The two account types
Both cost a US$25 one-time registration fee. The difference is what Google asks for before you can publish.
- Organization account: needs a D-U-N-S number for your company. Your company name appears as the developer.
- Personal account: no D-U-N-S number, but new personal accounts have a testing rule before production.
The closed-testing rule for new personal accounts
“Personal accounts created after November 13, 2023, must run a closed test… minimum of 12 testers who have been opted in continuously for at least 14 days.”
Play Console Help
After the test you apply for production access, which Google reviews. Google's page describes this rule for personal accounts. It doesn't say it applies to organization accounts.
One account per store
Google's guidance for app builders recommends that each client has its own developer account:
“Google strongly advises using the decentralized account management model, as policy issues with one app can negatively impact all other apps within the same account.”
Play Console Help, white-label developers
Which to choose
If your business is a registered company, use an organization account. You need the D-U-N-S number for iOS anyway, and you avoid the closed test.
If you're a sole proprietor, a personal account is the only option, and iOS isn't possible until you incorporate. Plan for the closed test: at least 12 testers, opted in for 14 days in a row, then Google's review.
Sources
All checked on 2026-09-25. Apple and Google change these pages, so check them before you rely on a number.