Expanding Your App’s Reach: The Best Alternative App Stores for Your Next Release

The Apple store on the app store and Google Play Store may have global recognition, but they aren’t the only app stores with the best free apps. For any app owner looking to launch their app, the Apple-Google hegemony forces them to pit their app against 2.1 million Android apps and 1.8 million iOS apps.

‘But, what’s the solution?’, you may ask. That’s why we’ve curated a list of the best app stores for iOS and Android apps where app owners can launch their apps.

Why go for an Alternative App Store?

We’d be lying if we said, every app store for iOS devices alternative can offer as profitable of a revenue share model as Google Play Store or the App Store. But third party app stores do pay for downloads and often have more lucrative app deals than the two popular app stores. 

Advantages of choosing an alternative to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store:

• Besides rarely charging an app listing fee, the alternative app store for iOS devices and Android devices can promote your app better by featuring it as an app of the day or offering advertising discounts to app owners. 
• Android app store alternatives can offer apps the coveted spot in the recommended apps list, which doesn’t make it to Google Play’s top ten charts.
• Apple Store on the app store alternatives is more profitable than Google and Apple app stores if app owners are offering localized apps that target specific countries.

Having explained the potential opportunities and benefits of third-party app stores in this list of Apple stores on the app store, we’ll take you through the best alternatives for iOS app stores, Android app stores, Chinese app stores, and many more different app stores. 

Best Apple App Store Alternatives

Apple may have fooled you that its Apple app store download is a one-stop destination for iOS apps, but iOS app owners have more options than they might think. These alternative iOS app stores not only charge lesser app store submission fees but also invest more in advertising your app than the Apple app store. Download third-party app stores iPhone no jailbreak mentioned below.

1. GetJar: iOS alternative app store

Founded in 2004 by Ilja Laurs, GetJar is an alternative App Store for iPhone and an independent app store created by app developers for app developers as an app beta testing platform. The Apple app store download alternative has over 0.85M apps available on the platform and bags investor backing from Accel Partners and Tiger Global Management.

To know more about this one of the top third party app stores alternative HERE

2. Appland: Among best app stores for iOS

Appland is the perfect alternate iOS app store if you’re trying to target end-users in international markets including Indonesia, Mexico, Oman, USA, Iran, El Salvador, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Panama, Myanmar, Cambodia, Egypt, etc.

Appland alternate iOS app store lags a little with conceptual clarity in terms of distribution and revenue model but the app store support is extremely responsive, making it worthy of your consideration.  

To know more about this App Store iOS alternative click HERE

3. Builds.io: Alternate iOS app store

Traditional app stores don’t let you play Pokemon & Mario on your iPhone? Not anymore. You can now relive your childhood experiences on your smartphone with the help of this third party app store! Launched in 2013, BuildStore, a third party app store is the first and best alternate iPhone app store that brings tweaked versions of your favorite games and apps to any iOS device (iPhone or iPad). The alternate iOS app store will provide you with many such apps which do not exist on the official Apple App Store.

Top Features of Builds.io – An Apple app store download Alternative:

• A safe and trustworthy iOS app store with more than 15k active daily users.
• No extra tools or specific skills are required.
• More than 300 apps with ~10 new ones added every month.
• Seamless account restoring and 24/7 online customer support.

To know more about this one of the best 3rd party apps iOS alternatives click HERE

4. TutuApp: iOS alternative app store

Who says App Stores can’t be an app? The alternative App Store for iPhone TutuApp boasts over 300+ million users and multiple language support. The third party best app stores iOS alternative includes the cooperated SDK, an easy app submission process, and support for different payment methods in this third party app stores iOS.

Looks interesting, right? Well, you can always check out our short guide on how you can install TutuApp on your device. 

To know more about this 3rd party app store click HERE

5. AppValley: best iOS app store alternative

Just like TutuApp, we have AppValley, one of the top third party app stores iOS, next on our list of best App stores alternatives. This one of the top third party app stores iOS provides its users with one of the largest selections of free content along with modified and unofficial content for iOS devices like iPhones and iPad. You can also go ahead and explore what else AppValley, one of the top 3rd party apps iOS, has to offer to its users. No AppValley alternative can offer a range of 3rd party apps iOS and games as this app store. From famous 3rd party apps iOS to newly released, the range of published apps is huge on this TweakBox alternative.

To know more about this one of the best options in the list of app stores for Android click HERE

Best Android App Store Alternatives

Google Play store alone hosts millions of apps, which means app owners submitting an app on the Play Store have to compete with hundreds and thousands of competitor mobile apps released on an annual basis. Even then, not all Android apps are approved upon their first app submission. 

But since Google follows the approach of an open app marketplace, Android app owners can use the policy to their benefit by submitting their app to the next best alternatives of Android app stores, as mentioned in the list below. 

