30%, 15%, 27%, 20%: Who Takes What From Your Mobile Game Purchase in 2026

When you spend $10 on gems in a mobile game, who actually gets the money? For most of the smartphone era, the answer was simple: about $3 went to Apple or Google, and about $7 went to the game's publisher (before taxes and other costs). That 30% cut, introduced with Apple's App Store in 2008 and copied by Google, became the most famous number in mobile gaming.

In 2026 the answer is much more complicated. Court cases in the United States, new laws in Europe, Japan and Korea, and a settlement between Epic Games and Google have produced a patchwork of rates. Here is a simple guide.

The classic rates

• 30%: the standard commission on paid apps and in-app purchases at both stores, for most of their history.
• 15% for small developers: Apple's Small Business Program, announced in November 2020 and effective from January 2021, cut the rate to 15% for developers earning under $1 million a year. Google followed in 2021 by charging 15% on the first $1 million each developer earns annually.
• 15% for subscriptions: Apple cut its rate on subscriptions to 15% after the first year from 2016; Google moved to 15% for all subscriptions in 2022.

The United States: from 27% to zero to "cost-based"

After Epic Games won one claim in its case against Apple, Apple allowed US apps to link to outside web stores from January 2024, but charged 27% (12% for small businesses) on purchases made through those links. On 30 April 2025 a federal judge found Apple in contempt and barred any commission on linked-out purchases. On 11 December 2025 an appeals court upheld the contempt finding but said Apple may charge a limited fee tied to its actual costs, to be set by the lower court. The Supreme Court is now reviewing the contempt ruling (see our Epic v. Apple explainer).

Google: the end of the flat 30%

On 4 March 2026, Google settled with Epic Games and replaced its flat 30% Play Store fee with standard commissions of 20% or less, depending on the type of purchase, while opening Android to registered rival stores worldwide (see our Epic v. Google story).

The European Union: new names for fees

Under the Digital Markets Act, Apple must allow alternative app stores and steering in the EU, but it still charges developers who use them. Its 2025 EU terms include a Core Technology Commission of 5%, a store services fee at two levels, and an initial acquisition fee, replacing the earlier per-install Core Technology Fee of 50 euro cents. Apple was fined 500 million euros in April 2025 for anti-steering rules (see our DMA explainer).

Korea and Japan

• Korea: the world's first ban on forced in-app payment, passed in 2021. Google and Apple responded by allowing third-party payments at a 26% commission. On 28 October 2026 Korea's regulator fined them 63.7 billion won in total and ordered corrective measures (see our Korea story).
• Japan: the Mobile Software Competition Act, in full force since 18 December 2025, requires Apple and Google to allow rival stores and payments, with Apple introducing new fee structures for Japan (see our Japan story).

What it means for you

For players, lower store fees do not automatically mean cheaper gems. Publishers decide whether to cut prices, add bonuses or keep the savings. The most visible change so far is the rise of web shops, where publishers keep more of each sale and often offer extra currency (see our web shop explainer).

Why it matters

For 15 years, 30% was a law of nature in mobile gaming. It shaped prices, game design and which studios could survive. That law is breaking up country by country. The result is messier, but for developers and players willing to look, it is also cheaper.