Apple’s App Store monopoly under attack – another important market is opening up to alternatives | News

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The EU was the first region in which Apple had to give up its own app monopoly and open the way to alternative app marketplaces: Since the beginning of 2024, the EU has had the (optional) option to install software on iPhones outside of the iOS App Store. The same has been true for Japan since December 2025. On June 18, Apple announced that similar rules would now apply to Brazil’s iPhone users.

There is a staggered fee system for alternative app marketplaces in Brazil, which is based on four pillars:

Developers with iOS apps in the Brazilian App Store pay 10 percent if they are in the Small Business Program, Video Partner Program or Mini Apps Partner Program, everyone else pays 21 percent on transactions.
Apple Payment Processing Fee: In their iOS apps in Apple’s App Store, developers can process payments via “Apple In-App Purchase” for an additional 5 percent fee.
Additionally, developers pay a 10 or 15 percent commission on transactions for digital goods and services made on a website to which the developer’s app links.
iOS apps distributed outside the App Store in Brazil incur a 5 percent commission on sales of digital goods and services, including paid apps.

The competitor AltStore has already announced that its marketplace “AltStore PAL” is now available in Brazil. An iPhone with iOS 26.5 is required. At launch, AltStore is offering a free one-month membership to its Patreon program, which in turn grants access to the in-house game emulator Delta.

The AltStore celebrates its market launch in Brazil with a banner. (Source: AltStore/Fosstodon)

Criticism from lobby association
Apple’s fee structure is by no means met with unchallenged approval. Both Fortnite developer Epic Games and the “Coalition for App Fairness,” which this company helped launch, criticize the rules: Developers who decide to sell their apps via alternative app marketplaces would be punished through high fees and excessive tracking requirements. The rules give Apple an unfair advantage and prevent innovation in app marketplaces.