Move over, Apple: Meet the alternative app stores available in the EU and elsewhere

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People successful the European Union are present allowed to entree alternate app stores acknowledgment to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a regularisation designed to foster accrued competition successful the app ecosystem. Like Apple’s App Store, alternate app marketplaces connected let for casual entree to a wider satellite of apps connected Apple devices, but alternatively of the apps going done Apple’s App Review process, the apps connected these third-party marketplaces person to spell done a notarization process to guarantee they conscionable immoderate “baseline level integrity standards,” Apple says — similar being malware-free. However, each store tin reappraisal and o.k. apps according to its ain policies. The stores are besides liable for immoderate matters relating to enactment and refunds, not Apple.

To tally an alternate app marketplace, developers indispensable judge Apple’s alternate concern presumption for DMA-compliant apps successful the EU. This includes paying a caller Core Technology Fee of €0.50 for each archetypal yearly instal of their marketplace app, adjacent earlier the threshold of 1 cardinal installs is met, which is the barroom for different EU apps distributed nether Apple’s DMA concern terms.

Despite the analyzable caller rules, a fistful of developers person taken vantage of the accidental to administer their apps extracurricular of Apple’s walls.

Beyond the EU, different markets are experimenting with alternate app stores, arsenic well, similar Japan. In December 2025, Apple announced its compliance with the Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), which gives developers caller options to administer apps and process payments extracurricular of Apple’s App Store.

This enactment besides requires developers to accept caller concern terms, similar a reduced 10% to 21% App Store commission, a outgo processing interest for Apple in-app purchases of 5%, a halfway exertion interest of 5%, and a 15% store services committee connected web income made done a nexus successful the app.

Below is simply a database of the alternate app stores iPhone users successful these markets tin effort today.

AltStore PAL (EU)

Co-created by developer Riley Testut, shaper of the Nintendo crippled emulator app Delta, the AltStore PAL is an officially approved alternate app marketplace successful the EU. The open source app store volition let autarkic developers to administer their apps alongside the apps from AltStore’s makers, Delta, and a clipboard manager, called Clip.

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Unlike Apple’s App Store, AltStore apps are self-hosted by the developer. To work, developers download an alternate organisation packet (ADP) and upload it to their server, past make a “source” that users volition adhd to the AltStore to entree their apps. That means the lone apps you’ll spot successful the AltStore are those you’ve added yourselves.

Some popular apps that users are adding see the virtual instrumentality app UTM, which lets you tally Windows and different bundle connected iOS oregon iPad; OldOS, a re-creation of iOS 4 that’s built successful SwiftUI; Kotoba, the iOS dictionary disposable arsenic a stand-alone app; torrenting app iTorrent; qBittorrent distant lawsuit for iOS devices called qBitControl; and societal find level PeopleDrop.

Setapp Mobile (EU – closed Feb. 2026)

MacPaw’s Setapp became 1 of the first companies to hold to Apple’s caller DMA concern terms to acceptable up an alternate app store for EU users. Unfortunately, this app store didn’t past agelong — the institution announced it would sunset the Setapp Mobile service connected February 16, 2026. (Applications connected Setapp Desktop weren’t affected.) The institution cited Apple’s “still-evolving” and analyzable concern presumption arsenic the crushed for its decision.

The institution had agelong offered a subscription-based work featuring a enactment of curated apps for customers connected iOS and Mac. Following the implementation of the DMA, it released the alternate app store for Setapp Mobile for iOS users lone successful the EU. Similar to its different subscription offerings, the now-shuttered app store had included dozens of apps nether a azygous recurring subscription price, and the fig of apps grew implicit time. The apps were escaped from in-app purchases oregon ads and are mostly considered precocious quality. However, it didn’t see big-name apps similar Facebook, Uber, Netflix, and others.

Epic Games Store (EU)

Fortnite shaper Epic Games launched its alternate iOS app store successful the EU successful August 2024, allowing users to download games, including its ain Fortnite and others similar Rocket League Sideswipe and Fall Guys, with much to come. The institution said it’s besides bringing its games to different alternate app stores, including AltStore PAL, which it’s present supporting via a grant, arsenic good arsenic Aptoide’s iOS store successful the EU and ONE Store connected Android.

The determination to motorboat Fortnite successful alternate iOS marketplaces comes much than 4 years aft Apple removed the crippled from its App Store implicit argumentation violations, up of Epic’s ineligible situation to the alleged App Store monopoly. While U.S. courts decided that Apple was not engaged successful antitrust behavior, the suit did pave the mode for developers to nexus to their ain websites for a reduced commission.

Aptoide (EU)

An alternate crippled store for iPhone, Lisbon-based Aptoide is an unfastened root solution for app distribution. The company, already known for its Google Play alternative, says it scans the apps to guarantee they are harmless to download and install.

The iOS mentation of the Aptoide store launched arsenic an invite-only beta successful June 2024 earlier becoming disposable to each crossed the EU. As a free-to-use store, Aptoide doesn’t complaint its users to screen its Core Technology Fee paid to Apple, but takes a 10% to 20% committee connected in-app purchases connected iOS, depending connected whether they were generated by the marketplace oregon not.

Across each platforms, including Android, web, car, and TV, Aptoide offers 1 cardinal apps to its much than 430 cardinal users.

Mobivention marketplace (EU)

A B2B-focused app store, the Mobivention marketplace allows EU companies to administer their interior apps that are utilized by employees, but can’t — oregon shouldn’t — beryllium published successful Apple’s App Store. The institution besides offers the improvement of a customized app marketplace for companies that privation to connection employees their ain app store conscionable for their firm apps. Larger companies tin adjacent licence Mobivention’s exertion to much profoundly customize the app marketplace to their ain needs.

Skich (EU)

Last March, Skich announced the motorboat of an alternate app store for EU users, which differentiates itself by offering a Tinder-like interface for app discovery. That is, users swipe close to “match” with apps they mightiness enjoy. They tin besides make playlists and spot what apps their friends are playing. The caller store volition regenerate Skich’s existing app and volition spot the institution taking a 15% committee connected each purchases. Instead of filling its app store with apps close away, the store marketed to developers astatine the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

Onside (EU and Japan)

Onside is an alternate iOS app store disposable successful some the EU and, now, Japan, arsenic of February 17, 2026, acknowledgment to the caller regulations. The institution promises it volition complaint developers little rates portion inactive offering security, including keeping outgo accusation private. The store presently supports slope paper payments and Apple Pay and volition aboriginal rotation retired enactment for different outgo methods similar iDeal, Klarna, and more.

For consumers, Onside touts a scope of apical apps and exclusives that can’t beryllium recovered connected different marketplaces wrong a acquainted interface that includes accepted app store features, similar editorial collections, ratings and reviews, and automatic updates.

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