1. Amazon App Store: Best app stores for Android

Everyone reeling from the industry buzz knows of Amazon’s e-commerce disruptions, including the latest expansion of its famous Cashierless AmazonGo stores. But what most (including app owners) forget is that this e-commerce giant also has an App Store that’s just as good as Google Play Store. 

Released on March 22, 2011, the TutuApp alternative offers plenty of free and paid apps and exclusive gaming apps with a clean and easy-to-navigate interface. In fact, Amazon, the top Android store alternative, even offers its own currency system to buy games and in-app purchases, making it a perfect alternative to the Google Play Store. 

To know more about this best Play Store alternative click HERE

2. SlideMe: An alternative to Playstore

SlideMe, a US-based Google Store alternative, first made its debut in the year 2008 as a marketplace catering to different types of audience preferences. As SlideMe rightly puts it, ‘one app store alone can’t reach everyone and everywhere with the apps they want.’

It quickly rose to fame as the 2nd best app store alternative to the Google Play Store. The free app stores for android also makes app security a priority as all applications on SlideME are scanned for viruses and exploits, including the Master-Key exploit before they are reviewed and approved by their editors.

To top it all, SlideMe, the top Play Store alternative app, has a robust community of app developers and advisors that help developers with code snippets, bug fixes, etc., and app owners with how to target, price, and sell their applications. 

To know more about this top name in the list of app stores click HERE

3. 1Mobile: Free app stores for Android

Besides hosting a free marketplace of multiple mobile games, web apps, and even videos, 1Mobile makes app search for end users extremely simple. Meanwhile, developers can test out betas and free versions of paid apps on this top app store.

Once they meet the security criteria, they can publish their apps. Unlike other Play Stores, app owners need not worry about app promotions, 1Mobile has a built-in recommendation system that helps apps attract an audience as soon as they hit the marketplace. 

To know more about this one of the best alternative App Stores click HERE

4. Aptoide: Google Store Alternate

Aptoide is one of those best Alternative App Stores that hosts 4-star and 5-star rated apps. Being an independent and open-source platform, Aptoide, an alternative to Play Store, allows its users to discover a variety of Android apps with categories such as Local Top Downloads, Aptoide recommends, utility-based apps with separate categories such as Candy Day, Emoji Day, etc.

This makes it easier for end-users to search for category-based apps and the alternative Android app store also offers app owners a more customized recommendation platform. 

To know more about this free app stores for Android click HERE

5. AppBrain: Play Store alternative app

Founded in the year 2009 by Mathijs Vogelzang in collaboration with a Zürich-based company called AppTornado, AppBrain is one of the most reliable Android app store alternatives for app owners. The best alternative Play Store has over 100 million monthly active users and 2 million daily installs. Its end-user demographic sprawls across 236 countries with over 70,000+ apps in their SDK. 

The Google Play Store alternative adopts a very transparent app promotion model, offering Cost per install (CPI) pricing, non-incentivized user traffic, fraud detection algorithms, limits per app promotion campaign and per day, and user targeting by increasing or decreasing your CPI bid for maximum conversion. 

Apart from this, app users of this best alternative to the Google Play Store are also offered the option to use various filters to find the specific apps they are looking for.  

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

Best Chinese App Store Alternatives

Ever since Google Play Store was banned in China, Chinese tech giants Tencent and Xiaomi, came up with their own Chinese app stores. This led to the rise of a third big app marketplace that caters to the world’s biggest population and fastest-growing economy.

For app owners, this presents a whole new audience that’s yet untapped. The list below includes some of the best alternatives to the Google Play Store in China that app owners can utilize.   

1. MI App Store: Play Store alternative for China

MI is quite a popular brand in the Android smartphone market. The phone manufacturer also has a dedicated app store where users in China and across the world can find top apps. The app store is in Chinese language and includes many top titles, especially from the gaming segment. You can find games like Naruto, After Tomorrow, Genshin, etc or you can find apps like TikTok, UC Browser, and many more.

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

2. Baidu: Google Play alternative for China

Baidu is China’s primary and the world’s second-largest search engine right after Google. And just like Google, Baidu also has an app store along with various app development tools. One such great tool includes advertising the available apps in search engine results. The company has also launched an English version to draw English-speaking app users. 

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

3. 360 Market: Play Store alternative for China

360 Market has over 270 million mobile users, 455 million desktop users, 600 APK app files, and more than 30 billion app downloads. And if that wasn’t enough, the alternative Android app store has its own development program that offers anti-piracy protection to its developers. This way 360 Market isn’t just offering a huge app user audience to app owners/developers but also a robust firewall against app piracy. 

