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Apple has completely redesigned the appearance of the Mac App Store this year, presenting its first "editorial" recommendations and an iOS-inspired interface for its macOS software showcase. MacPaw, a developer of CleanMyMac, however suggests to developers not to be impressed by the App Store because of a series of well-established issues that have not been solved and from Apple which "slowly loses its developers to the big unknown" – other distribution options – Therefore.
The MacPaw survey is in its third year and, with 814 responses, has a fairly large number of developers. The company found a slight drop in the number of exclusive developers of the Mac App Store, which went from 23 to 22%, as well as a similar slight increase among developers distributing it to the outside of the store, 32 against 30%. He also noted a 3% increase in revenue from sales outside the Mac App Store.
The real issues, however, appear in developer responses to questions about Mac App Store satisfaction. Forty percent of developers using MAS are "detractors", with 37% "passive" and 22% "promoters", figures that only look good compared to even worse results the year before. In three years of survey, the number of store promoters has peaked at 23%, which means that three out of four developers participating in the store are not enthusiastic about it.
Not surprisingly, Apple's numbers are even worse among developers who do not sell through the Mac App Store. In 2018, 84% of this group are detractors, against 9% of liabilities and 7% of promoters. These figures are slightly improved compared to the results of previous years, but the conclusion is quite clear: most participating developers do not like the store and those who do not participate seem to hate it.
In digging into the answers to the surveys, the main problems encountered by developers are those that have been identified several times over the years: inability to offer trial or price upgrades, as well as a lack of 39; analyzes. Long application reviews and sandboxing rules have also been a problem for some developers. Although the first has seen a clear improvement in 2018, 33% of MAS developers still consider "faster approval" as a desired improvement, and 65% of non-MAS developers cite the approval process as a reason to stay out.
Developers seem to be less concerned about the 30% reduction in Apple's revenue. The number of unsatisfied developers is 49%, down 20% from a year ago. In addition, 63% of developers say they make more money at Apple than in stores other than Apple. Fifty-eight percent of developers who do not already manufacture non-Apple software would not even consider doing so.
The MacPaw survey also includes details about its alternative App App in the Mac App Store, but the report is transparent about developer satisfaction and dissatisfaction with both solutions. It also details the positive and negative experiences of developers when switching to subscription models, as well as their preparation for the next Apple / MacOS development initiative from Marzipan – 60% of Mac developers say they are not ready yet. The full survey deserves to be seen and is available here.
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