Apple Developer Individual vs. Company Account: Which Should You Choose?

Picking the wrong Apple Developer account type costs time and money to fix - you cannot simply upgrade from Individual to Company. This comparison breaks down every meaningful difference so you can make the right call before buying.

1. Quick Comparison Table

Before we get into the details, here is the high-level picture:

Feature	Individual	Company / Organisation
Seller name on App Store	Your legal personal name	Your registered company name
Our price	$500	$1,600
Apple's annual fee	$99/year	$99/year
D-U-N-S number	Not required	Required (included)
Team members	1 (you)	Unlimited
Roles and permissions	Single admin	6 role types
Custom B2B apps	No	Yes
Account Holder transfer	Not possible	Transferable
Delivery time	24 to 48 hours	3 to 7 business days

2. The Individual Account, In Detail

An Individual Apple Developer account is tied to a single person's identity. Apple verifies the account holder's government-issued ID during enrolment, and the legal name on that ID becomes the permanent seller name on every app published under the account.

What this means in practice: If your name is John Smith and you publish an app called SuperCalc Pro, users on the App Store see John Smith as the seller. You cannot change this to SuperCalc LLC or any company name without switching to a Company account, which means a new enrolment.

There are real advantages to Individual accounts beyond the lower price:

• Faster setup. No D-U-N-S registration, no organisational verification call. Apple approves Individual enrolments in 24 to 48 hours when documentation is clean.
• Simpler management. One login, one set of certificates, no role-based permission complexity. Upload builds, set pricing, respond to reviews, everything through a single account.
• Lower cost to maintain. Same $99/year renewal as Company, but the initial enrolment (through us) is $500 vs. $1,600.
• Works for most solo projects. If you are building a personal app, a side project, or a portfolio piece, the seller name being your personal name is perfectly fine.

The hard limitations you should know about:

• No team access. Only one person can manage the account. You cannot invite a contractor to upload builds or a marketer to update screenshots. You share your credentials or do everything yourself.
• No Account Holder transfer. If you want to move the account to a partner or sell a business that includes an app, the Individual account stays with you. The new owner would need their own account and an app transfer.
• No Custom B2B distribution. Enterprise clients wanting to distribute apps privately through Apple Business Manager can only work with Company accounts.
• Personal name is permanent. Some developers find this uncomfortable for privacy reasons, particularly in competitive or sensitive app categories.

3. The Company Account, In Detail

A Company/Organisation account is registered under a legal business entity, an LLC, corporation, sole proprietorship, or equivalent in your country. Instead of your personal name, the App Store displays your company name as the seller, which immediately adds a layer of professional credibility.

The key capabilities that justify the higher price:

• Company branding. "Acme Software LLC" as the seller looks substantially more professional than "John A. Smith", and users notice. Conversion rates on the App Store are measurably higher for apps from branded companies.
• Team roles. Six distinct roles: Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, Developer, Marketing, and Finance. Each role has specific permissions. Your developer can upload builds without seeing revenue data. Your marketing person can update screenshots without touching code signing.
• Account Holder transfer. The Account Holder role can be reassigned to another Apple ID within the organisation. This is critical for business continuity, founders leave, companies get acquired, partners change.
• Custom B2B apps. Sell apps privately to specific organisations through Apple Business Manager. Used by enterprise software vendors, consulting firms, and companies building internal tools for clients.
• Organisational trust signals. Apple shows a "Verified" badge for Company accounts in App Store Connect, and the verified company name in the seller line adds trust for App Review as well.

The tradeoffs are clear: higher cost (£1,600 vs. £500 through us), longer delivery (3-7 business days vs. 24-48 hours), and the D-U-N-S registration process adds complexity.

4. D-U-N-S: What It Is and Why It Matters

D-U-N-S stands for Data Universal Numbering System, a unique nine-digit identifier assigned by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to every registered business entity globally. Apple requires a D-U-N-S number for every Company/Organisation enrolment.

The purpose is identity verification. Apple uses the D-U-N-S number to confirm that your company actually exists, is registered in the jurisdiction you claim, and that the enrolment applicant has authority to represent it.

Getting a D-U-N-S number is free D&B provides them at no cost. The problem is speed. A new D-U-N-S application takes 5-14 business days to process. If D&B cannot verify your business against public records (common for very new companies or businesses in certain countries), they send it for manual review which adds another 7-10 days.

Expedited D-U-N-S registration (1-5 business days) is available directly from D&B for a fee, typically £229 to £599 depending on jurisdiction.

When you buy a Company account from us, D-U-N-S registration is included in the £1,600 price. The entity already has an active D-U-N-S number verified against its business registration, and Apple has already completed the organisational verification call.

5. Team Management Deep Dive

If you plan to work with other people, developers, designers, marketers, a finance team, the Company account's role system becomes worth every extra pound.

Here is what each role can do:

• Account Holder Full access to everything. Manages the enrolment, legal agreements, and can transfer the role to another Apple ID. Only one person at a time.
• Admin Manages team members, apps, certificates, and provisioning profiles. Cannot modify enrolment or legal agreements.
• App Manager Manages individual app metadata, pricing, availability, and TestFlight builds. Cannot manage team or certificates.
• Developer Can upload builds and access development tools. Cannot modify app metadata or manage team.
• Marketing Can edit app descriptions, screenshots, and promotional content. Cannot upload builds or access development tools.
• Finance Can view and download financial reports, sales data, and manage banking information. No access to builds or metadata editing.

With an Individual account, you get none of this. If a contractor needs to upload a build, you share your Apple ID credentials, which is both a security risk and a violation of Apple's terms of service.

6. Decision Scenarios

Still unsure? Here are specific situations and the right choice for each.

You are a solo indie developer publishing your first app. Go with Individual. Lower cost, faster delivery, and the personal seller name is perfectly acceptable for a first launch. You can always get a Company account later when the business grows.

You run a small studio or agency. Company, without question. You need team roles, professional branding on the store, and the ability to transfer ownership if business structure changes.

You are building an app for a client. Company, registered under the client's business name (or your agency's). The client's users need to see a real company name, not yours.

You want to publish a privacy-sensitive app (VPN, security, anonymous messaging). Company. Users trust security apps from companies far more than from individuals. And keeping your personal name off the public App Store listing adds a layer of separation.

You are testing a concept before building a real business. Individual. Cheaper, faster, and you avoid paying for D-U-N-S registration on a project that might not go anywhere.

You plan to raise funding or sell the business. Company, absolutely. Investors expect company-registered accounts. Acquirers need Account Holder transfer capability. Starting with Individual and switching later delays your fundraise timeline.

7. Can You Switch Later?

This is one of the most common questions, and the answer is more complicated than it should be.

Individual to Company: Apple does not support in-place upgrades. You need to enrol a new Company account with a D-U-N-S number. You can then transfer your existing apps from the Individual account to the Company account using App Store Connect's app transfer feature. Both accounts must be active simultaneously during the transfer, and there is a brief period where the app is not available for sale.

Company to Individual: Not supported and not recommended. There is no reason to downgrade.

The app transfer process preserves your download history, ratings, and reviews, but there is still a gap in service. If your app has active subscribers or in-app purchases, the transfer process adds additional complexity around payment processing continuity.

Bottom line: If there is any chance you will need Company features in the next 12 months, start with Company. The £1,100 price difference is trivial compared to the disruption of migrating later.

8. FAQ

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