{"slug": "azure-artifact-signing", "name": "Azure Artifact Signing", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 5, "commenters": 9, "warners": 3, "score": 1.719, "rising": -1.64, "first": "2025-11-08", "latest": "2026-07-31", "why": "Instead of hundreds or thousands for a cert it\u2019s $10/month", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 5, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 4}, "spark": [1, 3, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "Instead of hundreds or thousands for a cert it\u2019s $10/month", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Azure Trusted Signing", "Azure Artifact Signing"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 759685440, "item_id": 47480340, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47480340", "by": "vegasje", "date": "2026-03-22", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Azure Artifact Signing (used to be called Trusted Signing) that manages code signing for you", "excerpt": "This isn't well-known, so I figured I'd mention it. Microsoft offers a service called Azure Artifact Signing (used to be called Trusted Signing) that manages code signing for you: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/artifact-signing/ It's $9.99/mo, and you don't need to worry about procuring or renewing code signing certs.", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows app code signing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows native app development is a mess"}, {"id": 739190097, "item_id": 46199381, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46199381", "by": "Archit3ch", "date": "2025-12-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Azure Trusted Signing or EV certificate is the way to go on Windows", "excerpt": "Are you sure? I had not used Windows for years and assumed \"Run Anyway\" would work. Last month, I tested running an unsigned (self-signed) .MSIX on a different Windows machine. It's a 9-step process to get through the warnings: https://www.advancedinstaller.com/install-test-certificate-from-msix.html Perhaps .exe is easier, but I wouldn't subject the wider public (or even power users) to that. So yeah, Azure Trusted ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Anatomy of a macOS App"}, {"id": 738925776, "item_id": 46182861, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46182861", "by": "TobbenTM", "date": "2025-12-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Azure Trusted Signing is 100% the best choice", "excerpt": "You certainly don't need a hardware token, you can store it in any FIPS 140 Level 2+ stores. This includes stuff like Azure KeyVault and AWS KMS. Azure Trusted Signing is 100% the best choice, but if for whatever reason you cannot use it, you can still use your own cloud store and hook in the signing tools. I wrote an article on using AWS KMS earlier this year: https://moonbase.sh/articles/signing-windows-binaries-us", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows code signing", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Anatomy of a macOS App"}, {"id": 738924224, "item_id": 46182764, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46182764", "by": "dceddia", "date": "2025-12-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Instead of hundreds or thousands for a cert it\u2019s $10/month", "excerpt": "The situation on Windows got remarkably better and cheaper recently-ish with the addition of Azure code signing. Instead of hundreds or thousands for a cert it\u2019s $10/month, if you meet the requirements (I think the business must have existed for some number of years first, and some other things). If you go this route I highly recommend this article, because navigating through Azure to actually set it up is like getti", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows code signing", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Anatomy of a macOS App"}, {"id": 733685824, "item_id": 45855364, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45855364", "by": "scosman", "date": "2025-11-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Highly suggest trying Azure Trusted Signing", "excerpt": "Highly suggest trying Azure Trusted Signing on a CI system with windows boxes (I use Github). Windows signing was an expensive nightmare before, but is now relatively painless and down to $10/mo (which isn't cheap but is cheaper than the alternatives).", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows code signing in CI", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple's \"notarisation\" \u2013 blocking software freedom of developers and users"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 769341728, "item_id": 48083858, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48083858", "by": "grujicd", "date": "2026-05-10", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "installers signed with it often display SmartScreen warnings", "excerpt": "It's much more expensive on Windows side of things. DigiCert and Sectigo are now in the $700--$1000 range per year for regular OV code signing certificate. Microsoft has it's own Azure Artifact Signing which is comparable to Apple yearly cost (give or take), but since a month ago installers signed with it often display SmartScreen warnings [1]. Even though Microsoft controls both pieces! Store option is not free for ", "context": "", "use_case": "Code signing for installers", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple is increasing my cortisol levels"}, {"id": 769249232, "item_id": 48078077, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48078077", "by": "KronisLV", "date": "2026-05-09", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "unfortunately they don't actually support individual users in the EU", "excerpt": "Author here, just pushed a quick update to the article. To be