App stores should be more competitive, says Microsoft

Microsoft on Thursday said it would give developers more control in its app store, providing a sharp contrast to Apple, which is facing growing pressure for its firm grip on its App Store.

Microsoft on Thursday said that it was adopting 10 “principles” for its app store, the Microsoft Store, that customers can use to install programs on Windows 10, the computer operating system. The guidelines include giving developers the ability to sell different services on their apps and their websites, and to allow users and developers to access third-party app stores.

The announcement was not a major change in policy for Microsoft, whose app store is more open than Apple’s. But it added a powerful voice to a raging debate about how the large tech companies should manage their app stores, where they act as powerful gatekeepers between developers and consumers.