Now, Apple is demanding that Patreon add an in-app purchase system for iOS apps. By November, all Patreon memberships on iOS must be put on subscription-based status. As this change is forcing creators to alter the form in which they offer their content and the manner of collection, the App Store does not support the per-creation plans. So, by November 2025, the transition of Patreon will finally be completed.
Now, Patreon is embarking on a 16-month migration to move all memberships to subscriptions. This move reflects how lots of control comes from Apple for transactions handled by apps. Apple will now take a 30 percent commission on all subscription sales on iOS starting in November. This has already been the policy for in-app purchases on Patreon since early 2024.
Patreon has developed a pricing tool for housekeeping of the after-effects on the creators. It allows setting higher prices for the iOS App while maintaining other rates the same. Another feature can disable it if one prefers a consistent price across all platforms. The flexibility tries to reduce the financial blow of Apple’s new policy.
The move to subscription-only plans will change how creators relate to their patrons. This will also further underline Apple’s deep control over digital commerce on iOS. Creators will have to bend over backward to hold on to their revenues and quality of service.
Fundamentally, this means that Patreon will be compelled to shift to subscription-based plans on iOS, hence a change that will affect both creators and users, further drawing pictures of the tight control by Apple over the business models based on apps and transaction fees.
