What are the two account types?
The Apple Developer Program comes in two legal shapes: Individual (sometimes called Sole Proprietor) and Organization (commonly called Corporate). Both grant you access to App Store Connect, TestFlight, push notifications, and the certificates needed to sign an app. They differ in who owns the account, what paperwork Apple requires, and what you're allowed to build with it.
An Individual account is tied to a single person. Your real name appears as the seller on the App Store. A Corporate account is tied to a registered legal entity with a verified D-U-N-S number, and your company name appears on the listing.
Key differences at a glance
- Annual fee: Individual costs $99/year. A Corporate account also costs $99/year, but getting a pre-verified Corporate account on the market runs around $650 versus $350 for a pre-verified Individual — the premium reflects the D-U-N-S paperwork, company registration, and longer approval process.
- Legal entity: Individual needs only a passport or government ID. Corporate needs a registered company, a valid D-U-N-S number, and documents proving the applicant can bind the entity legally.
- Team members: Individual accounts are single-seat. Corporate accounts support unlimited team members with granular roles (admin, developer, marketing, finance).
- App features: Certain capabilities — CarPlay, HealthKit data logging, Apple Pay merchant status, WalletPasses issuance — are either gated behind or heavily favored on Organization accounts.
- Seller name on the App Store: Individual shows the human's legal name. Corporate shows the registered company name, which reads more trustworthy to end users and to enterprise buyers.
- Approval timeline: Individual typically approves in 24–72 hours. Corporate can take 5–10 business days because Apple phone-verifies the applicant.
When an Individual account is the right call
Individual makes sense if you're a solo developer, shipping utility apps, indie games, or portfolio pieces. It's faster, cheaper, and needs no paperwork beyond your ID. If you're an affiliate marketer running small apps or testing a market before forming a company, Individual lets you move this week instead of next month.
Caveat: your real name will show as the seller. If your brand is "Acme Tools" but your account says "John Smith," users will notice, and some reviewers flag this inconsistency as "misleading." If brand trust matters, even small teams should consider upgrading.
When Corporate is worth the extra cost
Go Corporate if any of these apply:
- You are a team of two or more and need multiple people publishing under the same identity.
- You want the App Store listing to show a company name rather than a person.
- Your app needs CarPlay, HealthKit research access, or enterprise MDM features.
- You're pitching B2B or enterprise buyers who do vendor due diligence — they check the seller name.
- You plan to sell or transfer the account; Corporate accounts transfer cleanly with a company share transfer.
FAQ
Can I upgrade Individual to Corporate later?
No. Apple treats them as separate accounts. You'd need to create a new Organization account and either transfer each app individually (supported) or re-submit them fresh.
Does a Corporate account get faster review?
Not officially. In practice, well-established Corporate accounts with a clean history tend to move through review faster, especially for apps touching finance, health, or children's data.
What if I don't have a D-U-N-S number?
You can request one free from Dun & Bradstreet, but it takes 5–30 days. This is the main reason most buyers choose a pre-verified Corporate account instead of starting from scratch.
Are both account types equally protected from bans?
No. Corporate accounts survive content disputes and rejections noticeably better. They also get more room from Apple on borderline cases because of the legal entity on file.
Conclusion
If you're solo, budget-tight, and shipping a straightforward app — Individual. If you need team members, brand credibility, advanced capabilities, or plan to scale your catalog, go Corporate from day one. The $300 gap is nothing next to a month lost re-submitting apps on the wrong account.