Microsoft removes the yearly fee for developers

posted by Paul.K / Sep 17, 2014, 9:29 AM

Microsoft removes the yearly fee for developers

Microsoft has apparently given a nod to developers who create apps for its mobile OS by removing the yearly fee, which one had to pay if they wished to keep their developer account and their apps in the Windows Phone store. The only fee that needs to be paid now is the one-off $19 for the account registration.

No doubt, this is an attempt to encourage more developers to flock to the platform and add to its apps, since WP's store is well behind the competition – with Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store having around 1.3 million apps each, Windows Phone store lags behind with just 300,000 offerings.

Whether this will have a positive effect remains to be seen. It will attract some developers, sure, but one might wonder what quality of work they will bring. Also – now that developer accounts and apps do not require a fee and will stay online for an indefinite period – will the un-supported apps just linger? That'd definitely be an annoyance, as it's one of Android users' main gripes with the Play Store as well.

WP/Win Store has removed the 1 year account renewal period! http://t.co/CMjNOq7ivX #WPdev, thanks to @biac pic.twitter.com/ZDnrzUsLOk
— Martin Suchan (@martinsuchan) September 17, 2014

source: Martin Suchan via WMPoweruser

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23 Comments

1. Rathish.silver

Posts: 8; Member since: Oct 07, 2011

good news

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 9:33 AM 1

3. Jinto

Posts: 436; Member since: Jan 15, 2014

Yes! Now I don't have to pay the fee!

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 9:49 AM 3

10. ManusImperceptus

Posts: 724; Member since: Jun 10, 2014

Good for you! :-)

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 12:30 PM 0

2. itsdeepak4u2000

Posts: 3718; Member since: Nov 03, 2012

Nice.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 9:35 AM 1

4. NokiaFTW

Posts: 2072; Member since: Oct 24, 2012

Good job MS!

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 9:57 AM 1

5. adecvat

Posts: 638; Member since: Nov 15, 2013

OMG, yearly fee? No one of others has this thing, lol.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 10:12 AM 0

13. Jinto

Google has $20 fee and Apple has $100 fee

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 12:44 PM 1

14. Shatter

Posts: 2036; Member since: May 29, 2013

Lies. "There is a one time $25 registration fee charged for a Google Play Developer Console account. We charge this fee to encourage higher quality products on Google Play (ie. less products with SPAM). You must be located in a supported country to distribute apps on Google Play."

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 2:21 PM 1

6. 13Elves

Posts: 93; Member since: Feb 21, 2014

Stop getting excited, I'm a registered WP dev and this lowering isnt permanent. Theyve lowered it before and it always returns to $100 after a few weeks. This $19 fee is NOT a permanent change, MSFT is too greedy for that.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 10:27 AM 1

11. ManusImperceptus

There's an empty space under your bridge... Better hurry back!

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 12:31 PM 3

17. rodneyej1

Posts: 3576; Member since: Jul 06, 2013

This is a permanent change this time... You're right. MS has lowered it temporarily in the past, but MS has stated that from now on their is one fee for life... It's permanent from now on..

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 3:59 PM 0

21. 13Elves

We'll see...

posted on Sep 18, 2014, 8:37 AM 0

7. 7thspaceman

Posts: 1597; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

hmm if Apple and Google do not charge their developers a fee to make Apps no wonder Microsoft has had a hard time getting developers to make apps for their smart phone and tablets. I now know WHY Microsoft has had a hard time with developers it's the FEE's. Microsoft was crazy to do this in the first place especially when they are newest platform to come to the market place Damn what a blunder.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 11:07 AM 1

8. sgodsell

Posts: 7191; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

That's not the only problem. You still have to register your device in order in order to use it for testing and development. Not to mention they limit the number of devices to just a few.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 11:15 AM 1

18. rodneyej1

Apple and Google do charge... Why do you think they don't.... Here. .........http://m.wpcentral.com/microsoft-confirms-new-lifetime-dev-center-fees-and-introduces-dev-center-benefits

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 4:00 PM 0

22. 13Elves

Your link says nothing about Apple or Google charging, stop spamming crap.

posted on Sep 18, 2014, 8:39 AM 0

9. cripton805

Posts: 1485; Member since: Mar 18, 2012

I remember saying this when the first Windows phones were coming out. "Lumias". It was going to hold them back to the point where they couldn't catch up. It's pretty sad that the only phone that made a difference was a mid to low end Lumia 520.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 12:07 PM 1

12. Anonn

Posts: 230; Member since: Jun 04, 2014

Stupid greedy m$. Instead of charging developers they should be Paying developers at least $100 yearly bounce for developing software for their crappy os

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 12:37 PM 2

15. Liveitup

Posts: 1798; Member since: Jan 07, 2014

Crappy OS yet everyone including your fav OS is copying it, that's cause its awesome.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 3:10 PM 2

16. sgodsell

Stop with such bull. Everyone copying WP. That's why when you look at the latest updates to WP 8.1 you see a ton of Android features. WP has been constantly playing catch up. Everyone knows this including all the tech sites. I can't believe how much you want to believe in your lies.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 3:44 PM 2

20. Venkatramanan

Posts: 327; Member since: Aug 15, 2014

Have you used any WP device? if not don't comment like this.

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 10:54 PM 0

19. GreekGeek

Posts: 1276; Member since: Mar 22, 2014

LOL no wonder but good move nontheless But it would be great if they'd COMPLETELY overhaul their phone UI and abandon the atrocious Metro thingy, being different for the sake of being different? Not a good idea to begin with.....this counts as one of the major factor on why people shun from any Windows phone

posted on Sep 17, 2014, 5:54 PM 2

23. 13Elves

The whole long-scroll homepage is ok with just a few apps but it is HORRIBLE when ur wanna place a tile in the middle of ur page then u got to maneuver every other tile back to the original space bc adding the one tile creates a black hole right in ur homepage.