How to get a Microsoft Store developer account

What does a developer account cost?

Microsoft's account setup page says that with the new onboarding experience there are no registration fees for either account type. Its page on free registration for individual developers says the $19 fee is waived in the new flow, which is available in nearly 200 markets.

The catch is where you start. Microsoft says storedeveloper.microsoft.com is the only supported entry point for the new flow, and that other paths, like going straight to Partner Center, Xbox or Visual Studio, show the legacy flow. Start there and you won't be asked to pay.

Selling is a separate question. Microsoft's getting started page says non-game apps can use their own commerce platform and keep 100% of the revenue, or use Microsoft's and pay 15% for apps and 12% for games.

Individual or company account?

Pick carefully, because Microsoft says you can't change an individual account to a company account in Partner Center. If you need one later, you open a new company account.

The Store Policies, section 10.14, make some apps company only. You need a company account if your app requires financial information for its main function, like bank or card details, account PINs, tax IDs, crypto transactions, API secret keys or recovery phrases (policy 10.8.3). You also need one if a reasonable person would read your app or publisher name as a business. Apps that remotely manage crypto mining, crypto wallets or trading platforms must also come from a company account (policy 10.2.6).

How to open an individual account

These are the steps on Microsoft's setup page.

1. 1

   Start at storedeveloper.microsoft.com

   Choose Get started for free, then Individual developer.

2. 2

   Sign in with a personal Microsoft account

   Use an existing one or create one. Individual accounts can't use a work account.

3. 3

   Verify your identity

   You take a photo of a government-issued ID and a selfie on your phone. Microsoft asks for good lighting and the original document. Your profile is then filled in from the ID, and you check it and fix anything that's wrong.

4. 4

   Go to Partner Center

   Choose Go to Partner Center dashboard and pick the same Microsoft account. If the Apps & Games page doesn't show up, Microsoft suggests waiting about five minutes and refreshing.

How to open a company account

Have these ready before you start.

• A D-U-N-S number, which Microsoft recommends because it fills in your business details automatically. Without one, you upload an official document like a certificate of incorporation, a business registration or license, a government registry record or a tax filing, and your account goes to manual review.
• A work email on your company's domain. Microsoft doesn't accept Gmail or Yahoo addresses here. If the email domain doesn't match your company, it may ask for a domain ownership record or purchase invoice.
• Support contact details, which are shown on your Store listing.

1. 1

   Start at storedeveloper.microsoft.com

   Choose Get started, then Company account.

2. 2

   Sign in

   Use a personal Microsoft account or your organization's Entra ID work account. Microsoft notes that signing in with a work account onboards your whole Entra tenant, and only the person who finishes onboarding becomes the Owner. Everyone else needs a role assigned under Account settings›User management.

3. 3

   Enter business and contact details

   Verify the business with your D-U-N-S number or documents, add your contact details and accept the agreement.

4. 4

   Wait for verification

   The Verification summary page shows mandatory due diligence, business verification and employment verification. Due diligence has to pass before the other two continue. Each step either completes automatically, usually within a minute, or goes to manual review, which Microsoft says typically takes 2 to 5 business days. You get an email when the status changes.

   If Microsoft asks for more documents, you can appeal up to three times for each verification type. Changing key details like the company name, address or email domain restarts verification.

5. 5

   Go to Partner Center

   Choose Publish to Store and sign in with the same account. Microsoft says it can take up to 30 minutes for your verification to show across Partner Center, so wait a little if you can't submit right away.

After you have an account

1. 1

   Reserve your app's name

   In Partner Center's Apps & Games, choose New product, then MSIX or PWA app, check the name and choose Reserve product name. Microsoft holds a name for three months and removes the reservation if you don't use it.

2. 2

   Make your first submission in Partner Center

   Choose Start submission and fill in Pricing and availability, Properties, Age ratings, Packages and Store listings, then Submit for certification. Microsoft says certification can take up to three business days. Our guide on how long certification takes covers each step.

3. 3

   Ship every update after that from StoreFast

   Once the app exists in Partner Center, connect StoreFast. You sign in with Microsoft, StoreFast adds an application to your Entra tenant, and you give it the Manager role. After that you drop an .msix on your app's page, write what's new in English, and StoreFast translates it into each language of your listing and submits the update. You can also publish from a coding agent, a GitHub Action or the API.

   One thing to know if you have an individual account. It's owned by a personal Microsoft account, which has no Entra tenant, so the setup has you create a free tenant in Partner Center and link it first. Company accounts that signed up with a work account already have one. For how this compares with other tools, see the best way to publish to the Microsoft Store.

Questions

How much does a Microsoft Store developer account cost?

Nothing, if you sign up through storedeveloper.microsoft.com. Microsoft says there are no registration fees for individual or company accounts in its new onboarding flow, and its page for individual developers says the $19 registration fee is waived there. Microsoft also says other paths, like starting in Partner Center, Xbox or Visual Studio, show the legacy flow, so start from storedeveloper.microsoft.com.

Should I pick an individual or a company account?

Microsoft's Store Policies say company accounts must be used for organizations, businesses and anyone acting in relation to their trade or profession. An individual account suits a hobby, school or personal project published under your own name. If you sell the app as part of your work, even as a freelancer, Microsoft points you to a company account.

Can I switch from an individual account to a company account later?

No. Microsoft says changing a developer account from Individual to Company isn't supported in Partner Center. To publish as a company, you open a new company account.

How long does verification take?

For a company account, Microsoft says each verification step either completes automatically, usually within a minute, or goes to manual review, which typically takes 2 to 5 business days. Verifying with business documents instead of a D-U-N-S number may go to manual review. For an individual account, you verify with a government ID and a selfie, and Microsoft doesn't give a review time on its signup page.

Does Microsoft take a cut of my sales?

Microsoft says non-game apps can use their own commerce platform and keep 100% of the revenue. If you use Microsoft's commerce platform, the fee is 15% for apps and 12% for games.

Do I need a code signing certificate?

Not for MSIX packages. Microsoft re-signs MSIX and AppX packages with its own certificate after they pass certification. If you submit an MSI or EXE installer instead, Microsoft says you have to sign it yourself.