People in the European Union now have access to alternative app stores thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a new regulation designed to promote competition in the app ecosystem. Like Apple's App Store, alternative app marketplaces offer easy access to the broader world of apps, but instead of apps going through Apple's App Review process, apps on these third-party marketplaces must go through a notarization process to ensure they meet some “fundamental platform integrity criteria,” such as being malware-free. However, each store can review and approve apps according to its own policies. Matters regarding support and refunds are also the responsibility of the store, not Apple.
To operate an alternative app marketplace, developers must agree to Apple’s alternative terms of business for DMA-compliant apps in the EU, including paying a new core technology fee of €0.50 for each first annual install of a marketplace app, even before it reaches the 1 million install threshold that is the benchmark for other EU apps distributed under Apple’s DMA terms of business.
Despite the complex new rules, a small number of developers are taking advantage of the opportunity to distribute their apps outside of Apple.
Below is a list of some of the alternative app stores that iPhone users in the EU can try right now.
Ortho Store PAL
Image credit: AltStore
AltStore PAL was created in collaboration with Riley Testut, developer of the Nintendo game emulator app Delta, and is an alternative app marketplace officially approved in the EU. The open-source app store allows independent developers to distribute their apps, alongside apps from AltStore developers Delta and a clipboard manager called Clip.
Unlike Apple's App Store, AltStore apps are self-hosted by developers: developers download Alternate Distribution Packets (ADPs) and upload them to their servers, creating a “source” that users can add to AltStore to access their apps. This means that the only apps you'll see in AltStore are the ones you add yourself.
Popular apps that users are adding include UTM, a virtual machine app that lets you run Windows and other software on iOS and iPad, OldOS, a recreation of iOS 4 built with SwiftUI, Kotoba, an iOS dictionary available as a standalone app, torrent app iTorrent, qBittorrent remote client qBitControl for iOS devices, and social discovery platform PeopleDrop.
Setapp Mobile
Image credit: Setapp
MacPaw's Setapp has become one of the first companies to agree to Apple's new DMA business terms to launch an alternative app store for EU users. The company has long offered a subscription-based service featuring a curated selection of apps for its iOS and Mac customers. Following the implementation of DMA, it released Setapp Mobile, an alternative app store for EU-only iOS users. Like the company's other subscription services, the new app store includes dozens of apps for a single recurring subscription price, with the number of apps growing over time. The apps have no in-app purchases or ads and are generally considered high quality, but do not include big-name apps like Facebook, Uber, or Netflix.
Setapp Mobile is available free of charge to “Power User” and “AI Expert” Setapp subscription plan users, while everyone else can sign up for the new “iOS Advanced” plan, which includes both Setapp's main subscription iOS app and Setapp Mobile, for $9.99/€9.49 per month, or $107.88/€102.48 per year.
Additionally, all Setapp subscribers (excluding “Family” and “Team”) can try Setapp Mobile for free during an invite-only beta period.
Epic Games Store
Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, launched an alternative iOS app store in the EU on August 16, allowing users to download its games, including Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys, with more games to be released in the future. The company said it also plans to make its games available in other alternative app stores, including AltStore PAL, which it currently supports through grants, Aptoide's iOS store in the EU, and ONE Store on Android.
The move to release Fortnite on an alternative iOS marketplace comes more than four years after Apple removed the game from its App Store for violating its policies, before Epic filed a lawsuit alleging App Store monopoly. A US court ruled that Apple had not engaged in antitrust conduct, but the case paved the way for developers to link to their own websites for lower fees.
Aptoid
Image credit: Aptoide
Lisbon-based Aptoide, an alternative game store for iPhones, is an open-source solution for app distribution. Already known as an alternative to Google Play, the company claims to scan apps to ensure they are safe to download and install, and also ensures they are DMA compliant.
The iOS version of the Aptoide store launched as an invite-only beta in June, so you'll need to add your email address to the waitlist to get an access code. As a free-to-use store, Aptoide doesn't charge users for its core technology fees paid to Apple, but it does take a commission on iOS in-app purchases, ranging from 10% to 20%, depending on whether they were generated through the marketplace.
Aptoide serves 1 million apps to over 430 million users across all platforms including Android, web, car and TV.
Mobivention Marketplace
Image credit: Mobivention
Mobivention Marketplace, a B2B focused app store, allows EU companies to distribute in-house apps for use by their employees that cannot (or should not) be published on Apple's App Store. The company also offers customized app marketplace development for companies that want to provide their employees with their own app store just for their company's apps. Larger companies can also license Mobivention's technology to further customize the app marketplace to their needs.