop getting out from factory ~10years)...
+ i didn't see any fee per year for Play Store... yet - do you see any - or anything written ?

This for indie devs... didn't see it..
 
aeric

aeric

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Not much affecting the current developers who only publish on Play store.
I think in short, Google wants to take control of the apps developer published on other stores which they don't make money of.
 
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