Code Signing Desktop App for Mac (without App Store)

I about to finalize an application I have been developing in the last months and now am calculating how much I have to spend in licenses, etc.

The Windows Code Signing is straight forward and not expensive since I already have a Class 2 SSL with code signing support, but I would like to distribute the app for Mac too (appStore is optional) and I’ve been told that these Mac apps also need to get signed.

From what I have found here in Xojo Forum, there is a tool to do that: AppWrapper

They have a $30 option for 1-Year and I was wondering if I could get some feedback from you on whether or not I still need to obtain/buy any 3rd party certificates/tools/plugins in order to code sign the Xojo’s MAC built application.

Anyone? :slight_smile: Thanks

Join the Mac Developer program and you get Code-Signing certificates for distribution inside and outside of MAS.
https://developer.apple.com/programs/

And yes, let AppWrapper do the finishing of your app for you, saves you a lot of time.

@Oliver Osswald so I need to pay them $99 to get a certificate valid for 1-Year, and then use that certificate with AppWrapper, is that correct ?

Yes. It compares with $89 for a one year Comodo code signing certificate for Windows.

That is correct, App Wrapper doesn’t include any code certificates, Apple control the flow of the approved code signing certificates. App Wrapper is just an application that you can use to code sign your application and it’s contents.

I can’t speak for code signing on Windows, but Apple don’t make the process easy and they like to regularly change the process :frowning:

I actually got caught with code signing changes between two MAS submissions - The first was rejected for a reference to iTunes that didn’t follow the rules, 2 weeks later, the new submission was rejected because it didn’t meet the code signing requirements from the week between the 2 submissions …

App Wrapper Mini, an the App Wrapper 2.5 were the best investment I ever made in development tools. It spared me of the nightmarish process described by Apple in its guide to app submission, and allowed me to concentrate on the most important : make my apps better.

Microsoft is cool with the code signing process. The KSign utility offered by KSoftware with the Comodo certificates has not changed in years. Well. Cool as long as one does not want to list his Desktop app in the Windows Store. Then, it is mandatory to purchase a $499 a year Authenticode by Verisign/Symantec and jump through hoops with these rather unpleasant monopolistic people. Then you got to sell the software on your own site…

Apple is much cooler when it comes to the App Store signing certificate. $99 is a bargain compared to ripoff Verisign.

@Michel Bujardet I agree with you 100%! Thanks