Apple suggested that developers seeking to circumvent charges for App Store purchases could easily do so by using a web application instead of developing a native application for iOS. Apple made this suggestion in response to antitrust proceedings initiated in September 2020 by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.

The ACCC sought to investigate Apple and Google as gatekeepers of their respective iOS and Android ecosystems, which account for a huge percentage of global smartphone sales. This follows similar antitrust investigations in the US, EU, Russia, and South Korea.

As reported by 9to5Mac, Apple's argument is that the App Store is completely voluntary, allowing companies to sell in-game currency or even develop games that run entirely in a browser window. By doing so on their own infrastructure, those retailers would not have to give Apple a share of what consumers spend.

These Progressive Web Apps can be added to the iOS home screen using Safari, which can be tried by visiting app.starbucks.com in Safari and saving the app to the home screen using the Share button. There is little functional difference between this method and the App Store version of the app. In its submission to the ACCC, Apple noted that Amazon had launched its Luna game service using this method

, and that the app was not yet available on the ACCC's website

.

Ultimately, what app developers probably recognize is that Apple and Google provide a convenient and secure service for consumers. By purchasing through app stores, consumers can buy things with peace of mind and a frictionless sales process. However, both Apple and Google have been accused of taking an excessive 30% cut on both apps and in-app purchases.

Apple recently adjusted its pricing and now offers a 15% reduction to developers with less than $1 million in annual revenue. Apple claims that this covers the "vast majority" of iOS app developers. This is because "Fortnite" sold $1.2 billion during the time it was on the App Store, with an estimated $360 million of that going into Apple's bank account.

Epic's own store operates on a commission of about 12%. It also offers discounts to developers who use the Unreal Engine, bringing the fee down to 5%. The company is trying to launch its own app store for Android devices, but that option is not available on iOS because of Apple's ban on third-party app stores.

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