App Store and Lemon Squeezy revenue

Updated 2026-08-04

This pairing belongs to developers shipping the same product in two places: an iOS app distributed through Apple, and a desktop, web or Pro version sold directly through Lemon Squeezy.

Both sides sell genuine subscriptions, which makes this one of the cleaner combinations conceptually — and one where the fee difference is dramatic.

The fee gap is the story

	Cut	What it buys
Apple App Store	15% or 30%	Distribution, discovery, trust, payment handling
Lemon Squeezy	~5% + fees	Merchant of record — VAT and sales tax handled

The same $49/year subscription nets roughly $41.65 through Apple's small business tier, $34.30 at the standard rate, and about $46.55 through Lemon Squeezy.

That's not an argument for abandoning the App Store — Apple's cut buys distribution that Lemon Squeezy cannot. But if you're deciding where to push customers, it's a real number worth knowing. See gross vs net MRR.

What each side contributes

	True MRR	Today's cash
Lemon Squeezy	✅ interval-normalised	✅ today's orders, fees approximated as zero
App Store	⚠️ reporting in development	⚠️ pending

Current state, plainly: Lemon Squeezy works fully today. The App Store integration authenticates and validates but does not yet report sales — the Sales and Trends pipeline is still being built.

So the combined MRR figure is currently the Lemon Squeezy half only.

Comparing like with like

One trap when the Apple side does start reporting: Apple reports proceeds, already net of its commission, while Lemon Squeezy subscription values are gross. Adding those directly compares a post-fee number to a pre-fee number.

MRR convention is gross, so the right move is to gross up Apple's proceeds by your commission tier before comparing — or accept that the Apple contribution reads conservatively.

Setting up

Lemon Squeezy needs an API key. App Store Connect needs an issuer ID, key ID and .p8 file — and remember the .p8 downloads exactly once.

Frequently asked

Do App Store and Lemon Squeezy both count as recurring revenue?

Yes, both sell genuine subscriptions. Lemon Squeezy subscriptions contribute to True MRR in FRGMNT today; App Store reporting is still in development.

Why would I sell on both?

A common pattern for developers with a mobile app and a desktop or web version. Apple handles iOS distribution and takes 15 to 30 percent; Lemon Squeezy acts as merchant of record for direct sales and handles VAT.