Microsoft has announced the winners of its annual Microsoft Store Awards, highlighting apps that pushed the Windows ecosystem forward in creativity, productivity and innovation throughout the year. The awards celebrate not just technical polish, but how well each app improves everyday experiences for users and developers alike. From AI assistants to education tools and music apps, this year’s list shows how diverse and ambitious the Windows app community has become.
SurveyMicrosoft says each winning app will receive a special Store Award Winner badge on the storefront, marking its impact across the platform.
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ChatGPT and Perplexity win big at Microsoft Store Awards 2025
This year’s AI Assistants category ended in a tie, signalling how quickly AI-powered apps are evolving on Windows. Perplexity won for its research-first design, offering multimodal search, deep desktop integration and guided discovery tools. Its enterprise controls and accessibility enhancements helped it stand out.
ChatGPT for Windows also secured the top spot, thanks to features tailored for the OS, including an Alt + Space instant-answer window, image and file uploads and strong enterprise privacy settings. Together, the two apps highlight how essential AI has become in daily workflows.
In the automation-focused Computer-Using Agents category, Manus by Manus AI took the win. Manus operates inside a secure sandbox and can execute complex, multi-step tasks like running code, controlling headless browsers and managing files. Its “Manus’s Computer” interface lets users watch and guide tasks in real time, making automation more transparent and interactive than ever.
Tools boosting productivity and business workflows
Notion for Windows won the productivity category for transforming scattered notes and tasks into a unified workspace. Its templates automate workflows, convert meeting notes into action items and sync project statuses across teams. Native Windows features such as taskbar pinning and offline access make it even more efficient.
In the business category, Moon Invoice’s Invoice Maker & Estimate Creator earned the award for helping freelancers and small businesses automate finance tasks. The app offers customizable templates, instant sharing through WhatsApp or email and real-time tracking of payments and expenses. Secure storage and multi-gateway payment support add to its appeal.
Creativity, music and education shine
For creativity, n-Track Studio won for turning Windows devices into full-featured recording setups. Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, VST plugin support and AI-enhanced tools make it ideal for both beginners and professionals.
Students and educators were represented through Scratch 3, which won the education category. Its visual coding interface helps learners understand logic by building stories, games and robotics projects. Hardware extensions and a smooth offline editor ensure it works well across classrooms.
In the music category, Moises Live claimed the award for its real-time audio separation technology, enabling users to isolate vocals, instruments or dialogue from any system audio. With features like Karaoke mode, latency-free mixing and NPU acceleration on Copilot+ PCs, it is a standout for creators and enthusiasts.
Games and developer tools round out the winners
Castle Craft won the gaming category, offering time-travel exploration, resource merging and colourful kingdom-building gameplay optimised for Windows devices. Family-friendly design and adaptive controls make it accessible across age groups.
Developers were recognised through ngrok for Windows, which won for providing secure tunneling, remote access and deep integration with Windows Defender. Automatic updates and background service support make it a reliable tool for modern development teams.
Microsoft says it looks forward to another year of innovation as the Store ecosystem continues to expand.
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Divyanshi Sharma
Divyanshi Sharma is a media and communications professional with over 8 years of experience in the industry. With a strong background in tech journalism, she has covered everything from the latest gadgets to gaming trends and brings a sharp editorial lens to every story. She holds a master’s diploma in mass communication and a bachelor’s degree in English literature. Her love for writing and gaming began early—often skipping classes to try out the latest titles—which naturally evolved into a career at the intersection of technology and storytelling. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her exploring virtual worlds on her console or PC, or testing out a new laptop she managed to get her hands on. View Full Profile
