According to The Verge, Apple announced on Thursday a new program that slashes commission rates for mini app developers from the standard 30 percent down to just 15 percent. The company describes mini apps as “self-contained experiences” built using HTML5 and JavaScript that exist within larger applications. This format has become particularly popular in China through Tencent-owned WeChat, which offers built-in services for ride-hailing, food delivery, and payments. The announcement comes just hours after Apple reached an agreement with Tencent allowing the same 15 percent commission on WeChat mini app purchases. This move occurs while Apple faces a Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit accusing the company of stifling super apps that offer multiple services within a single platform.
The real motivation here
Let’s be honest – this isn’t purely about helping developers. Apple‘s facing serious heat from regulators, particularly the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit that specifically calls out their treatment of super apps. By cutting fees for mini apps right after making a deal with Tencent, they’re basically trying to show they’re playing nice. It’s a strategic move that costs them some revenue but potentially saves them billions in legal battles and regulatory headaches down the line. Smart? Probably. Altruistic? Not so much.
Winners and losers in this shift
The immediate winners here are platforms like WeChat, Telegram, and Discord that already host mini apps – they just got a huge financial break. But here’s the thing: this could actually encourage more apps to become “super app” platforms. If Apple’s taking half the cut, suddenly building an ecosystem of mini services within your main app becomes way more attractive. We’re already seeing TikTok experimenting with mini apps, and this move might accelerate that trend across social media.
What this means for developers
For developers working on mini apps, this is genuinely good news. Keeping an extra 15 percent of revenue could make the difference between a sustainable business and one that’s struggling. Apple’s framing this as helping “developers who host mini apps grow their business,” and for once, that might actually be true. The mini apps partner program details how developers can apply, though we’ll have to see how restrictive the requirements turn out to be. Because let’s face it – Apple doesn’t typically give away money without some strings attached.
Where this could lead
This feels like a significant shift in Apple’s walled garden approach. They’re acknowledging that the web-based app model deserves different treatment than native iOS apps. Could this open the door for similar concessions elsewhere? Maybe. The timing suggests they’re feeling the pressure from multiple fronts – the EU’s Digital Markets Act, ongoing lawsuits, and increasing global scrutiny. One thing’s for sure: when Apple starts cutting its famous 30 percent commission, something big is happening behind the scenes. This might just be the beginning of more fundamental changes to how Apple runs its App Store empire.
