How to Sell My iOS App in 2026 (From the Founder's Side)
🧃 Straight to the Juice
- Buyers price your iOS app on net proceeds after Apple's cut, not on the gross number in App Store Connect.
- In 2026 most profitable apps sell for about 2x–5x annual profit. Renewals and organic installs push you up.
- Your 15% Small Business Program rate belongs to your account, not the app. Check how the buyer's rate changes your price.
- Apple App Transfer takes minutes, but only once subscriptions, TestFlight and Sign in with Apple are prepared.
Short answer: to sell your iOS app, get 12 months of clean numbers (net revenue after Apple's cut, profit, renewals, install sources), get a valuation, then choose who you sell to: a public marketplace for small apps, or a direct buyer for profitable ones. After due diligence and payment into escrow, you hand the app over with Apple App Transfer in App Store Connect. In 2026 most profitable apps sell for about 2x–5x annual profit. Want your number first? Read our 2026 app valuation guide.
I'm writing this from the other side of the table. At BlueThrone we buy and grow apps, more than 100 of them so far, and most of the founders we talk to are selling for the first time. This guide is the version I wish they had read before our first call. It covers what is specific to iOS. For the full process on any platform, see our main guide on how to sell my app.
What a quick exit looks like from the founder's chair, from our own channel.
The founder's view: what selling an iOS app actually feels like
The press writes about exits from the buyer's side: price, strategy, synergy. From your side, it looks different. You built the thing at night. You know every crash log. And then a stranger asks for your revenue by country, your refund rate and your subscription cohorts, and wants it by Friday.
Three things surprise almost every iOS founder we meet:
- The number buyers use is smaller than the one you look at. You see gross sales in App Store Connect. Buyers start from net proceeds after Apple's 15% or 30%, then take out what it costs to run the app without you.
- Your renewals matter more than your downloads. A chart of month-12 subscription retention moves your price more than any install spike.
- The paperwork is the easy part. Apple's App Transfer takes minutes. What takes weeks is getting your numbers, code access and accounts clean enough that a buyer can trust them.
What iOS apps sell for in 2026
Buyers price an app as annual profit (or revenue) × a multiple. The multiple is the buyer's answer to one question: how sure am I that this money keeps coming after you leave?
| App type | Typical 2026 multiple | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Owner-run apps (any model) | 2x–5x SDE (annual profit plus what you pay yourself) | Parachute Exit |
| Subscription apps, 2+ years old, good subscriber retention | 3x–5x EBITDA | RevenueCat interviews with acquirers, 2026 |
| Ad-supported apps | Lower end, often ~2x–3x net revenue | 2026 broker guides |
| Small apps listed on marketplaces | Median ~2.4x annual revenue (asking, not closing) | Public listings, Sept 2026 |
Net, not gross. Apple keeps 30% of most purchases, or 15% for developers in the App Store Small Business Program and for auto-renewable subscriptions after a subscriber's first year. Buyers value what lands in the bank.
Your 15% may not travel with the app. The Small Business Program rate belongs to the developer account, not the app. After the transfer, the app earns under the buyer's account. If that account is not in the program, new purchases can move to the standard rate, and a careful buyer prices that in. Ask about it before you agree a number.
Apple Search Ads dependence. If most of your installs come from paid ads, buyers treat the profit as rented, not owned. Organic installs from search and word of mouth get the higher multiple.
Full ranges and the six factors that move your multiple are in our app valuation guide.
Selling an iOS app, step by step
- Pull 12 months of numbers. Monthly net proceeds from App Store Connect, profit after costs, active subscribers, month-1/6/12 renewal rates, refunds, and installs by source.
- Clean the house. Code in one repository you control, every third-party account (servers, analytics, RevenueCat or your billing tool, push service) listed with who owns it, and no personal data in places it should not be.
- Get a valuation. Before anyone else sets your number. Ours is free.
- Choose who you sell to (see the table below).
- Sign a letter of intent, then due diligence. The buyer verifies revenue directly in App Store Connect, usually by screen share or read-only access, plus code and infrastructure.
