During its recent Build conference, Microsoft announced a significant shift in its approach to app development by eliminating fees for developers submitting applications to the Microsoft Store.
For years, Microsoft has endeavored to position the App Store for Windows 10 and 11 as the primary destination for developers seeking to publish their applications. With this latest announcement, the company revealed that starting June 2015, individual developers will no longer incur any fees to register and submit their apps for inclusion in the Microsoft Store. This move positions the Microsoft Store as the first “global digital store” to offer free app publishing, a notable contrast to competitors like Google and Apple, which charge and annually, respectively.
By removing the registration fee, Microsoft aims to lower the barriers for aspiring app developers, allowing them to reach a broader audience of Windows users. The company emphasizes that the Microsoft Store serves as an excellent platform for discovering new applications. However, it appears that corporate developers will still face charges of or , maintaining a distinction between individual and corporate submissions.
Further innovations for the Microsoft Store
In addition to the fee waiver, Microsoft is rolling out several enhancements designed to support developers more effectively. These include:
- Improved hosting for privacy policies
- Expanded help and support resources
- A policy update allowing for a “non-interactive progress bar” during Win32 app installations
Moreover, developers will gain the ability to launch promotional campaigns for their apps, alongside receiving enhanced “health reports” that provide deeper insights into app quality and performance. A particularly noteworthy update is the introduction of visibility regarding when apps were last updated, a feature that many users and developers alike have long awaited.
Microsoft has been trying to make the Microsoft Store more attractive for developers for years
Microsoft’s efforts to enhance the appeal of the Microsoft Store for developers have been ongoing for several years. Notably, the company allows developers to retain all revenue from non-game apps if they utilize their billing system, while charging a 12 percent fee for games and a 15 percent fee for apps that use Microsoft’s retail platform. Furthermore, in 2021, Microsoft broadened the scope of the store, permitting developers to submit a wide variety of applications, regardless of whether they were created as Win32 apps, progressive web apps (PWAs), universal Windows apps (UWP), or through other app frameworks.
