We Asked 3 Indie Mac Developers What It’s Really Like to Ship Outside the App Store in 2026

Apple’s latest App Store guideline changes have reignited a familiar question among Mac developers: should software live inside the App Store, or outside of it?

For many Mac utilities, the answer isn’t as simple as avoiding Apple’s commission. Some apps need deeper access to macOS than App Store rules allow. Others benefit from faster updates, more control over pricing, or a direct relationship with customers.

To understand what that reality looks like in 2026, we asked three indie Mac developers a simple question:

💬 What’s it actually like to build, market, and ship software outside the App Store today?

We heard from:

• Dudley Spence — founder of Chunk app
• Oskar Groth — creator of Sensei and founder of Cindori
• Josh Brown — CEO of Softorino

Their answers revealed a common theme: building software is no longer the hardest part. Getting people to discover it, trust it, and pay for it is.

Building the app is only half the job

For many indie developers, writing code is the easy part.

The bigger challenge is everything that comes after launch.

Dudley Spence, creator of the Mac time-blocking app Chunk, says distribution has become one of the biggest challenges of running an independent software business.

“Most developers will probably say the same thing: building the product is the fun part, but getting people to notice it is the hard part.”

As a solo developer, Dudley says shipping an app is only half the work.

“You also have to learn positioning, marketing, SEO, support, pricing, outreach, and trust-building. That is a big learning curve if your background is mainly engineering.”

That sentiment appeared repeatedly in our conversations.

The challenge isn’t necessarily creating software anymore. It’s helping potential customers discover it.

Why many Mac apps still stay outside the App Store

One assumption often made by users is that developers choose to stay outside the App Store simply because they want more revenue.

The reality is often more complicated.

For Oskar Groth, founder of Cindori and creator of Sensei app, the decision starts with the nature of the software itself.

“The main reason Sensei lives outside the Mac App Store is that the App Store sandbox does not fit the product. Sensei needs to read low-level hardware and system data, monitor things like storage health, thermals, battery, GPU, network and processes.”

Rather than reducing the app’s capabilities to fit App Store restrictions, Oskar chose direct distribution.

But he isn’t alone.

Josh Brown, CEO of Softorino, says Apple’s sandbox rules create similar limitations for several of the company’s Mac apps.

“Apple’s strict sandboxing rules prevent most of our apps from being listed there, limiting distribution and visibility despite the time we invest in design and user experience. SYC Pro and WALTR illustrate apps with clear audiences and needs, yet they are constrained by Apple’s limitations, which is why they cannot appear on the Mac App Store.”

For Oskar, direct distribution also provides operational advantages beyond technical flexibility.

“I can fix a bug and have an update out in minutes, instead of having to wait days or weeks for an App Store review.”

He also values the additional freedom that comes with self-distribution.

“I can control my own pricing and customer experience, and just generally be more in control of my own destiny when self-distributing my products.”

We previously interviewed Oskar Groth about the development of Sensei and his approach to building Mac utilities.

For Dudley Spence, creator of Chunk, economics played a larger role.

“Chunk is a small, independent Mac app with a one-time license, and Apple taking 30% felt like too large a stake in that kind of product.”

He also believes Mac users behave differently from iPhone users when it comes to downloading software.

“Users are still very comfortable downloading serious productivity software directly from a developer’s website, so the App Store felt less essential as a distribution channel.”

In our earlier conversation with Dudley Spence, he shared how Chunk evolved from a personal productivity experiment into a commercial Mac app.

The hidden work users never see

One thing all three developers agreed on is that users rarely see the amount of work required beyond building the app itself.

Oskar describes self-distribution as owning the entire operation.

“You have to learn to wear many hats.”

That means handling not only development, but also:

• Code signing
• Notarization
• Licensing
• Payments
• Hosting
• Website infrastructure
• Customer support
• Marketing
• Accounting

 “It’s very easy to get lost in one of the tracks, and forget that all of them need to get done to have a viable business.”

