News Summary

Microsoft announced during its Build 2025 conference that it will eliminate developer onboarding fees for the Microsoft Store on Windows, starting in June 2025. This move will allow individual developers to register and publish apps to the Microsoft Store for free, a change from the previous registration fee of around $19. The decision positions Microsoft as the first global digital store to waive such fees, contrasting with competitors like Apple, which charges an annual fee, and Google, which requires a one-time registration fee. Despite this change, Microsoft will continue to charge a 12% fee for games and a 15% fee for apps that use its commerce platform.