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

4. Oppo Software Store: Android store alternative for China

The Oppo Software Store, designed and developed by BBK Electronics, offers both mobile hardware as well as software to its users. The Chinese app store even has a dedicated OPPO Game Center that offers secure game downloads and massive game benefits.

The basic mobile app submission procedure in the Oppo app store signifies the submission process done via Software Copyright Certification.

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

5. Sogou App Store: Android store alternative for China

For Android users in China and even in other countries, Sogou is an amazing alternative for Android apps. The app store alternative offers apps from several categories including games, reading apps, video editors, etc. Whether you want to install Douyin, Mango TV, Ctrip, or AliPay, Sogou has all of them and plenty more titles for you to explore. These apps are divided into several categories such as dating, photography, gaming, weather, financial, etc. 

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

Best Cross-Platform App Stores

A cross-platform alternative app store is a wholesome app ecosystem where app users can find applications for various operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows, Symbian, etc.

Considering that app stores for Windows and Amazon cover a significant portion of the market (400,000 and 340,000 mobile apps), this list of alternative app stores can help app owners tap on that unexplored user base.  

1. Uptodown: Play Store alternative for Cross-platform

Uptodown is one of the most reliable app stores out there that maintains the quality of apps it publishes on the platform. The app store provides apps for Windows, MacOS, and Android smartphones. You can find popular music apps, games, browsers, and plenty of other apps from several categories for your preferred devices. The app store is very simple to use and ensures that all apps published on the platform are free from any security threats or viruses. 

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

 2. Itch.io: Play Store alternative for Cross-platform

If you are looking for an app store that is specifically dedicated to publishing apps, Itch.io is the perfect app store for you. The store publishes a range of games for different platforms such as Linux, macOS, and even HTML5 games. There are paid games and free games included in the store. So, whether you are looking forward to short games for some quick fun or long games that keep you entertained for hours, explore itch.io without thinking twice.

To know more about this alternative app store click HERE

Which App Store is Best Among All?

If you’re developing regional apps, country-specific app stores such as Airtel Sri Lanka, TIM Store (Italy), Turkcell T-Market (Turkey), MTN Play (South Africa), T-Store (South Korea), etc. go a long way in harnessing an organic user base.

 

It’s no surprise that Apple App Store and Google Play Store are the most popular in the world but developers and app owners can often benefit more (especially in the case of regional solutions) by also considering alternate app stores. Exploring other app stores also gives you lucrative options for app promotion and building a wider audience.

 

Speaking of options, a great way to promote your app is to get a leading mobile app review platform to review your iOS or Android application. With app reviews and lucrative deals sprawled across the above-mentioned alternate app store, your app is a sure hit.

Key Takeaways

Before we wind up this report for good, we should go through the features of leading app stores for Android and iOS to revise them. Let’s have a look!

• GetJar is the alternate iOS app store with over 0.85 million apps.
• Appland is among the best app stores to target markets like the USA, Iran, Oman, El Salvador, etc.
• Among the top app stores for Android, SlideMe is known as the 2nd best option after the Google Play Store.
• AppBrain is one of the third party app stores with popularity spread across 236+ countries.
• MyApp, Baidu, and 360 Market are among the top free app stores for Android that developers can use to target a massive user base.
• Oppo has one of the best free app stores for Android managed by its official team.
• Opera also comes with one of the top free app stores for Android smartphones.

Well, that was all for this blog on alternate iOS app stores or third party app stores for Android. Hopefully, this blog helped you in understanding the app store industry and the best app stores beyond names like Google Play Store or Apple App Store. 

General FAQ

• What is the difference b/w Apple App Store and Google Play Store?

  App stores are built to fulfill the same purpose. However, the key difference between a Google Play Store and the Apple App Store is that for downloading Android smartphones users can install apps from Play Store. And on the other hand, for iPhones and other iOS-based devices, users can opt for the Apple App Store. 

• Which app store is the best?

  SlideMe is considered the best option among the top free app stores for Android users while GetJar is the alternate iOS app store popular for its quality standards.

• Which app store is safest?

  Official app stores like Google Play Store or Apple App Store are considered the safest options due to their strict policies to maintain standards of apps.

• What other app stores are available?

  If you are an Android user, you have options like Amazon App Store, SlideMe, 1Mobile, etc. While for iOS users, options like GetJar, Builds.io among others are available to find top apps.

• What is a third party app store?

  Third party app stores are not managed by Google or Apple or any other MobileOS manufacturer. These app stores are controlled and monitored by external parties.

Written By

Aparna

Growth Strategist

Aparna is a growth specialist with handsful knowledge in business development. She values marketing as key a driver for sales, keeping up with the latest in the Mobile App industry. Her getting things done attitude makes her a magnet for the trickiest of tasks. In free times, which are few and far between, you can catch up with her at a game of Fussball.

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