Struggling with Code Signing & Notarization for macOS

[Thavarshan]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the process of distributing Comet, a video conversion app built with Electron. One of the major hurdles I'm facing is code signing and notarizing the app for macOS. As many of you might know, Apple requires apps to be signed and notarized to bypass Gatekeeper and run smoothly on macOS devices. However, the cost of obtaining a developer account is quite high, which makes this a bit challenging for me.

My goal is to provide Comet for free while ensuring it's as easy to use as possible on all platforms, including macOS. I'm exploring ways to bypass this requirement temporarily so users can still run the app without hitting security issues. If anyone has experience in distributing unsigned apps on macOS or has tips on affordable methods for code signing and notarization, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I'm committed to finding a solution that keeps Comet free and accessible, so any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help.