[rft]

Concerning code signing: Azure has a somewhat new offering that allows you to sign code for Windows (SmartScreen compatible) without having an EV cert. It is called "Trusted Signing" [1], non-marketing docs [2]. The major gotcha is that currently you need to have a company or similar entity 3 years or older to get public trust. I tried it with a company younger than 3 years and was denied. You might have a company that fits that criteria or you might get lucky.

The major upside is the pricing: currently "free" [3] during testing, later about 10 USD/month. As there doesn't seem to be a revocation mechanism based on some docs I read, signed binaries might be valid even after a canceled subscription.

[1] https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/trusted-signing

[2] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/trusted-signing/quic...

[3] You need a CC and they will likely charge you at some point. Also I had to use some kind of business Azure/MS 365 account which costs about 5 USD/month. Not sure about the exact lingo, not an Azure/MS expert. The docs in [2] was enough for me to get through the process.

[Tepix]

So $10+$5 per month versus $195 per year?

That's not a big discount.

[roblabla]

Where'd you get $195/yr? EV certs are usually around $400/yr last I checked. In that sense, $10+$5/mo is a _huge_ discount.

[bzmrgonz]

Don't you know.. microsoft doesn't believe in discounts. The evil-empire runs a taxing system envied by the IRS itself. Entire industries have gone up in arms complaining that M$ cloud price structure doesn't allow for third party margins and still they hold strong to their price structure.

[jagged-chisel]

64% is indeed a hefty discount

[jonplackett]

I have no idea of the costs but I am confused where that percentage came from. It doesn’t match anything not the parent comment.

[jrflowers]

What percentage of 195 is 70?

[evanelias]

$70 isn't correct though. The cost was originally described upthread as ($10 per month) + ($5 per month), not ($10 per year) + ($5 per month).

That said, EV certs jumped in price over the past couple years. The total cost ends up being higher than the list price -- vendors tack on a non-trivial extra fee for the USB hardware token and shipping. All-inclusive I paid like $450 a year ago, and that was after getting a small repeat-customer discount.

So yes, Azure's service is substantially cheaper than an EV cert. And it also has the flexibility of being a monthly plan, rather than an annual commitment.