- Money into escrow. Never transfer an app before the money is secured.
- App Transfer in App Store Connect, then hand over code, servers and accounts from your checklist.
Where to list your iOS app for sale
| Route | Best for | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Public app marketplace | Small apps and side projects | Listing fees and a success fee; months of messages, many buyers who never close |
| Broker | Larger apps that need a run process | A success fee on the sale price |
| Direct buyer (app holding company, studio, strategic acquirer) | Profitable apps with real revenue | No listing fee, no broker cut; you negotiate with the person who pays |
Not sure who your buyer is? Here are the 7 types of companies that buy apps.
Apple App Transfer: what has to be true first
The transfer itself is simple: your Account Holder starts it in App Store Connect and the buyer's Account Holder accepts it. The app keeps its Bundle ID, its reviews and ratings, and users keep getting updates. But Apple only allows it when the app meets the App Transfer criteria:
- Both accounts are not in a pending or changing state, and both have accepted the latest paid and free agreements.
- At least one version of the app was released on the App Store.
- The app is not on pre-order anywhere, and no version is waiting for review, in review or pending release.
- In-App Purchase product IDs do not clash with product IDs in the buyer's account.
- Apple Arcade apps cannot be transferred.
Subscriptions: generate an app-specific shared secret and give it to the buyer before you start. Without it, renewals can break on their servers.
TestFlight and Xcode Cloud: remove all beta builds, testers and Xcode Cloud data first. Apple requires it before the transfer.
Sign in with Apple: generate a transfer identifier for every user in your database, and ungroup apps if they share sign-in. Skip it and users can lose access to their accounts.
Keychain and push: after the buyer's first update, users log in once more, and the buyer needs their own push keys. Tell your buyer early so it is in their plan.
Apple Pay and Wallet: merchant IDs do not transfer, and Wallet passes need new identifiers after the move.
Back up everything. The app disappears from your account the moment the transfer completes.
Source: Apple, Overview of app transfer. Selling the Android version too? See how to sell my Android app.
Red flags buyers check first on iOS apps
- Revenue that spiked once (a feature, a viral week) and never came back.
- Renewal rates you cannot show by cohort.
- Most installs from paid ads, with cost per install rising.
- An app that has not been updated for the latest iOS and SDK requirements.
- Code, servers or accounts in someone else's name (a former partner or freelancer).
- Reviews that mention bugs or billing problems you never answered.
FAQ
How much can I sell my iOS app for?
Most profitable iOS apps sell for roughly 2x to 5x annual profit (SDE) in 2026. Subscription apps with good renewals and organic installs land at the top of that range; apps that live on paid ads or on you being online all day land at the bottom. Always ask whether an offer is based on gross or net revenue, after Apple's cut.
Where can I list my iOS app for sale?
Small apps usually go on public app marketplaces. Brokers run the process for a success fee. Profitable apps often get better terms selling directly to a buyer such as an app holding company or a strategic acquirer, with no listing fee and no broker cut.
How do I transfer my iOS app to a buyer?
With Apple's App Transfer in App Store Connect. Your Account Holder starts the transfer and the buyer's Account Holder accepts it. The app keeps its Bundle ID, reviews and ratings, and users keep getting updates. Transfer only after the money is in escrow or paid.
Can I sell an iOS app that has subscriptions?
Yes. Subscriptions keep renewing for existing users after the transfer. Apple requires an app-specific shared secret: you generate it, share it with the buyer before you start the transfer, and the buyer updates their servers and generates a new one once it is done.
Will my 15% Apple commission stay the same after the sale?
Not necessarily. The App Store Small Business Program rate is tied to the developer account, not the app. After the transfer the app earns under the buyer's account, so if the buyer's account is not in the program, new purchases can move to the standard rate. A smart buyer prices that in, so check it before you agree a number.
How long does it take to sell an iOS app?
On a marketplace it can take months, and many listings never close. With a direct buyer like BlueThrone, it is about 20 days from first call to transfer, with a valuation in 10 business days.
Ready for your number? Our free app valuation takes 10 business days. No listing fees. No broker cut.
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