Northwestern University maintains two Apple Developer Program memberships. Each serves a different purpose and audience. This article explains the differences and helps you determine which program — and which service request — is right for your project.
At a Glance
Service Comparison Chart: Apple Developer Program (App Store) vs. Apple Developer Enterprise Program
|
Apple Developer Program (App Store) |
Apple Developer Enterprise Program |
| Apple Documentation |
https://developer.apple.com/programs/ |
https://developer.apple.com/programs/enterprise/ |
| Primary Purpose |
Distribute apps to the general public via the App Store |
Distribute internal-use only apps to Northwestern employees |
| App Store Distribution |
Yes |
No |
| TestFlight Beta Testing |
Yes (up to 10,000 external testers) |
No |
| Enterprise (In-House) Distribution |
No |
Yes — via MDM (e.g., Jamf) or secure internal systems |
| Developer ID Signing (Mac) |
Yes — distribute Mac apps outside the Mac App Store |
No |
| Ad Hoc Distribution |
Yes (limited to 100 registered devices per device type) |
Yes |
| App Store Connect Access |
Yes |
No |
| Push Notifications (APNs) |
Yes |
Yes |
| All App Capabilities |
Full access (In-App Purchase, Sign in with Apple, CloudKit, etc.) |
Subset — no In-App Purchase or App Store specific features |
Important: Both memberships are managed centrally by Northwestern IT. Individual developers and departments do
not need to enroll in or purchase their own Apple Developer Program memberships. See the
Developer Guide for how you will receive the signing assets you need.
What Can You Do Under Each Program?
Apple Developer Program (App Store)
The Apple Developer Program enables Northwestern to:
- Publish apps on the App Store — Make iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS apps available to the general public worldwide through the App Store.
- Beta test with TestFlight — Distribute pre-release builds to internal and external testers using TestFlight.
- Sign Mac apps with Developer ID — Distribute macOS applications outside the Mac App Store, signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple.
- Access App Store Connect — Manage app metadata, pricing, availability, analytics, and user reviews via App Store Connect.
- Use the full range of Apple capabilities — Including In-App Purchase, Sign in with Apple, CloudKit, Apple Pay, push notifications, and more.
Apple Developer Enterprise Program
The Apple Developer Enterprise Program enables Northwestern to:
- Distribute proprietary, internal-use apps — Deploy apps directly to Northwestern employees through a secure internal system or Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution such as Jamf.
- Use enterprise-compatible capabilities — Including push notifications, networking, and background modes.
- Bypass App Store Review — Enterprise apps are not submitted to the App Store and do not go through Apple’s App Review process. However, Northwestern still requires an internal security and privacy review.
Apple’s restriction: The Enterprise program is
strictly for internal-use apps distributed to your organization’s employees. It must not be used to distribute apps to the general public, contractors outside your organization, or partners. Misuse can result in Apple revoking the membership. See
Apple’s eligibility requirements.
Available Service Requests
Based on the programs above, Northwestern offers three types of service requests:
| Service Request |
Program Used |
When to Use |
*Article* |
| Mac App Signing (Developer ID) |
App Store Program |
You have a macOS application that needs to be distributed outside the Mac App Store (e.g., direct download from a website) |
Request: Mac App Signing |
| App Store Publishing |
App Store Program |
You want to publish an app on the public App Store for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, or visionOS |
Request: App Store Publishing |
| Enterprise App Publishing |
Enterprise Program |
You need to distribute an internal-only app to Northwestern employees via MDM or a secure distribution system |
Request: Enterprise App Publishing |
Not sure which one you need?
What Happens After Your Request Is Approved?
Once your service request is reviewed and approved, Northwestern IT will provision the necessary signing assets (certificates, provisioning profiles, and — if requested — push notification credentials) and share them with you through a secure channel.
See the Developer Guide - Certificates, Profiles, and Code Signing in Xcode for detailed instructions on how to use these assets in your Xcode project.
Further Reading