fair, compared to the prices of Certum and other providers if you ever want to sign something for Windows, perhaps Apple isn't uniquely overpriced (they all seem to be that way): https://www.certum.eu/en/code-signing-certificates/ Looking more into the Windows side of things, I also found Azure Artifact Signing which is supposedly affordable at 8.54 EUR pe", "context": "Article author; individual developer in the EU", "use_case": "Code signing certificates", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple is increasing my cortisol levels"}, {"id": 766925808, "item_id": 47932863, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47932863", "by": "grujicd", "date": "2026-04-28", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "many Windows apps signed with Azure Trusted Signing (a paid service) have started showing a \"Windows protected your PC\" warning", "excerpt": "For a few weeks now, many Windows apps signed with Azure Trusted Signing (a paid service) have started showing a \"Windows protected your PC\" warning, prompting users to click \"more info\" to proceed. It started badly, with new builds affected by SmartScreen. At least the releases made a few days before worked. Then it got worse, and now it seems all installers ever signed with ATS are affected. And we switched from 3r", "context": "", "use_case": "code signing installers", "switched_from": "3rd party CA", "story": "Paying for Azure Trusted Signing, yet installers get blocked on Windows"}, {"id": 763097040, "item_id": 47693565, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47693565", "by": "VadimPR", "date": "2026-04-08", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "they refused to accept any documentation I would give them", "excerpt": "A year ago I used Azure Trusted Signing to codesign FOSS software that I distribute for Windows. It was the cheapest way to give away free software on that platform. A couple of months ago I needed to renew the certificate because it expired, and I ran into the same issue as the author here - verification failed, and they refused to accept any documentation I would give them. Very frustrating experience, especially s", "context": "distributes FOSS software for Windows", "use_case": "code signing FOSS for Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["windows code signing", "code signing for installers", "code signing certificates", "code signing installers", "code signing foss for windows", "windows app code signing"], "compared": [{"slug": "signpath", "name": "SignPath", "co": 1, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46181268", "title": "The Anatomy of a macOS App", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48075366", "title": "Apple is increasing my cortisol levels", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49127749", "title": "Show HN: GG Translator \u2013 Turn in-game flaming into friendly language", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47932862", "title": "Paying for Azure Trusted Signing, yet installers get blocked on Windows", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47690977", "title": "Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47475938", "title": "Windows native app development is a mess", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 3}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-04": {"warn": 2}, "2026-05": {"warn": 2}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 786044371, "item_id": 49127773, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49127773", "by": "mcadenhe", "date": "2026-07-31", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "caved and setup Azure Artifact Signing for $10 a month", "excerpt": "Flaming teammates usually results in them cooperating even less. But sometimes you just need to let the devil out of you. Instead of venting on your teammates and pissing them off, vent into GG Translator and it will convert your toxic message into a friendly and constructive one to share with your team. https://ggtranslator.com My background is in building web apps with Elixir and Phoenix. I made GG Translator in ea", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows code signing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: GG Translator \u2013 Turn in-game flaming into friendly language"}, {"id": 769341728, "item_id": 48083858, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48083858", "by": "grujicd", "date": "2026-05-10", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "installers signed with it often display SmartScreen warnings", "excerpt": "It's much more expensive on Windows side of things. DigiCert and Sectigo are now in the $700--$1000 range per year for regular OV code signing certificate. Microsoft has it's own Azure Artifact Signing which is comparable to Apple yearly cost (give or take), but since a month ago installers signed with it often display SmartScreen warnings [1]. Even though Microsoft controls both pieces! Store option is not free for ", "context": "", "use_case": "Code signing for installers", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple is increasing my cortisol levels"}, {"id": 769249232, "item_id": 48078077, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48078077", "by": "KronisLV", "date": "2026-05-09", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "unfortunately they don't actually support individual users in the EU", "excerpt": "Author here, just pushed a quick update to the article. To be fair, compared to the prices of Certum and other providers if you ever want to sign something for Windows, perhaps Apple isn't uniquely overpriced (they all seem to be that way): https://www.certum.eu/en/code-signing-certificates/ Looking more into the Windows side of things, I also found Azure Artifact Signing which is supposedly affordable at 8.54 EUR pe", "context": "Article author; individual