Catenaa, Wednesday, November 19, 2025- A study commissioned by Apple has found that developers do not generally pass savings from lower App Store commission fees to customers, keeping most reductions for themselves.

The research examined Apple’s alternative business terms introduced in March 2024 in the EU under the Digital Markets Act. Developers enrolled in the program typically saw commission rates drop by around 10 percentage points, but more than 90% kept app, subscription, and digital goods prices the same or raised them.

Only about 9% of prices fell, largely consistent with normal market trends, suggesting the reductions were unrelated to commission changes.

The study also showed that the majority of commission savings, over 86%, went to developers outside the EU.

Similar patterns were observed previously under Apple’s Small Business Program in the US, where most developers did not lower prices after fee reductions.

Apple said the findings highlight that lower fees have not translated into customer benefits, despite regulatory efforts. Experts note that market conditions conditioned to accept Apple’s 30% commission may explain developer inertia, though additional margin space could eventually influence pricing strategies.

The results come as Apple reports record quarterly revenue of $102.5 billion, including all-time highs for iPhone sales and services, underscoring the company’s continued profitability.

The study raises questions about the effectiveness of fee reductions under the DMA in delivering lower consumer costs.