iA Writer Publisher Weighs In On App Store Fees, Calls Out Apple Monopoly

 

iA Writer is a relatively successful markdown app which provides an uncluttered and powerful writing experience designed to help you focus on the task at hand. The app has been available for ten years now and, as well as gaining a whole host of awards from Apple, is much lauded by users for delivering on its promise of power and simplicity.

You would think such an app would be doing very well indeed. In the grand scheme of things that's not the case; and iA has called that out in a blog post on its site which sets out the impact of monopolies on publishers large and small.

What's most interesting is not the information in monopolies, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon; because that much is public knowledge. Instead it is how iA's business model is compromised by Apple's actions. 

Pressure to move to a subscription model which users don't like; pressure to spend money advertising in the App Store to generate interest. And unlike Epic with Fortnite, iA is not in a position where it can just abandon the App Store it has neither the leverage nor the uniqueness to fight that sort of battle.

iA sells four versions of its software - iOS, Mac, Android and Windows. Only on Windows does it sell directly to the customer. Which means every direct download results in almost 50% more retained revenue for the company. 

Why does it not offer the same option in macOS? Is it because of Apple's campaign to make non-App Store downloads unappealing to Mac owners? Is it a precursor to Apple removing the ability to install apps directly to macOS? 

In any case iA's post makes it clear that it sees the 30% cut of developer income Apple takes to be out of all proportion to the service Apple provides to those developers. It is yet another voice added to the chorus of discontent which Apple is facing over its governance of the App Store.

iA suggests that a strike led by Epic and backed by other large developers could change things more quickly than action for regulators - and it is right. But for that to happen there would need to be a large and coordinated action agreed. iA is game, Epic has already taken that action. Who else would be prepared to stake its future business on going head to head with Apple (and Google to a lesser extent)?