StoreFast vs Codemagic for publishing to the Microsoft Store

What Codemagic does for the Microsoft Store

Codemagic is a full CI/CD service. It runs builds on macOS, Linux and Windows machines, and its docs cover publishing to App Store Connect, Google Play, the Microsoft Store, Huawei AppGallery and Steam, plus tester and web destinations. For Flutter, its build guide runs flutter build windows and then the msix package with --store to make the Store package.

The Microsoft Store publishing docs use Microsoft's submission API. In codemagic.yaml you add a partner_center section under publishing with four values.

publishing:
  partner_center:
    store_id: 1D4VKTPG38SA
    tenant_id: ab80a389-...
    client_id: 52da6186-...
    client_secret: $CLIENT_SECRET

A few things to know, all from Codemagic's own docs.

• Only MSIX packages are covered, and the very first version has to be submitted in Partner Center by hand.
• You create an Entra application, give it a client secret, and add it to Partner Center with the developer role. The docs suggest a long custom expiry so you don't have to recreate the secret often.
• With the Flutter workflow editor, Codemagic publishes on every build of that workflow and sends the submission into certification. You can version packages from the build number, like 1.0.$BUILD_NUMBER.0.
• The documented settings are the Store ID and the credentials, plus package identity and version in the workflow editor. Release notes, listing text, screenshots, flights and gradual rollout aren't mentioned.
• Its release notes go to email, Slack, App Store Connect, Google Play and Firebase App Distribution. The Microsoft Store isn't on that list.

What StoreFast does

StoreFast publishes MSIX updates to the Microsoft Store and doesn't run builds. You connect Partner Center by signing in with Microsoft and giving StoreFast's app the Manager role, so there's no client secret to create or renew. Then you can send an update four ways.

• Dashboard. Drop the .msix on your app's page, write What's new once in English and click Translate all to get it in every listing language, in your app's own writing style.
• GitHub Action. legendaryspy/storefast-publish@v1 uploads the package after your build step and takes the notes from your CHANGELOG.md or GitHub release. The GitHub Actions guide has the workflow.
• API. The REST API starts a release, uploads the package in parts, saves and translates the notes and submits, from any CI system or script.
• Coding agent. Claude Code, Cursor or Codex can publish through the MCP server, and it waits for your yes before it submits.

Before anything reaches Microsoft, StoreFast checks that the package name matches the app and that the version is higher than the live one. Around the update, it edits the listing's description, features, search terms and screenshots in every language, and it shows downloads, installs, ratings and reviews, with reviews translated into English.

Side by side

Build with Codemagic, publish with StoreFast

The two fit together. Codemagic builds the .msix and StoreFast takes it from there, so you keep hosted builds and still get translated notes, listing edits and stats. Put your StoreFast API key in a Codemagic environment group as a secret, and call a script after the package step. The script example in the API docs does the whole flow with curl and jq: start a release, upload the package, write the notes and submit.

workflows:
  windows-release:
    instance_type: windows_x2
    environment:
      groups:
        - storefast   # holds STOREFAST_API_KEY as a secret
    scripts:
      - name: Build Flutter Windows
        script: flutter build windows --release
      - name: Create package
        script: flutter pub run msix:create --store
      - name: Publish with StoreFast
        script: ./publish.sh   # your copy of the API docs' script
    artifacts:
      - build/store/*.msix

Leave the partner_center section out of this workflow, or Codemagic and StoreFast will both try to submit. If you'd rather approve each update yourself, have the script stop after the notes and click Submit on your dashboard. The paths assume output_path is build\store in msix_config, as in the Flutter guide, which also explains why the last part of the version has to be 0.

Who it's for

Questions

Can Codemagic publish to the Microsoft Store?

Yes. Codemagic publishes MSIX packages through Microsoft's submission API, from codemagic.yaml or the Flutter workflow editor. You give it an Entra application's tenant ID, client ID and secret, plus your app's Store ID, and the first version still has to be submitted in Partner Center.

Can I build with Codemagic and publish with StoreFast?

Yes. Let Codemagic build the .msix, then add a script step that sends it to StoreFast's API with curl. StoreFast translates What's new, submits the update and tracks certification. Leave Codemagic's partner_center publishing out of that workflow so the two don't both submit.

Does Codemagic send release notes to the Microsoft Store?

Its release notes docs list email, Slack, App Store Connect, Google Play and Firebase App Distribution as places the notes go. The Microsoft Store isn't on that list, and its Microsoft Store docs don't mention release notes or the Store listing.

Does StoreFast build my app?

No. StoreFast takes an .msix you've already built, on your own PC, a GitHub runner, Codemagic or any other CI. If you need hosted Windows or macOS build machines, that's what Codemagic is for.

What do they cost?

Codemagic's pricing page lists Windows build minutes at $0.045 a minute, and its free plan's 500 minutes a month are macOS minutes. StoreFast is from $12 a month for one app, and the API and GitHub Action come with the $24 Indie plan. StoreFast's 7-day trial needs no card.