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Hey HN, here’s another company that takes a 30% cut for selling software. Let’s get the outrage rolling!

I think the argument is that if you don't like Steam's 30% cut you can still sell your game on other stores like Humble Store (25% cut), Epic (12% cut which is even more attractive if your game would be paying UE4 royalties), or by selling via your own website. On some platforms, you're locked into a single option

Precisely this. You're not locked into a platform on PC / MacOS. On consoles you are. On Apple phones you are.

It’s not locked on Android?

In Android you can sideload apks and even install e.g. F-Droid.

These alternatives are not frictionless but at least they exist.

I can side load apps and install AltStore on an iPhone.

On Android, sideloaded apps can be used indefinitely without an internet connection and there's no limit to how many sideloaded apps you can install

Or you can even self-host your binary

Steam does not have a distribution monopoly in the same way that Apple does.

I am not in the anti Apple camp on its App Store policies, but the issue is not the 30% cut, but rather the 30% cut with no other distribution alternatives and how consistent Apple is in applying the 30% policy.

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