Microsoft Store (digital)
| A component of Windows NT | |
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Microsoft Store on Windows 10
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| Details | |
| Other names | Windows Store |
| Type | App store, online music store |
| Included with | Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Xbox One |
| Replaces | Windows Marketplace, Windows Phone Store, Xbox Video, Xbox Music, Xbox Games Store |
| Service name | Windows Store Service (WSService) |
| Description | Provides infrastructure support for Windows Store. This service is started on demand and if disabled applications bought using Windows Store will not behave correctly. |
| Support status | |
| Active / +669,000 apps | |
| Related components | |
Microsoft Store (formerly Windows Store, before October 2017) is a digital distribution platform for Microsoft Windows. It started as an app store for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 as the primary means of distributing Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. With Windows 10, however, Microsoft merged its other distribution platforms (Windows Marketplace, Windows Phone Store, Xbox Video and Xbox Music) into Microsoft Store, making it a unified distribution point for apps, digital video, digital music and e-book. According to Microsoft, as of September 28, 2015, there were over 669,000 apps available on the store, which includes apps for Windows NT, Windows Phone, and UWP apps, which work on both platforms. Categories containing the largest number of apps are "Games", "Entertainment", "Books and Reference", and "Education". The majority of the app developers have one app. Both free and paid apps can be distributed through Microsoft Store, with paid apps ranging in cost from US$0.99 to $999.99. As with other similar platforms, such as the Mac App Store and Google Play, Microsoft Store is curated and apps must be certified for compatibility and content. With all app sales, Microsoft takes 30% of the sale price. Prior to January 1, 2015, the cut was reduced to 20% after the developer's profits reached $25,000.
Microsoft previously maintained a similar digital distribution system for software known as Windows Marketplace, which allowed customers to purchase software online. The marketplace tracked product keys and licenses, allowing users to retrieve their purchases when switching computers. Windows Marketplace was discontinued in November 2008.
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