Google Play vs App Store: what it really takes to publish a driver app

By Eli Foltyn · Updated November 5, 2026

Short answer

Google Play is $25 one time. A new personal account must run a closed test with 12 testers for 14 days before it can publish. A business account skips that but needs a D-U-N-S number. The App Store is $99 a year with a stricter review that rejects apps that are just a website. Both want extra explanation for background location.

I have been through both stores with a rideshare app that flopped and then a driver app that did not. Here is the honest comparison.

Side by side

Cost

Google Play: $25 one time
App Store: $99 a year

Before your first release

Google Play: Personal account: 12 testers for 14 days. Business account: D-U-N-S number
App Store: Business account: D-U-N-S number

Review feel

Google Play: Relaxed about what you build, strict about paperwork
App Store: Strict about what you build

"Just a website in an app"

Google Play: Usually allowed
App Store: Often rejected

Background location

Google Play: Declaration form plus a short video
App Store: Clear reason for "Always" location, checked by a person

Also required

Google Play: Privacy policy, account deletion page, recent Android target version
App Store: Privacy policy, account deletion inside the app

	Google Play	App Store
Cost	$25 one time	$99 a year
Before your first release	Personal account: 12 testers for 14 days. Business account: D-U-N-S number	Business account: D-U-N-S number
Review feel	Relaxed about what you build, strict about paperwork	Strict about what you build
"Just a website in an app"	Usually allowed	Often rejected
Background location	Declaration form plus a short video	Clear reason for "Always" location, checked by a person
Also required	Privacy policy, account deletion page, recent Android target version	Privacy policy, account deletion inside the app

Google Play

Personal developer accounts created since late 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days in a row before production. Finding 12 real testers is the slow part.
Background location needs a declaration in the Play Console: what the feature is, why it needs background access, and a short video of it working.
You need a web page where users can ask to delete their account, not just a button in the app.
Google requires apps to target a recent Android version. Old projects have to be updated before they can be published.

App Store

Apple rejects apps that only show a website. Your app needs something a website cannot do. Background location for drivers counts, if you explain it.
The "Always" location prompt needs a plain reason, like "Keeps sharing your location with your customer while the phone is locked."
If the app has accounts, people must be able to delete their account inside the app.
Reviews are usually quick, but a rejection means fixing it and waiting again.

What I would do again

Build the web version first. Most of the product works without any store.
Make the app do one thing a website cannot. For drivers, that is background location.
Write the privacy policy and the delete-account page before you submit, not after the rejection.
Record the background location video on a real phone, showing the exact feature.

Take Fleet's driver app is on both stores now, and it exists only for background location. If you need a driver app for tracking and do not want to go through this, it is free.

Try Take Fleet free →

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to put an app on Google Play and the App Store?+

Google Play is a one-time $25 registration. The Apple Developer Program is $99 a year.

What is the Google Play 12 tester requirement?+

New personal developer accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before they can publish to production. Business accounts skip it but need a D-U-N-S number.

Will Apple reject an app that is a website wrapper?+

Often, yes. Apple wants apps to do more than a website can. Real background location for drivers is one way to clear that bar.