Before you can submit an app to the App Store or Google Play, you need a developer account. That sounds straightforward. In practice, there are decisions to make before you sign up — decisions that are difficult to reverse later.
Here's what those decisions are, what each account type means, and what the accounts actually let you do.
Individual vs Organization: Choose Carefully
The individual vs organization decision matters most for two reasons: the name displayed in the store, and the ability to add team members.
Individual accounts show your personal name on every app listing. If you're building under a brand name rather than your personal identity, an organization account is the right choice — it displays the company name, not yours.
Organization accounts require a D-U-N-S number for Apple — a business identifier that takes up to five business days to obtain if you don't already have one. Plan for this lead time. Google's organization verification is faster but still requires legal business documentation.
The key restriction: you cannot convert an individual Apple Developer account to an organization account. If you start as an individual and later want to publish under a company name, you'd need a new account — which means republishing any existing apps.
What Each Account Actually Costs
| Platform | Account Type | Annual Cost | One-Time Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Individual | $99/year | — | Renews automatically — must stay active for apps to remain live |
| Apple | Organization | $99/year | — | Requires DUNS number, legal name, phone verification |
| Google Play | Individual | — | $25 | One-time fee, never expires |
| Google Play | Organization | — | $25 | Same fee, requires business verification |
Apple's annual fee has a critical implication: if you stop renewing, your apps are removed from the App Store. They don't disappear from devices already installed — but they become undownloadable by new users. For any app with active users, the renewal is non-optional.
What You Can Do With Each Account
Both developer accounts give you access to the submission portal, app listing management, and review communication. The key differences are in team management and testing infrastructure.
Apple Developer Program: App Store submission, TestFlight beta distribution, access to restricted APIs, code signing credentials.
Google Play Console: App and game publishing, pre-launch reports, Play Store listing management, internal and external testing tracks.
Both: Crash analytics, review responses, sales and revenue reports, app update management.
The Two-Factor Authentication Setup You Shouldn't Skip
Both platforms require two-factor authentication. Set it up with an authenticator app rather than SMS — SIM-swap attacks can compromise SMS-based 2FA. Save your recovery codes somewhere secure and separate from your device.
This is one of those steps that feels like overhead until something goes wrong. A locked-out developer account is a long, uncertain recovery process. Set it up correctly once and it's never a problem.
Team Access: Don't Share Your Primary Login
Both App Store Connect and Google Play Console have built-in team management systems. If anyone else needs access — a developer, a designer, a publishing assistant — add them as a team member with appropriate role-based permissions. Don't share your primary account login.
App Store Connect roles include Admin, App Manager, Developer, and Marketing — each with different levels of access. Google Play has similar role-based controls per app. Using these systems means you can revoke access instantly, maintain an audit trail, and keep your recovery information private.
Realistic Timeline: From Account Creation to First Submission
For a first-time publisher, here's what to expect:
- Apple account approval: 24–48 hours after enrollment
- DUNS number (organization accounts): Up to 5 business days if you don't have one
- iOS code signing setup: 2–4 hours for first-timers
- Store listing and screenshots: 3–6 hours
- Compliance forms: 1–2 hours
- Review after submission: 1–3 business days
The code signing and compliance forms regularly take longer than expected for first-time publishers — not because the tasks are complex, but because the terminology is unfamiliar and the portals aren't designed for first-time users.
