# Microsoft Store

13 Hacker News commenters recommended Microsoft Store and 44 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Preinstalled on Windows, handles signing and updates for free software, and fees are reduced. Critics cite walled-garden lock-in, forced Microsoft logins and unreliable installs.

## Why people recommend it

- Lower publishing fees and one-time signing fee (3 comments): "in recent years they've relaxed it a lot (you can just publish EXEs and MSIs now, fees reduced/abolished)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48082726)) "Good thing is you don't have to use their ecommerce and pay anything per license." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48085944)) "you can only pay a one-time $100 fee there for code-signing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46193298))
- Single place to find and update apps (2 comments): "I like the idea. A single place to search for common apps, that also keep them updated." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46497488)) "leaning into winget/store is the right call" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47995266))
- Store handles code signing (2 comments): "The MS store takes care of signing, but there are other trade-offs." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46497150)) "you can only pay a one-time $100 fee there for code-signing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46193298))

## What people warn about

- Walled garden and platform lock-in (3 comments): "But it was bought on Microsoft's Store (a walled garden) on a Microsoft platform, so the ultimate responsibility towards the customer lays on Microsoft." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48838420)) "Valve regards Microsoft's flirtations with walled gardens (MS Store) as an existential threat" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45921289)) "Nintendo, Epic, Microsoft, & Sony have all failed to do well what Steam has gotten better at" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48816278))
- Restrictive approval rules and SDK limits (2 comments): "Only via some Windows Store voodoo dance with approvals, signatures and "security" that made WinRT for developers essentially a dead-on-arrival technology." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47656192)) "The Microsoft Store only supported a new half-baked SDK that limited what applications were capable of." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47956708))
- Store model poorly fits free software (2 comments): "That makes sense for a store where you buy apps with money, but not for a package manager for free software like Notepad++." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46887224)) "That makes sense for a store where you buy apps with money, but not for a package manager for free software" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46884323))
- Requires Microsoft account login (2 comments): "it really looks like you need to, are they still showing the login modal dialog that you have to close before it installs?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47552278)) "with the unfortunate consequence that you need to log in with a Microsoft account in order to get free software" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46887199))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Rebble app store](https://hackerapproved.com/p/rebble.md): 22 recommend
- [Flathub](https://hackerapproved.com/p/flathub.md): 20 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Microsoft Store", https://hackerapproved.com/p/microsoft-store/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).