In the latest Windows Developer blog post, Microsoft announced that “individual developers” will no longer have to pay any “onboarding fees” to upload their apps and games to the Microsoft Store. Previously, developers paid a one-time $19 fee to publish on the store.
As a result, small-time developers will not have to share their payment details with Microsoft, BleepingComputer reports.
“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,” Microsoft writes in the statement.
“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.”
According to Microsoft, the Microsoft Store currently has over 250 million monthly active users, and this change is meant to spur more active development of apps for the ecosystem—most notably small-time apps and utilities that could help fill out gaps on the Microsoft Store.
Individual developers still need to sign in with a personal Microsoft account and provide a selfie plus a valid government-issued ID before they can submit to the Microsoft Store. This change is now active across nearly 200 markets worldwide. All app types are welcome, including Win32, UWP, PWA, .NET MAUI, and Electron apps.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish.