Microsoft is getting rid of developer onboarding fees for the Microsoft Store on Windows, the digital distribution platform for its flagship operating system, the company announced Monday during its Build 2025 conference.
Starting June 2025, individual developers will be able to sign up and publish apps to the Microsoft Store without having to pay to register an account. Previously, Microsoft charged around $19 for registration.
The waiving of the Microsoft Store’s app publishing fees comes as Microsoft rival Apple faces intense legal pressure to eliminate certain developer fees it charges in the App Store. Those fees are commissions, however — Apple still levies an annual fee of $99 on developers publishing to the App Store. Meanwhile, Google charges a one-time $25 fee for Google Play, the app store on Android.
Microsoft says that it will continue to charge developers with apps on the Microsoft Store who use its commerce platform a 12% fee for games and a 15% fee for apps. Developers who use their own commerce system keep 100% of the revenue for non-gaming apps.
Kyle Wiggers is TechCrunch’s AI Editor. His writing has appeared in VentureBeat and Digital Trends, as well as a range of gadget blogs including Android Police, Android Authority, Droid-Life, and XDA-Developers. He lives in Manhattan with his partner, a music therapist.
