Apple Developer vs App Store Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Apple Developer
Access the latest developer news, features, and videos from Apple. Stay updated on new frameworks and technologies, and catch up on past event content.
- Developer news and features
- Latest Apple frameworks and technologies
- WWDC videos
- Offline video downloads
- Apple Developer Program enrollment
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Welcome to Apple Developer, your source for developer news, features, and videos — and the best place to experience WWDC. • Keep up to date on the latest Apple frameworks and technologies. • Browse news, features, developer stories, and more. • Catch up on videos from past events and download them to watch offline. • Enroll in the Apple Developer Program in supported locales.
App Store Connect
Manage your apps and submissions directly from your iPhone or iPad. Monitor sales, respond to reviews, manage testers, and generate marketing assets on the go. Receive important notifications about your app's performance and status.
- App status and submission management
- Tester group and build management
- Sales and trends monitoring
- Customer ratings and reviews
- Marketing asset generation
- Key event notifications
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Manage your apps on the go with the App Store Connect app for iPhone and iPad. • View the status of your apps and manage App Store submissions. • Manage tester groups, add new builds and testers, view screenshot and crash feedback. • View key sales and trends information to monitor app performance. • View and respond to your latest customer ratings and reviews. • Generate marketing assets to promote your apps’ biggest moments, such as getting featured in select placements on the App Store, or when you’re submitting a new app launch or new version. • Receive notifications about key events, such as app status changes, new customer reviews, tester feedback, and featuring in select placements on the App Store.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: App Store Connect at 4.7 against Apple Developer's 4.0. App Store Connect also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and review sentiment (55% vs 35%). Apple Developer's advantage is device support (5 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Apple Developer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month. App Store Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.
App Store Connect holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: App Store Connect has 15K ratings behind it against 2.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of Apple Developer's written reviews are positive against 55% of App Store Connect's.
Apple Developer ships an update every 2 months, App Store Connect every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Apple Developer | App Store Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (2.2K ratings) | 4.7 (15K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | 55.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K | 15K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #6 — better | #10 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Apple | Apple |
Customer experience
Apple Developer
App Store Connect
Bugs and requests
Apple Developer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
App Store Connect
Reported bugs
4 issues- Reviews section crashes the app
- Trends data not updating correctly
- Login fields sometimes disabled
- Inconsistent behavior across devices
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for TestFlight management
- Improve trends and analytics features
- Allow custom date ranges for data
- Provide more detailed app metrics
- Add translations for reviews
In-app purchases
Apple Developer
- WeatherKit 1 million calls$49.991 Month
- Xcode Cloud 100 Hours$49.991 Month
- Apple Developer Program$98.991 Year
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- WeatherKit 2 million calls$99.991 Month
- Xcode Cloud 250 Hours$99.991 Month
- Xcode Cloud 1000 Hours$399.991 Month
- WeatherKit 50 million calls$2499.991 Month
- Xcode Cloud 10000 Hours$3999.991 Month
- WeatherKit 100 million calls$4999.991 Month
- WeatherKit 150 million calls$7499.991 Month
- WeatherKit 200 million calls$9999.991 Month
App Store Connect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Apple Developer free?
Is App Store Connect free?
Which has better reviews, Apple Developer or App Store Connect?
Do Apple Developer or App Store Connect have ads?
Which is updated more often, Apple Developer or App Store Connect?
Which is more popular, Apple Developer or App Store Connect?
Other comparisons
