Creating an iOS Developer Account: Step by step guide

Enrolling as an individual

As an individual or sole proprietor/single-person business, it’s easy to enroll with Apple.

All you need to do is sign in with your Apple ID and provide basic personal information, like name and address.

Other information may be required depending on your location, but the process takes little time.

Once enrolled as an individual or single-person business, you’ll unlock many great new services that offer convenience and efficiency.

Enrolling as an organization

If you want your organization enrolled in the Apple Developer Program, We’ll show you what you need to do step by step. Firstly, you will need an Apple ID and the following three things to get started:

A. A D-U-N-S® Number:

The first step is ensuring that your organization has a D-U-N-S Number. This number allows us to verify your organization’s identity and legal entity status. With this, we will be able to proceed with enrolling your organization.

You can apply for a D-U-N-S Number online by filling out the relevant forms and answering the required questions.

B. Legal Entity name/status

Your organization must be legally registered for it to enter into contracts with Apple – no DBAs, fictitious businesses, trade names or branches will be accepted.

If your organization still needs to be legally registered, then you can take steps towards achieving this status before applying for enrollment in the Apple Developer Program.

C. Legal Binding Authority 

In order for your organization to enroll in the Apple Developer Program, you, as the person enrolling, must have the legal authority to bind your organization into legal agreements.

As such, it is important that whoever is taking on this role has been authorized by those higher up within the business.

So when should individuals or organizations choose one option over the other? 

Generally speaking, if you are a single person starting out, then opting for an individual account makes sense. It’s easier and faster than setting up an organization account.

On the other hand, if you are part of a registered business or team, then it’s best to opt for an organization account, as this will give you access to additional features and benefits that are specific to organizations, such as branding options and advanced analytics tools.