Sanlo Launches Webshop Tool to Help Devs Bypass App Store Fees

Gaming fintech startup Sanlo is tackling the financial strain of high platform commissions with the launch of a new webshop tool. Now in closed beta, the solution provides mobile game studios with a direct-to-consumer monetization channel that functions independently of traditional app store ecosystems.

For many small-to-mid-sized developers, the standard 30% revenue cut enforced by Apple and Google has become a significant barrier to profitability. By shifting transactions to an external web-based store, companies can reduce these costs significantly, with fees typically dropping to a range of 4% to 10%.

According to Sanlo, the financial impact is substantial: developers utilizing the new webshop infrastructure can see their revenue increase by up to 25%.

Strategic Revenue Management

“A webshop is one of those super tactical steps that actually proved to show that you can implement revenue from,” said Olya Caliujnaia, co-founder and CEO of Sanlo. She noted that these platforms often attract the most loyal segments of a game’s player base, who are drawn to exclusive offers and specialized bundles.

The platform provides a suite of tools designed to help developers manage their own digital storefronts without requiring massive internal overhead:

• Marketing and Attribution: Tools to track Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and manage in-game prompts to drive traffic to the webshop.
• Data Access: Detailed visibility into player profiles and purchase habits for targeted promotions.
• Flexible Pricing: Freedom to set price points without the caps often found in store environments.
• Financial Velocity: Earnings are settled and deposited into developer accounts on a weekly basis.

Industry Adoption

Fusebox Games, the studio behind titles based on the “Love Island” IP, is already among the companies testing the solution. Terry Lee, COO of Fusebox, highlighted the ease of integration as a primary factor in their decision. “We are a small company without the internal resources to cover all the bases when it comes to supporting a whole new technical capability,” Lee explained.

While the webshop model is growing—with major titles like Clash of Clans and Marvel Strike Force already utilizing similar strategies—developers still face the hurdle of Apple and Google’s restrictions on advertising these shops within mobile apps. Sanlo aims to mitigate this through its integrated marketing and re-engagement tools, such as automated email campaigns for returning users.

Sanlo, founded in 2020 by Caliujnaia and CTO William Liu, has secured $13.5 million in total funding to date. The startup plans a general release of the webshop tool to all developers later this summer. Interested parties can sign up for a demo starting today.