Microsoft is making a decisive play to draw more developers to its ecosystem. During its Build 2025 conference on Monday, the company announced it is eliminating the registration fee required to publish apps on the Microsoft Store.
The change takes effect in June 2025 and marks a significant shift in Microsoft’s approach to lowering the barrier for individual developers.
Under the current model, developers pay a one-time fee of $19 to sign up and submit their applications to the Microsoft Store. Beginning next June, that cost will be waived entirely for individual developers looking to publish Windows apps.
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“By eliminating these one-time fees, Microsoft is creating a more inclusive and accessible platform that empowers more developers to innovate, share, and thrive on the Windows ecosystem,” the company said in a press statement.
The move positions Microsoft as the only major platform among its peers to drop developer onboarding charges altogether. Apple still requires developers to pay a $99 annual fee to distribute apps through its App Store, while Google maintains a one-time $25 registration fee for the Play Store. These charges have come under increasing scrutiny, particularly as regulatory pressure mounts against Big Tech’s control over digital storefronts and app distribution policies.
Though onboarding fees are being scrapped, Microsoft emphasized that its existing revenue-sharing model will remain in place for developers using its in-app commerce platform: 15% for non-gaming apps and 12% for games. However, developers who opt to use their own payment and commerce systems will continue to retain 100% of their revenue from non-gaming apps.
The announcement also dovetails with the launch of Microsoft’s new FastTrack Program for the Microsoft Store, designed to provide support and incentives for larger app publishers. The program offers benefits such as waived registration fees, accelerated certification processing, and customized onboarding support for qualifying companies.
In a broader overhaul of the developer experience, Microsoft is also introducing enhancements to the app review and certification process. Developers will now receive detailed submission reports, including crash logs and compliance recommendations, allowing them to fix issues more quickly and resubmit with clarity. Additionally, Microsoft will begin hosting privacy policy documents for developers at no extra cost — a move intended to ease the publication burden and eliminate the need for third-party web hosting just to meet submission criteria.
These steps are part of Microsoft’s wider effort to rejuvenate the Windows app ecosystem and reinforce the Microsoft Store as a viable and attractive alternative for developers increasingly looking for less restrictive marketplaces. The changes also come at a time when developer sentiment is souring toward Apple and Google over steep fees and stringent app review processes.
With the removal of onboarding fees, Microsoft hopes to tap into a broader pool of independent developers and startups who may have been deterred by upfront costs.
By opening the doors wider, Microsoft is signaling that it wants the Microsoft Store to become more than just a marketplace — it wants it to be a platform where developers of all sizes, from bedroom coders to enterprise teams, can publish with fewer hurdles and greater control.