Re:Apple Announces App Store Small Business Program
by TedDoesntTalk on Wednesday November 18, 2020 @01:46PM
(#25140671)
It's not just about distribution. What about allowing payments through stripe or paypal or any other payment processor?
Re:Apple Announces App Store Small Business Program
by heavyset_go on Wednesday November 18, 2020 @01:52PM
(#25140756)
Good point, and I agree. Developers and users should have the freedom to use the payment processors of their liking, without having their mobile operating system's vendor deciding for them.
It's not just the rate that's anti-competitive, it's that these two companies have stifled competition in mobile app distribution for over a decade now.
There is no viable competition in this space because Google and Apple never allowed for real competitors to the App Store and Play Store to exist. You have to use the App Store to distribute mobile apps on iPhones and iPads, and if you want automatic updates, background updates or batch installations/upgrades on Android, you have to use the Play Store.
These days, if you want to install an app whose developers didn't pay the Apple tax, macOS will make the app appear radioactive, and as if it is either broken or malicious. Same goes for Android, where apps distributed outside of the Play Store invoke scary warnings, and are hindered when it comes to automatic updates, background updates, or batch installs.