# Apple Developer vs App Store Connect

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Apple Developer | App Store Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-developer/id640199958/reviews) | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-store-connect/id1234793120/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K | **15K** |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | **55.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#6** | #10 |
| Size | 26 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Apple Developer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-developer/id640199958)

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Free · Developer Tools, #160 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Access the latest developer news, features, and videos from Apple. Stay updated on new frameworks and technologies, and catch up on past event content.

**Highlights:** Developer news and features, Latest Apple frameworks and technologies, WWDC videos, Offline video downloads, Apple Developer Program enrollment

**Features:** iMessage stickers, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WeatherKit 1 million calls | $49.99 | per month |
| Xcode Cloud 100 Hours | $49.99 | per month |
| Apple Developer Program | $98.99 | per year |
| WeatherKit 2 million calls | $99.99 | per month |
| Xcode Cloud 250 Hours | $99.99 | per month |
| Xcode Cloud 1000 Hours | $399.99 | per month |
| WeatherKit 50 million calls | $2499.99 | per month |
| Xcode Cloud 10000 Hours | $3999.99 | per month |
| WeatherKit 100 million calls | $4999.99 | per month |
| WeatherKit 150 million calls | $7499.99 | per month |
| WeatherKit 200 million calls | $9999.99 | per month |


### App Store Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-store-connect/id1234793120)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** App status and submission management, Tester group and build management, Sales and trends monitoring, Customer ratings and reviews, Marketing asset generation, Key event notifications

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient app for managing apps
- 🚀 Quick response and easy to use
- 📢 Helpful for responding to reviews
- 🔍 Provides good overview of app performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🕰️ Delayed data and analytics
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to website
- 🔒 Login issues and frequent sign-outs

**Reported bugs**

- Reviews section crashes the app
- Trends data not updating correctly
- Login fields sometimes disabled
- Inconsistent behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Apple Developer free?

Apple Developer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is App Store Connect free?

App Store Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Apple Developer or App Store Connect?

App Store Connect is rated higher. Apple Developer averages 4.0 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while App Store Connect averages 4.7 from 15K ratings.

### Do Apple Developer or App Store Connect have ads?

Neither Apple Developer nor App Store Connect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Apple Developer or App Store Connect?

Apple Developer ships an update every 2 months, and App Store Connect every 3 months. Most recently, Apple Developer was updated on September 24, 2026 and App Store Connect on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Apple Developer or App Store Connect?

Apple Developer currently peaks at #6 in the App Store charts, and App Store Connect at #10. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*