Apple adds streaming-style subscription bundles to App Store

For the first time, Apple is opening up its App Store to allow developers from different companies to collaborate on subscription bundles, giving users access to multiple apps for a single, lower price than subscribing to each individually. The announcement, made at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, expands the existing App Bundles feature, which previously only let a single developer sell several of their own apps together.

Now, Apple says developers can team up with each other to offer users “more for less.” Rather than bundling apps solely from their own catalog, they can form partnerships to create packages that cost less than the sum of individual subscriptions. This approach mirrors a strategy that has become common in streaming and media, where companies like HBO and Disney combine their offerings to increase perceived value and improve customer retention.

The new bundles could be especially useful for developers whose customer bases overlap but who aren’t direct competitors. For example, a creativity-focused bundle might include a camera app, photo and video editing tools, and an app for publishing content across social media platforms. Similarly, productivity app developers could partner with others to fill gaps in their own products, allowing users to purchase a bundle that includes one developer’s to-do list alongside another’s calendar app.

Apple also announced that developers will be able to create “Suites,” which are subscription packages that are not available as standalone purchases. This gives developers another tool to encourage users to commit to a broader set of services at a discounted rate.