Apple has overhauled its App Store rules in Europe in a last-minute bid to avoid further penalties under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), including a previously imposed €500 million (A$892 million) fine.

The changes, announced Thursday, will give developers in the European Union more freedom to promote alternative payment methods and distribute their apps beyond the App Store, which are measures Apple has long opposed.

Developers can now include links within apps to external websites and alternative app stores for purchases, without using Apple’s pre-approved language.

Apple will also allow actionable promotional links for subscriptions and digital goods both inside and outside of apps.

In return, developers must adopt new business terms that include a tiered fee structure.

This includes a 5% “Core Technology Commission” on external purchases, a 2% acquisition fee (waived for small developers) and a 5%–13% store services fee, depending on the level of App Store services used.

Despite the concessions, Apple maintains its stance that it disagrees with the EU’s actions.

The European Commission has confirmed it will review the changes for compliance and consult industry stakeholders before deciding on next steps.

Critics such as Spotify and Epic Games have slammed Apple’s changes as “malicious compliance”, arguing the new rules still burden developers with excessive fees and limit competition.

The standoff is part of a broader battle between EU regulators and Big Tech over market dominance.

Apple was previously fined €1.8 billion (A$3.2 billion) for limiting competition in music streaming and is currently under further scrutiny alongside Meta.

The latest App Store changes will be implemented gradually, with a unified fee model expected by January 2026.