Apple has agreed to let Brazilian developers distribute iOS apps through alternative app marketplaces and accept third-party payments for digital goods under a June 18, 2026 deal with Brazil’s competition regulator, CADE Apple Newsroom. The changes arrive with iOS 26.5 and require Apple Developer Program members to accept an updated license agreement by July 6, 2026 Apple Developer Support Apple Newsroom.
What developers can do differently in Brazil
Under the CADE agreement, Brazilian developers have three distribution and payment paths Apple Newsroom.
App Store stays available — standard developers pay a maximum 21% commission on digital-goods transactions. Developers in the Small Business Program, Video Partner Program, Mini Apps Partner Program, or with annual subscriptions past the first year pay 10%. An additional 5% fee applies when using Apple In-App Purchase Apple Newsroom.
Alternative app marketplaces are allowed if Apple authorizes them and they meet ongoing requirements Apple Newsroom. Apps distributed outside the App Store bypass full App Review, so users lose Apple’s standard privacy, security, and child-safety protections.
Alternative payment processing is allowed inside App Store apps and via web links. Apple will not issue refunds for those transactions, and users lose some fraud protections. Developers pay a 15% store-services commission on web-linked digital-goods transactions, reduced to 10% for eligible participants Apple Newsroom.
Apple also introduced a 5% Core Technology Commission on digital goods and services sold outside the App Store, including paid apps. That replaces the older Core Technology Fee and covers Apple-provided tools and infrastructure Apple Developer Support.
New safeguards Apple added for users
Because alternative distribution and payments create new risks, Apple added Notarization for all iOS apps distributed outside the App Store Apple Newsroom. Notarization combines automated checks with human review and is intended to catch malware and basic abuse, but it is less comprehensive than full App Review Apple Newsroom.
Apple also kept targeted child protections: Kids category App Store apps cannot include web transaction links; users under 18 must use a parental gate for alternative payments; and Apple is building a new API so parents can monitor and approve purchases made outside Apple In-App Purchase Apple Newsroom.
Apple Brazil Alternative App Stores CADE: What this means for Brazil
Brazil becomes the latest major market where Apple had to share App Store control. Similar moves already happened in the EU, Japan, and South Korea, and Apple signaled additional pressure in the UK and Australia Apple Newsroom. The commission reductions and new distribution options will likely accelerate local developer experimentation, especially among smaller studios that previously faced the full 30% App Store fee Apple Developer Support.
Bottom line
Apple’s CADE-driven Brazil update opens alternative app marketplaces and third-party payment paths on iOS 26.5, reduces some commissions to 10–21%, adds a 5% Core Technology Commission for external distribution, and layers Notarization plus parental controls for under-18 users Apple Newsroom Apple Developer Support. Developers should review the updated Apple Developer Program License Agreement before the July 6 deadline.
Sources:
* Apple Newsroom — Apple announces changes to iOS in Brazil
* Apple Developer Support — App distribution in Brazil