developer in the EU", "use_case": "Code signing certificates", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple is increasing my cortisol levels"}, {"id": 766925808, "item_id": 47932863, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47932863", "by": "grujicd", "date": "2026-04-28", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "many Windows apps signed with Azure Trusted Signing (a paid service) have started showing a \"Windows protected your PC\" warning", "excerpt": "For a few weeks now, many Windows apps signed with Azure Trusted Signing (a paid service) have started showing a \"Windows protected your PC\" warning, prompting users to click \"more info\" to proceed. It started badly, with new builds affected by SmartScreen. At least the releases made a few days before worked. Then it got worse, and now it seems all installers ever signed with ATS are affected. And we switched from 3r", "context": "", "use_case": "code signing installers", "switched_from": "3rd party CA", "story": "Paying for Azure Trusted Signing, yet installers get blocked on Windows"}, {"id": 763097040, "item_id": 47693565, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47693565", "by": "VadimPR", "date": "2026-04-08", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "they refused to accept any documentation I would give them", "excerpt": "A year ago I used Azure Trusted Signing to codesign FOSS software that I distribute for Windows. It was the cheapest way to give away free software on that platform. A couple of months ago I needed to renew the certificate because it expired, and I ran into the same issue as the author here - verification failed, and they refused to accept any documentation I would give them. Very frustrating experience, especially s", "context": "distributes FOSS software for Windows", "use_case": "code signing FOSS for Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates"}, {"id": 759685440, "item_id": 47480340, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47480340", "by": "vegasje", "date": "2026-03-22", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Azure Artifact Signing (used to be called Trusted Signing) that manages code signing for you", "excerpt": "This isn't well-known, so I figured I'd mention it. Microsoft offers a service called Azure Artifact Signing (used to be called Trusted Signing) that manages code signing for you: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/artifact-signing/ It's $9.99/mo, and you don't need to worry about procuring or renewing code signing certs.", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows app code signing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows native app development is a mess"}, {"id": 739190097, "item_id": 46199381, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46199381", "by": "Archit3ch", "date": "2025-12-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Azure Trusted Signing or EV certificate is the way to go on Windows", "excerpt": "Are you sure? I had not used Windows for years and assumed \"Run Anyway\" would work. Last month, I tested running an unsigned (self-signed) .MSIX on a different Windows machine. It's a 9-step process to get through the warnings: https://www.advancedinstaller.com/install-test-certificate-from-msix.html Perhaps .exe is easier, but I wouldn't subject the wider public (or even power users) to that. So yeah, Azure Trusted ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Anatomy of a macOS App"}, {"id": 738925776, "item_id": 46182861, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46182861", "by": "TobbenTM", "date": "2025-12-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Azure Trusted Signing is 100% the best choice", "excerpt": "You certainly don't need a hardware token, you can store it in any FIPS 140 Level 2+ stores. This includes stuff like Azure KeyVault and AWS KMS. Azure Trusted Signing is 100% the best choice, but if for whatever reason you cannot use it, you can still use your own cloud store and hook in the signing tools. I wrote an article on using AWS KMS earlier this year: https://moonbase.sh/articles/signing-windows-binaries-us", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows code signing", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Anatomy of a macOS App"}, {"id": 738924224, "item_id": 46182764, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46182764", "by": "dceddia", "date": "2025-12-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Instead of hundreds or thousands for a cert it\u2019s $10/month", "excerpt": "The situation on Windows got remarkably better and cheaper recently-ish with the addition of Azure code signing. Instead of hundreds or thousands for a cert it\u2019s $10/month, if you meet the requirements (I think the business must have existed for some number of years first, and some other things). If you go this route I highly recommend this article, because navigating through Azure to actually set it up is like getti", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows code signing", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Anatomy of a macOS App"}, {"id": 733685824, "item_id": 45855364, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45855364", "by": "scosman", "date": "2025-11-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Highly suggest trying Azure Trusted Signing", "excerpt": "Highly suggest trying Azure Trusted Signing on a CI system with windows boxes (I use Github). Windows signing was an expensive nightmare before, but is now relatively painless and down to $10/mo (which isn't cheap but is cheaper than the alternatives).", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows code signing in CI", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple's \"notarisation\" \u2013 blocking software freedom of developers and users"}]}