It's not technically necessary to have an Apple Developer Program account to develop iOS or Mac applications. However, you will need to have one if you intend to release your app to the App Store. Additionally, you won't be able to test your application on your own personal mobile devices without an active account, specifically an iOS Developer Program account. This may seem unfair at first, but keep in mind that an active account enables you to create a provisioning profile for your application. A provisioning profile is a certificate that lets your device know that your application comes from a trusted source and is permissible to execute. We will discuss provisioning profiles in more detail later in this chapter.
As stated, the iOS Developer Program account lets you deploy applications to your iOS devices for testing and to the App Store for sale once the application has passed Apple's QA process. Apple also offers the Mac Developer Program to develop Mac applications. Again, you can develop Mac apps using Xamarin Studio without holding a Mac Developer Program account. The difference is that you can test your application on your physical machine without holding an active account. You will only need an active Mac Developer Program account if you intend to release your app to the App Store.
Each of the developer program accounts carries an annual subscription cost of $99, whether you are an individual developer or a business entity with multiple developers. Under both programs, Apple will also collect 30 percent of every App Store sale. The iOS Developer Program also has an Enterprise class for businesses planning to develop apps exclusively for in-house purposes. This subscription costs $299 per year, presumably because these apps will not produce any revenue for Apple through sales in the App Store.
Tip
Why don't I just jailbreak my device?
While I've heard rumors that it is possible to jailbreak your mobile device to enable deployment testing without having an active iOS Developer Program account, what would be the point?
The security you are removing is there to protect your equipment. More importantly, you will still need to get an account at some point before you can distribute your application to paying customers. Without an account, you won't even be able to easily distribute your application to testers or a contract customer using TestFlight. In my opinion, $99 a year is a small price to pay to maintain your integrity and professional reputation.
The steps required to subscribe to either the iOS or the Mac Developer Programs are the same. Also, the only difference between subscribing as an individual versus a business entity is that a business will require a free D&B D-U-N-S Number. D-U-N-S Numbers are a unique nine-digit identifier for businesses issued by Dun & Bradstreet. This identifier has become the standard to track businesses worldwide. Many businesses, including most of the Fortune 500 companies, require a D-U-N-S Number when you are applying to do business with them as a supplier, contractor, or consultant. If your business does not currently have a D-U-N-S Number, you will have an opportunity to obtain one prior to creating your developer program account.
Note
Be aware that the process of obtaining a D-U-N-S Number is not automated, and it may take several business days to finalize once you have completed and submitted the brief application.
Let's walk through the process of subscribing to an iOS Developer Program account now.
Note
If you do not intend to develop iOS applications, you may skip this walkthrough for now and come back to it whenever you're ready.
Perform the following steps to subscribe to an iOS Developer Program account:
Open your browser and go to https://developer.apple.com/programs/.
Click on the iOS Developer Program section.
Click the Enroll Now button.
Click the Continue button.
You will have the option to enroll with your current Apple ID or create a new ID for this purpose. For this demonstration, we will assume you are using your current ID. Click the Continue button next to your current ID.
Decide whether you are enrolling as an Individual or as a Company and click the appropriate button.
For whichever plan you choose, fill out the required information and click the Continue button.
Choose the programs you wish to subscribe to and click the Continue button.
Review your information and click the Continue button.
Review any terms and conditions presented. If you agree to the terms check the boxes and click the I Agree button.
Review your shopping cart and click the Buy Now button.
Activate your new account.