Individual accounts: Suitable for individuals and sole proprietors, with the individual’s legal name appearing as the App Store seller.
Organization accounts: Require an eligible legal entity, a D-U-N-S Number in most cases, legal authority, a company-domain email, and a functional website.
Future flexibility: An individual membership can later be transferred to an organization membership if Apple’s requirements are met.
Apple gives two main paths for the Apple Developer Program: an individual account or an organization account. An individual path suits a person, sole proprietor, or single-person business.
An organization path suits a legally formed company, partnership, nonprofit, joint venture, or other accepted legal entity. Apple lists the legal entity name as the seller for an organization account, while an individual account uses the individual’s membership name.
An individual account does not need a D-U-N-S Number. Apple also accepts sole proprietors and single-person businesses under this path. The person must meet the legal age of majority in the relevant jurisdiction.
Apple’s current agreement states that the legal age means at least 18 in many countries or regions. Apple checks identity details and may request a government-issued photo ID.
The key App Store difference comes from the seller name. Apple uses the individual’s legal name for the membership and seller name. A brand name, trade name, DBA, or similar business label cannot replace that legal name. A separate company name on a website does not change the seller name.
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An organization account requires a legal entity that can enter contracts with Apple. Apple does not accept DBAs, fictitious businesses, trade names, or branches. The legal entity name appears as the seller for apps distributed through the App Store.
Apple asks for a D-U-N-S Number for most organization accounts. Dun & Bradstreet assigns this unique nine-digit business identifier. Apple uses the number to verify the organization’s identity and legal entity status.
Government organizations do not need a D-U-N-S Number. Apple says the number comes free in most jurisdictions. After a request, Dun & Bradstreet may take up to five business days to issue the number. Apple may then need up to two more business days to receive the updated record.
The person who submits an organization enrollment must have legal authority to bind the organization to Apple’s agreements. Apple accepts an owner, founder, executive team member, senior project lead, or employee with proper legal authority.
A work email must use the organization’s domain. The organization also needs a public, functional website with a domain linked to the organization.
Apple can request extra business records, and some regions may require notarized copies. Identity checks can include the D-U-N-S record and a legal-authority check. If the Account Holder does not own or found the organization, Apple may ask for a reference who can confirm legal authority to bind the company to Apple’s agreements.
The standard Apple Developer Program costs USD 99 per year for both individual and organization memberships. Apple also offers the Apple Developer Enterprise Program at USD 299 per year for eligible organizations that need private internal app distribution through a secure system or Mobile Device Management solution.
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Apple allows an individual membership to move to an organization membership through a request. The requester must serve as a founder or cofounder of the organization and provide details such as the organization’s D-U-N-S Number.
Apple issued a major update to its EU business terms on August 18, 2026. The new terms take effect October 1, 2026. The changes cover commission rates, alternative payments, alternative app marketplaces, and web distribution in the European Union.
Apple says the Core Technology Fee will give way to a Core Technology Commission, set at 5% on digital transactions for apps distributed outside the App Store, while the Initial Acquisition Fee and Store Services Fee will end.
The central account choice rests on one legal question: whose name should stand behind the App Store seller identity? A person or sole proprietor can use an individual membership and accept a personal legal name as the seller.
A formal legal entity can use an organization membership and place its legal company name on the App Store. D-U-N-S data, legal authority, a company-domain email, and a functional company website support Apple’s verification process.
1. Can I use a business or brand name with an individual Apple Developer account?
No. Apple uses the individual’s legal name as the seller name; a DBA, trade name, or brand name does not replace it.
2. Does an individual Apple Developer account require a D-U-N-S Number?
No. D-U-N-S verification is generally required for organization memberships, not individual memberships.
3. What does Apple require for an organization account?
You generally need an eligible legal entity, D-U-N-S Number, authorized representative, organization-domain email address, and a functional public website.
4. Does an organization account cost more than an individual account?
No. The standard Apple Developer Program membership costs USD 99 per year for both individual and organization memberships.
5. Can I change from an individual account to an organization account later?
Yes. Apple allows eligible individual members to request conversion to an organization membership, subject to requirements such as founder/cofounder status and organization details.