Google Play is the leader among digital distribution services, thanks to 2.04 million apps and games available. The next one in line is Apple's App Store, with 1.97 million apps and games. So, if you're planning to make another app, then the choice to upload your app to Google Play and App Store seems obvious, right? Well, yes and no. There are some other app stores you might want to consider uploading your app to.
Why use an alternative app store?
It might appear that there are no pitfalls, but that assumption isn’t entirely true. For example, most of Google’s and Apple’s competitors are not trying to compete with Google Play and App Store. Rather, they offer different approaches and niches.
Further, it’s true that third-party app stores do pay for downloads and often provide more commercially beneficial app deals than Google Play and App Store. However, is using a third-party app store really worth it? Well, there is not just one right answer to this question.
In fact, our answer takes the pros and cons into account. So, what are the advantages of alternative stores? Let’s take a closer look.
Many of them provide a discounted premium version of apps or offer other money-saving offers. More often than not, there is no uploading fee, and they can promote your app by featuring it as an “app of the day” or providing advertising discounts to app owners.
Furthermore, mobile app developers have a higher chance of ranking their apps higher on alternative stores, as Google Play and the App Store are overcrowded. Testing minimum viable product (MVP) apps in a free app store presents another significant opportunity for developers, particularly in comparison to Google Play, which charges a one-time registration fee of $25, and App Store, which charges a $99 annual developer fee.
Some third-party stores focus on a smaller selection of apps that have been filtered for quality, age group, or a specific purpose. For example, if you offer a localized app for specific countries, then alternative stores might be a more profitable choice for your mobile app development strategy.
If you’re one of those people fascinated with modified versions of your favorite applications, then third-party app stores may be the perfect solution.
Last but not least, keep in mind that alternative stores offer many apps and games that have not been, and may never be, released on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
There are a lot of benefits to using a third-party app store, but what are the risks?
The most obvious risk is malware. With third-party app stores, security policies vary from one store to another. Similar safety protocols, such as those implemented by Google and Apple, are integrated into some alternative app stores, whereas others demonstrate a rather poor user experience.
Furthermore, some app stores may distribute illegal versions of third-party apps and games, and certain processes may lack transparency. Even though it can be time-consuming, we suggest carefully reading the terms and conditions of any third-party app stores you consider using.
Best alternative Android app stores
9Apps is a big, free app marketplace that features all kinds of applications — from games and social media apps to music streaming and fitness solutions. The best thing about this app store is that users can hunt for all popular Android apps with no downloading fees.
Accrescent is a relatively new secure repository of Android applications. The library is in its pre-alpha development stage, so only its lead developer can upload new apps. The platform aims to become an innovative, developer-friendly platform with a focus on modern security and privacy practices.
ACMarket was designed specifically for cracked, hacked, or modified apps. It’s one of the biggest unofficial app stores for Android, with more than 15,000 applications. As this app store is constantly under development and introducing improvements, it provides new updates frequently.
APKMirror is an application download website that lets you download and store apps as APKs, meaning you need to visit the website to download those files. Also, APKMirror provides a daily updated list of apps that align with your interests.
APKPure offers apps and paid games at discounted prices. This app store has an easy-to-use developer console that gives access to geo-restricted apps.
APKTime is an archive of the latest and most popular APK files in categories like entertainment, games, sports, and others. Similar to other libraries, APKTime allows users to bypass geo-restrictions and download APKs for free, without requiring sign-up or a Google account.
AppBrain App Market offers to acquire a premium app for free or access top-paid Android apps at significant discounts. There are a number of app promotion tools in this browser-based mobile app store. Some brands can use AppBrain to make their apps more visible in various mobile app stores.
AppSales gives access to paid apps that are currently on sale or temporarily free on Google Play. This app store lets you monitor the price history of apps and allows you to access geo-restricted content.
AppsAPK platform caters exclusively to Android fans. The marketplace offers a large collection of games, apps, wallpapers, and launchers for all Android devices. Here, users can also read up on the latest releases and look under the hood of popular apps with comprehensive tutorials.
Appvn offers free APKs for both paid and free apps. This third-party app store offers a registration-free way to download games, books, and mobile apps for Android devices. Users can also create their own stores within the platform, while developers can optimize the source code of applications.
