Alternative App Stores for iOS: What Works in 2026
On an iPhone in 2026, region-based app marketplaces and IPA signing offer different routes beyond the App Store. A marketplace gives you the apps its developers distribute there. IPA sideloading lets you install files, with limits determined by the signing method you use.
If you want AltStore PAL or the Epic Games Store, start with your region. If you want to install a particular IPA, start with the file and how you will keep it signed. Choosing a store by its logo before checking either is how you end up with an installer that cannot do the job.
This guide compares the current options by availability, setup and upkeep. It also corrects two details you may have seen in older lists: official marketplaces are no longer an EU-only option, and Setapp Mobile has closed.
The quick comparison
| Option | Where it works | What it installs | Setup and ongoing work |
|---|---|---|---|
| AltStore PAL | EU, Japan and Brazil, subject to eligibility | Notarized apps from participating developers and sources | Install from the official site; no AltServer or weekly free-account refresh |
| Epic Games Store | iPhone: EU, Japan and Brazil; iPad: EU | Games distributed through Epic’s store | Official mobile installer; game and device requirements still apply |
| Aptoide for iOS | Its current availability FAQ lists the EU, Japan and Brazil | Apps and games offered in its iPhone store | Check device eligibility in the official installer |
| AltStore Classic | Worldwide | IPA files you supply or add through sources | AltServer setup; a free account has a seven-day signing period and a three-app limit |
| SideStore | A personal-signing option rather than a regional marketplace | IPA files and sources | Computer for initial setup; on-device refresh with a local VPN; free-account limits remain |
| BuildStore | Worldwide managed signing | Apps available in the BuildStore catalogue | Paid plan; no computer or developer account of your own; initial device processing can take up to three days |
The key distinction: PAL and Classic are different versions of AltStore. Installing Classic does not turn an ineligible phone into an eligible PAL device. AltStore’s own comparison explains their separate models.
Where official alternative marketplaces work
Apple’s current support page lists the European Union, Japan and Brazil. Eligibility depends on both your Apple Account country or region and your physical location. The EU supports iPhone and iPad marketplaces; Japan and Brazil support iPhone marketplaces. The EU also supports direct web distribution by eligible developers.
That tells you where the platform permits a marketplace. It does not mean every store has launched in every supported country, or that every app in one store is available in another.
Start at the store’s own website on your device and follow its installer. A page calling itself an alternative app store is not proof that it can install software on your particular phone. For a deeper explanation of the regional rules, see AltStore PAL outside the EU and the limits of official sideloading.
AltStore PAL: a marketplace for independent apps
PAL is the version to consider if you are eligible for an official marketplace and want the apps distributed through its sources. You install the marketplace from altstore.io, then browse or add developer sources.
It does not use the same free personal-development signing model as Classic, so you do not keep PAL apps alive with a seven-day AltServer refresh. It also does not accept an arbitrary IPA simply because you found the file elsewhere: PAL distributes notarized apps made available through that marketplace.
Older guides describe a €1.50 annual download charge. AltStore’s current Day One page describes that payment as something early users originally made. Do not treat the launch-era price as a current universal subscription requirement; use the live download page for the offer shown to you.
Choose PAL for its participating apps and source-based discovery. Choose Classic or another signing method when your actual requirement is installing an IPA you already have.
Epic Games Store: choose it for its games
Epic’s mobile FAQ currently lists its store for iPhone in the EU, Japan and Brazil, and for iPad in the EU. That is the store’s iOS footprint; its worldwide Android availability is a separate thing.
Epic is a straightforward choice when the game you want is offered there. It is not a general-purpose installer for files from your Downloads folder. Check the individual game’s compatibility and the mobile installation guide rather than assuming that getting the store means every game will run on your device.
Use the official website to install it. Search results for a game’s IPA and an official Epic marketplace download are different routes, with different support and signing arrangements.
Aptoide and Skich: check the actual iPhone offering
Aptoide’s availability FAQ lists iPhone access in the EU, Japan and Brazil, with compatible iOS and location requirements. Its iOS storefront shows the apps and games currently on offer. Use that catalogue to decide whether it has something you want, then check eligibility in the installer.
There is a discrepancy worth checking before you commit: another Aptoide help page still describes its iPhone availability as EU-only. The installer on your eligible device is the practical next check, rather than assuming every help page has been updated together.
Skich Store is another game-focused option. Its FAQ describes iOS availability as Europe, while Android is worldwide. It also distinguishes the store from the older Skich recommendation app you may see in the App Store. A game discovery app and a marketplace that installs games are not interchangeable.
Neither service is a reason to assume that an Android APK can be installed on an iPhone. Look for the actual iOS edition of the app or game.
Setapp Mobile has closed
Setapp Mobile is no longer an option for installing iPhone apps. Setapp confirms that the separate mobile marketplace shut down on February 16, 2026, and its apps were removed from that platform.
The wider Setapp subscription continues; it is a different product. If you land on an older list recommending Setapp Mobile as a current EU marketplace, that part of the list is out of date.
Outside the supported regions: start with signing
If PAL or Epic’s iOS store is unavailable where you live, changing to another marketplace with the same regional eligibility rules will not solve that particular problem. Personal or managed signing is a different route.
With AltStore Classic, you use AltServer and your own Apple Account to install IPA files. A free account comes with a seven-day signing period and a small active-app allowance. That can be a good trade if you are trying one app and are comfortable managing the setup and refreshes.
With SideStore, the computer is needed for initial installation, while routine refreshes can happen on the phone. Its official FAQ explains the local VPN and personal certificate, and the free-account allowance of three apps including SideStore. Our iLoader guide walks through the current initial-install route.
The local VPN in that workflow supports installation and refresh. It is not a shortcut to an eligible marketplace region.
For the differences between the free tools, read AltStore vs SideStore vs LiveContainer. Pick based on the app and the amount of maintenance you want to handle.
BuildStore: managed installation instead of weekly upkeep
BuildStore is the paid option when you want the installation and signing handled for you. Browse the catalogue, check that the app you want is there, and choose a plan for your device. You do not need a computer or a developer account of your own.
Initial device processing can take up to three days. Once the device is ready, you install supported catalogue apps on the iPhone in one tap. This is a managed-signing service, rather than an Apple-authorized regional marketplace or a free Apple Account you refresh yourself.
For example, the catalogue offers Delta with managed installation:
The app is not exclusive to BuildStore. The reason to choose this route is the managed setup and upkeep. Check the catalogue page and the plan shown at checkout before buying; a store comparison cannot tell you whether a particular app’s requirements fit your device.
Which option should you choose?
- An official marketplace has the app you want and you meet its regional rules: start with that marketplace’s own installer.
- You have an IPA and want a free setup you can maintain: compare AltStore Classic and SideStore.
- You want catalogue apps without handling personal-certificate refreshes: check BuildStore’s catalogue and device plans.
Choose the route that can install your app on your iPhone, with an amount of upkeep you are willing to handle.
Browse the BuildStore catalogue and choose the apps you want to keep on your phone.