<p>Google has overhauled its Play Store fee structure and opened Android to third-party app stores, following a settlement with Epic Games that ended their long-running antitrust dispute.</p>
<h2>What’s changing with fees</h2>
<p>The standard 30% commission on in-app purchases drops to 20%. Developers who qualify for Google’s new Apps Experience or Google Play Games Level Up programs get an even lower 15% rate on new installs. Recurring subscriptions fall to 10% across the board.</p>
<p>Google is also decoupling its billing system fee from the service fee. In the US, EEA, and UK, developers who use Google Play’s billing system pay an additional 5% on top of the service fee — but that billing system is now optional. Developers can use third-party payment processors or redirect users to their own websites to complete purchases instead.</p>
<p>The fee restructuring is worth examining closely: even with alternatives allowed, Google Play billing ends up being cost-competitive in most scenarios, which is probably not an accident.</p>
<h2>Third-party app stores get a real path in</h2>
<p>Google is launching a Registered App Stores program that lets vetted competing stores — including the Epic Games Store — distribute through Android with access to Google Play’s full app catalog. The idea is to reduce the friction that made sideloading alternative stores annoying and risky for most users.</p>
<p>This directly addresses one of Epic’s core complaints: that Google made it deliberately difficult to install competing stores.</p>
<h2>The Epic settlement</h2>
<p>Fortnite will return to Google Play globally as part of the deal. Epic can also operate its own Android store going forward. The settlement includes an $800 million partnership between the two companies, though details remain vague. There are also reports that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is barred from publicly criticizing Google until 2032, which is a strange clause to include in what’s being framed as a win for openness.</p>
<h2>Rollout timeline</h2>
<p>The new fee structure and billing changes go live in the US, EEA, and UK by June 30, 2026. Global rollout completes by September 2027.</p>
<h2>One thing to watch</h2>
<p>Separate from the settlement, Google has a planned 2026 requirement for all Android developers to register with Google, provide government ID, and sign their apps. That’s a potential problem for anonymous developers and anyone distributing unsigned APKs outside official channels. It hasn’t gotten much attention alongside the fee announcements, but it cuts against the “openness” framing if it goes through as described.</p>


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Google has restructured Play Store fees and opened Android to third-party app stores following a settlement with Epic Games. The standard 30% commission drops to 20%, with 15% available for qualifying developers and 10% for recurring subscriptions. Google's billing system is now optional in the US, EEA, and UK, allowing third-party payment processors. A new Registered App Stores program lets vetted competing stores, including Epic Games Store, distribute through Android with access to Google Play's full catalog. Fortnite returns to Google Play globally, and an $800 million partnership was announced. Fee changes roll out by June 2026 in key markets, with global completion by September 2027. Notably, a separate 2026 requirement for all Android developers to register with government ID could undermine the openness narrative, and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is reportedly barred from publicly criticizing Google until 2032.

Google's New Play Store Policies: Lower Commissions and Greater Developer Freedom