Microsoft announced at Build 2025 that it will eliminate the developer registration fee for the Microsoft Store on Windows. Beginning in June 2025, individual developers can create an account and publish apps at no cost—a process that previously carried a roughly $19 charge.
This change comes amid growing scrutiny of app-store fees, especially for rivals like Apple, which still enforces a $99 annual subscription despite commission-based charges, and Google, which requires a one-time $25 registration fee for Play. Microsoft will continue to apply its commerce platform fees—12% for games and 15% for apps—but developers who integrate their own payment systems will keep 100% of revenue from non-gaming apps.