Josh sees a similar challenge from a business perspective.

“The biggest business hurdle for an independent software storefront is the extra effort required compared to developers who create App Store-friendly apps.”

For companies distributing software directly, visibility becomes a constant concern.

“To get users to download our software, we first must drive traffic to our website and convince them to install a third-party app, which many people initially distrust.”

We also spoke with Josh Brown about WALTR PRO, software freedom, and building products for Apple users outside the App Store. 

That often means investing heavily in content, advertising, and ongoing marketing efforts long before a customer downloads the product.

AI has changed the competitive landscape

A new challenge emerged repeatedly during our conversations: AI.

As AI-assisted development tools lower the barrier to building software, more products are reaching the market than ever before.

Oskar says the shift is impossible to ignore.

“As an indie dev, I’ve definitely been feeling the influx of new competitors, and it’s become much harder to penetrate the noise.”

He believes AI is enabling more people to build products, which is positive in many ways.

“AI has lowered the barrier to building software, which means more people can turn ideas into products.”

But that growth comes with a downside.

Users are being exposed to far more software than before, making discovery increasingly difficult.

Yet Oskar argues that the underlying problem isn’t actually new.

“Distribution has always been important.”

In hindsight, he believes many indie developers focused heavily on building while underestimating product-market fit and marketing.

“You can no longer rely on word of mouth alone.”

As a result, he says he’s spending more time on marketing than ever before.

“I’m spending more time on marketing than ever before, and I’m seeing the results follow.”

Trust is becoming a bigger challenge

The rise of AI-generated software has also changed how users evaluate independent developers.

Dudley believes being an indie developer can still be an advantage.

“For some users, ‘indie’ is a positive signal because it means there is a real person behind the product.”

But he also believes trust is becoming harder to earn.

“With the rise of vibe coding and low-effort AI-built products, users are more cautious about small software projects.”

In his view, the indie label only helps when it’s supported by execution.

“I think being indie helps only if you pair it with quality, consistency, and clear communication.”

Oskar reached a similar conclusion.

“The ‘indie’ label helps when it comes with accountability and building a community around your app.”

But he cautions that the label can work against developers if it creates the impression of being less professional or less reliable.

 “The label only helps if it is backed by polished releases, responsive support, and a long track record.”

Is software still the moat?

The strongest takeaway from our conversations may be Oskar’s answer to the AI question.

“Software alone was never a moat, and distribution is simply more important than ever.”

At first glance, that sounds like a bleak assessment for developers.

But Oskar doesn’t believe great software has become irrelevant.

Far from it.

“Building something people genuinely want to use, and figuring out the best user experience, remain skills that can distinguish you from the competition.”

Long-term support also matters.

“Maintaining a product over time, supporting customers, and continuously improving it can make the difference between a viral one-week hit and a sustainable business.”

In other words, AI may make building software easier, but it doesn’t automatically create products people trust, recommend, or continue using.

The bigger picture

Apple’s App Store changes have put renewed attention on software distribution, but the developers we spoke with suggest the real story is bigger than any single policy update.

The barriers to building software are falling. The barriers to earning attention are rising.

Whether an app ships through Apple’s App Store or directly from a developer’s website, success increasingly depends on three things:

• Building something people genuinely want
• Earning user trust
• Finding a sustainable way to reach the right audience

In 2026, indie Mac development is no longer just a technical challenge. It’s a distribution challenge, a trust challenge, and a long-term business challenge all at once.

And according to the developers we interviewed, those challenges are only becoming more important.

Explore the apps behind the developers

• Sensei review: The minimalist yet powerful macOS performance software
• WALTR PRO review: A magic ‘drop’ toolbox for iPhone and iPad transfer
• Chunk review: This menu-bar time-blocker gets out of your way
• SYC PRO review: The app downloads YouTube video directly into iPhone, iPad (& Android)

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