Apple has announced that developers in Brazil can now distribute iOS apps through alternative app stores and process payments for digital goods outside the App Store. The change follows a deal with Brazil’s competition regulator, CADE (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica), and takes effect ahead of a July 6, 2026 deadline for developers to accept updated license terms.
This is not an isolated move. Brazil joins the EU and Japan as markets where Apple has been pushed to loosen its grip on the iOS app ecosystem. In the US, a separate legal battle with Epic Games forced Apple to allow developers to point users toward external payment options. The pattern is clear: regulators around the world are chipping away at Apple’s control over how apps are distributed and how money changes hands on its platform.
For years, Apple’s App Store was the only way to get an iOS app onto a user’s device, and Apple’s payment system was the only way to charge for digital goods inside those apps. That model generated billions in revenue through its 15-30% commission structure. Now, market by market, that wall is coming down.
The Brazil agreement includes a set of guardrails Apple says are designed to keep the experience safe. Specifically:
- A notarization process for apps distributed outside the App Store
- Authorization requirements for anyone operating an alternative marketplace
- Rules to protect children from inappropriate content and scams
Apple also updated Attachment 12 of its Developer Program License Agreement to cover iOS apps in Brazil. Those apps will be subject to a 5% Core Technology Commission (CTC) fee, which applies to apps distributed through the App Store, alternative marketplaces, or directly via the web. Apple introduced the CTC in January to replace its older Core Technology Fee structure, first rolling it out as part of revised terms in the EU.
The CTC model matters because it means Apple still earns a fee even when developers go around its own store. Critics have argued this structure makes alternative distribution less financially attractive for developers, since they still owe Apple a cut regardless of where users download their app. That debate is likely to continue in Brazil just as it has in Europe.
Developers operating in Brazil need to agree to the updated license terms by July 6, 2026. Those who miss the deadline risk losing the ability to distribute apps to Brazilian users through any channel.