Microsoft announced that, starting today, individual Windows developers will no longer have to pay for publishing their applications on the Microsoft Store.
The company said that developers can now submit Win32 (including .NET WPF and WinForms), UWP, PWA, .NET MAUI, or Electron apps to the Microsoft Store without paying any registration fees.
Redmond will also handle each app’s hosting and signing, eliminating the need for developers to pay for these services.
“Package your app as an MSIX and we’ll host your binary on our infrastructure and pay for the distribution — no need to set up your own CDN,” the company added. “We’ll also sign your app for free to boost trust and security, and Windows delivers updates automatically, so your users always have the latest version without any extra work.”
Developers of non-gaming applications for Windows can also implement their own in-app payment system to retain all of the revenue.
To get started, developers have to sign in with their personal Microsoft account and follow the new guided onboarding user interface. However, before publishing their apps, developers must also verify their identity by scanning a valid government-issued ID and taking a selfie.
“Developers will no longer need a credit card to get started, removing a key point of friction that has affected many creators around the world,” said Chetna Das, a senior product manager at Microsoft. “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.”
Microsoft introduced a redesigned store following the release of Windows 11 in June 2021, featuring a modern design and support for publishing applications built with Win32, .NET, UWP, Xamarin, Electron, React Native, Java, and Progressive Web Apps.
The company’s digital distribution platform (formerly known as the Windows Store) has over 250 million monthly active users, according to Redmond.
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