Winsage
September 13, 2025
Microsoft has eliminated the one-time registration fee for individual developers to publish apps on the Microsoft Store, effective globally in nearly 200 markets. The developer onboarding process has been redesigned, removing the credit card requirement and streamlining verification through a personal Microsoft account, government-issued ID, and a selfie. This allows developers to transition from sign-up to app submission readiness in minutes. The fee waiver applies only to individual developers, while company accounts must still pay a registration fee. Microsoft supports various app types without code changes and allows non-game app developers to implement their own payment systems, retaining 100% of the revenue. Developers packaging their apps as MSIX receive free hosting, app signing, and automatic updates. This policy aims to make the Microsoft Store more competitive against rivals like Apple and Google.