AuroraStore, an open-source Google Play Store client, is a free Android app store alternative that allows users to download applications from Google Play without an official Google account. Just like Google Play, it is home to all types of apps, both proprietary and non-proprietary. However, AuroraStore claims to be more transparent and allows users to check the number of trackers and ads in an app before downloading it. To publish an app on AuroraStore, a developer needs to submit it to the Google Play Store.
BlackMart takes the Google Play Store experience a step further by aggregating a diverse range of applications created by third-party developers and unofficial sources. The store has the option of using the search bar to find apps or turning to a standard search by name. Registering or signing up is optional.
F-Droid is an alternative app store with a focus on free and open-source (FOSS) apps. There's a wide selection of entirely free apps and a forum for developers.
They offer no in-app purchases, no ads, no tracking, and no dependencies. F-Droid is an ideal choice for developers planning to test their MVP, as there’s no registration fee.
Fossdroid is based on the F-Droid repository and allows users to explore open-source Android applications. The site organizes over 1,200 apps by category, similar to Google Play, allowing users to find trending applications more quickly.
GetJar is one of the top alternatives, and some of the apps found on GetJar are not available on Google Play. GetJar is an independent app store with a variety of free apps to download.
With this app store, there's no upfront cost, and the requirements to get an app published are minimal. GetJar encourages developers to use their freemium model that includes advertisements and in-app purchases.
Humble Bundle is a digital store offering games, e-books, and other digital content as standalone items or in bundle deals. Although PC games account for the largest share on the platform, Humble Bundle also sells games for Android devices — from bestsellers to indie gems. A percentage of the proceeds from all store purchases goes to charity.
Malavida is an app store where users can access popular Android applications or download extensions and mods. The array of applications is impressive — from online TV to games to education. Besides Android, the platform also lists Mac and Windows software.
Mobogenie serves as a file and app download manager, enabling you to download various content types beyond apps, including wallpapers, ringtones, books, and YouTube videos. They offer some interesting features, such as their PC client, which allows you to easily transfer files between your phone, tablet, and computer.
Uptodown has no payment system and is available all over the world. They have a free mobile app store and over 3.2 million apps in APK format.
With Uptodown, you can restore the previous versions of an app at any time. This app store also provides a detailed description post explaining the functionalities of most of the apps Uptodown offers.
XDA-Developers is a volunteer platform where developers can advertise their Android apps for free, while users can try out free versions of paid applications as an incentive to buy the full app version. The portal also features free work exclusive to the platform.
Best iOS app store alternatives
AltStore is the first Apple-approved third-party app store available only to EU residents. The app marketplace comes with a free Nintendo emulator called Delta and a clipboard manager called Clip.
AppCake is a native application allowing you to install IPA files on your iOS device. The ultimate feature of the store is numerous applications with no in-app advertisements.
BuildStore allows users to enjoy over 800 applications and games. Unlike most tweak stores, BuildStore isn't free and requires a user to purchase a monthly subscription. The store compensates for paid services by offering a vast archive of hidden features and enhanced functionality, including exclusive vintage gaming emulators.
Cydia is an alternative iOS app store for jailbroken devices. Unlike other indie stores, it's neither an app nor a website. To access the store, you need to download a jailbreaking tool.
Setapp is also one of the first Apple-approved alternative app stores for iPhones in the EU. It works with a subscription model, similar to their existing Mac app store, giving users access to a curated selection of apps for a monthly fee.
SideStore is an alternative app store for iPhones that lets users download apps without needing to jailbreak their devices. Unlike some alternatives, SideStore doesn't require a computer after the initial setup. Users can browse and install apps directly on their phones with just a WiFi connection.
Sileo used to be the alternative to the third-party app store Cydia, designed to support more advanced iOS versions. Today, it works for iOS 12 and above on any 64-bit device. Users can download or purchase jailbreak applications without risking their smartphone security.
TopStore can be used via an app or a browser. Users around the world enjoy numerous tweaked apps without jailbreak and download themes via the store. The pro is that you won’t have to pay anything for the offerings.
TweakBox is a store that was created to let tweaked applications live. Some of them even offer extended functionalities. This alternative is famous not only for its accessibility and simplicity in usage but also for its security.
