Apple Developer Certificates
This article applies to macOS only.
See also: Multiplatform Programming Guide
This article applies to iOS only.
See also: Multiplatform Programming Guide
Overview
This is a list of the various certificates available to someone who has signed up and paid for the Apple Developer Program and which certificate to use for what. Given the number and names of the certificates it can be somewhat daunting to figure out which certificate is used for what.
Apple Development Certificate
This certificate is used to sign development versions of your iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS applications. For use in Xcode 11 or later.
Apple Distribution Certificate
This certificate is used to sign your applications for submission to the App Store or for Ad Hoc distribution. For use with Xcode 11 or later.
Mac Development Certificate
This certificate is used to sign development versions of your Mac applications.
Mac App Distribution Certificate
This certificate is used to code sign your application and configure a Distribution Provisioning Profile for submission to the Mac App Store.
Mac Installer Distribution Certificate
This certificate is used to sign your application's Installer Package for submission to the Mac App Store.
Developer ID Installer Certificate
This certificate is used to sign your application's Installer Package for distribution outside of the Mac App Store.
Developer ID Application Certificate
This certificate is used to code sign your application for distribution outside of the Mac App Store.
