I also use elementary daily and I cannot publish my own app in their store
The weird bit is that it must be hosted on Github.
https://docs.elementary.io/develop/appcenter/publishing-requ...
It would be more interesting if there was more flexibility in the monetization. Options for a minimum price + pay more per seat (for integration with some corporate provisioning software), subscription pricing, one time price + either support subscription or support "piecework" (like bug bounties or developer consultation), and invoicing integration.
Which I kinda agree with, as they want to promote open-source apps first, but I'd also be okay with an option to display commercial apps to purchase or install with a disclaimer that these are not open-source apps.
It'd be nice to have the ability to install Spotify, Discord, and some other popular apps and have them automatically kept up-to-date directly from the App Store. And that wouldn't negate the ability to sideload or use a third-party repo.
They don't allow commercial applications on their app store. I'd publish there in a heartbeat, if they did.
They are also in the position they (barely) function at a very low cost. They don't need a lot of cash flow to make a huge difference.
If someone has a way in with them, please please mention this. I'd hate for ElementaryOS to die, I really like it and have followed it from the beginning.
It's the only Linux which strikes the balance between being "normal" and caring about simplicity, consistency and ease of use.