Xabsi is one of the leading App Store alternatives that allows users to access hacked applications, games, and jailbreak features. The platform also lists popular alternative app stores to ensure a richer selection of digital products, as well as offering system apps that enable users to customize the iOS file system. Xabsi is compatible with all iOS devices.
Best cross-platform app store alternatives
Aptoide is another great alternative app store offering 1 million apps to its over 430 million users. The company, already known for its Google Play alternative, launched the iOS version of its store in the EU in June 2025.
Epic Games Store is a leading digital game marketplace launched as an alternative to Steam on PC, featuring a curated library of popular titles and an industry-low 12% commission for developers. It has since extended its reach to mobile devices — on Android, users can install Epic games like Fortnite outside Google Play, and an iOS version works in the EU.
HipStore is an alternative store that's now available for iOS, Android, and PC. Here, users have access to free applications, themes, screen recorders, and ringtones. All the data provided for downloads is secured with SSL encryption.
Mobile9 is an alternative app store with over 240 million monthly downloads. Here, users can discover a wide range of books, comics, games, wallpapers, and other kinds of apps. Publishing an app on Mobile9 is free.
Mobilism is a great source of modded apps for all kinds of platforms, with over 300,000 applications and 600,000 e-books. The store caters to over 2 million users who can both publish and download mods, trending applications, and games for free.
Mobivention App Marketplace is a new alternative app store for iPhones in the EU. It allows businesses to distribute their apps, both public and internal employee apps, outside of the Apple App Store. Launched in March 2024, it caters to companies looking for an easier way to distribute apps with more relaxed publishing rules than Apple's App Store.
Panda Helper outperforms both Android and iOS by providing emulators, themes, and file managers that don’t exist in the two major stores. What is more, updates can be done right via the app.
Skich is a new alternative app store specifically for mobile games, incorporating social discovery features like swipe-to-match game recommendations, personal game playlists, and friend activity feeds. Initially available to iOS users in the EU, Skich now works on Android as well and aims to build a community-driven marketplace with more developer-friendly terms than the official stores.
TutuApp reaches more than 300 million users from different countries. You won’t struggle with app submission and will have access to various banking systems, as well as the cooperated SDK.
Best manufacturer-specific app store alternatives
Xiaomi GetApps is the official app store from Xiaomi, based on your interests. It employs security tools from Avast, Kingsoft, and Tencent to ensure safe and secure app downloads. GetApps can be accessed using a Redmi, Poco, or Mi smartphone.
Huawei AppGallery is an official app store for Huawei devices. According to Huawei, it's the third-largest app store in the world after Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store. It offers applications of several categories, including games, to over 600 million Huawei device users in over 170 countries.
OPPO App Store is geared toward OPPO smartphone users. This one-stop store lists a large variety of high-quality applications, games, and themes published by OPPO developers. As this is an official store, all applications integrate perfectly with OPPO devices and are checked for malware and bugs.
Samsung Galaxy Store is the official Samsung app store that comes pre-installed on all Samsung devices. Due to this, Samsung has an immediate and significant customer base.
The Galaxy Store attracts developers by offering better profits and providing multiple themes and font customization for Samsung users.
VIVO App Market is an app distribution network for VIVO developers. The platform utilizes custom algorithms to enable developers to deliver relevant applications and games to users, tailored to local customs and user characteristics. The distribution area spans South Asia and most countries in Southeast Asia, with key advantages in Indonesia.
How to choose the best app store of all?
After reading about all of these app stores, you might find yourself asking, “How am I supposed to choose from this huge list?”
The short answer is you aren’t. None of these free app markets can substitute Google Play and App Store. In most cases, they serve as an additional channel to increase downloads.
However, it is important to note that Google Play and App Store may prove insufficient for technically-advanced users whose desires vary from mainstream users. Further, the two main stores imply heavy competition. Some developers might not be ready for this type of engagement. In this case, alternative stores can propose more beneficial opportunities to promote your app.
You should also be aware of any security risks and do your research before using an app store. Make sure you set your priorities, know your target audience, and remember that filtering functions and offers from alternative stores can be useful. Take these factors into account, know your necessities and aspirations, and put your app store plan into motion!