For over a decade, Apple has maintained tight control over iOS app distribution through its App Store. However, recent regulatory changes, particularly in the European Union, have begun to crack open Apple’s «walled garden.» This article explores the current state of alternative app stores for iOS, examining both EU-specific options and worldwide alternatives.
👉 Inside This Guide
The EU Digital Markets Act: Opening the Door (Slightly)
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has forced Apple to allow alternative app stores on iOS devices in EU countries. However, Apple has implemented this requirement with significant restrictions that many critics argue undermine the spirit of the legislation.
Apple’s Core Technology Fee and Other Restrictions
Apple now requires alternative app marketplaces to pay a «Core Technology Fee» of €0.50 for each first annual install of their marketplace app, even before reaching the threshold of 1 million installs. This fee structure has been criticized as excessive and designed to discourage competition.
Additionally, the installation process for alternative app stores remains cumbersome, requiring users to navigate through multiple warning screens that many see as intentionally off-putting. As Callum Booth noted in his review of Aptoide, users must «navigate through about a dozen screen interactions that repeatedly warn of imminent danger.»
EU Alternative App Stores for iOS: A Mixed Landscape
Several alternative app stores have launched in the EU since the DMA took effect. Here’s how they stack up:
AltStore PAL
Co-created by Riley Testut, AltStore PAL initially gained attention for offering Delta, a Nintendo game emulator. However, when Apple later allowed emulators on its own App Store, AltStore PAL lost one of its key differentiators.
AltStore’s approach is unique — apps are self-hosted by developers, with users adding «sources» to access specific apps. The store requires a €1.50 (plus tax) annual subscription to offset Apple’s Core Technology Fee.
Notable apps available include Delta (the emulator), Clip (a clipboard manager), UTM (a virtual machine app), OldOS, Kotoba, iTorrent, qBitControl, and PeopleDrop.
Setapp Mobile
MacPaw’s Setapp Mobile offers a curated selection of quality apps under a single subscription model. The platform focuses primarily on productivity, work, and optimization tools.
Unlike other alternatives, Setapp absorbs Apple’s Core Technology Fee rather than passing it directly to users. The platform already has around 37 apps available, with plans to expand to 50+.
The subscription-based model allows users to try multiple apps without worrying about in-app purchases or ads, creating what reviewers have called «an exciting new way of using an iPhone.»
Aptoide
Lisbon-based Aptoide focuses specifically on games and operates on a freemium model. It’s the first free-to-use alternative iOS app store, taking a 10-20% commission on in-app purchases rather than charging users.
To attract developers, Aptoide pays between $1,000 and $2,000 to those who launch games on its platform and handles the Core Technology Fee from its revenue share.
However, at launch, Aptoide had only eight basic games available, leading to questions about its long-term viability.
Epic Games Store
Fortnite maker Epic Games launched its alternative iOS app store in the EU in August last year, allowing users to download games including Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys.
This move came more than four years after Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store for policy violations, which led to Epic’s legal challenge against Apple’s alleged monopoly.
Skich
Skich differentiates itself with a Tinder-like interface for app discovery, allowing users to swipe right to «match» with apps they might enjoy. Users can also create playlists and see what apps their friends are playing.
The company takes a 15% commission on all purchases, undercutting Apple’s standard rates. However, at launch, Skich had no games available, with plans to add titles later.
Mobivention marketplace
This B2B-focused app store allows EU companies to distribute internal apps used by employees that might not be suitable for the public App Store. Mobivention also offers customized app marketplaces for companies wanting to provide employees with their own proprietary app store.
The Global Alternative: Builds.io
The EU now enjoys a wave of alternative app stores, but the rest of the world? Still locked down. Except for one workaround: sideloading. Dive deeper in our 2025 Complete Guide.
Builds.io offers a worldwide alternative to the App Store, allowing users to install apps that would never make it through Apple’s review process. The service works without requiring users to jailbreak their devices, making it accessible to everyday iPhone users.
The platform offers apps across various categories, including social tweaks, adult apps, hacked games, Fortnite, iPogo, rare emulators, and more.
Users pay a subscription fee to access Builds.io’s library of 800+ curated apps, which are installed using developer certificates. This approach has allowed Builds.io to operate globally, outside the restrictions Apple has placed on EU alternative app stores.
Conclusion
While the EU’s Digital Markets Act has cracked open Apple’s walled garden, the company has managed to implement compliance measures that minimize competitive threats. Alternative app stores exist but face significant hurdles to widespread adoption.
For users worldwide seeking genuine alternatives to Apple’s App Store, services like Builds.io offer the most accessible option, though they operate in a gray area of Apple’s policies. The future of iOS app distribution remains uncertain, but the first steps toward a more open ecosystem have been taken, even if they’ve been smaller than many hoped.
As we continue through 2025, it remains to be seen whether alternative app stores will gain enough traction to truly challenge Apple’s dominance or whether they’ll remain niche options for tech enthusiasts and specialized use cases.