The Google Play Store is hegemonic on Android, but is not always the ideal solution. Here is our selection of the best alternative app stores to the Google Play Store that we recommend.
To install applications on an Android smartphone, the overwhelming majority of users go through the Google Play Store. However, the Google store is not the only one to offer applications and games on Android and real alternatives exist. The freedom left on Android makes it possible to do without Google services.
These alternatives make it possible not to transmit more personal data to one of the GAFAMs, to better remunerate the developers or even to find applications that cannot be found on the Play Store, whether for reasons of location, economic model or license. . They are also essential for Android devices that do not have access to the Google Store and could prove essential if a brand loses its Android license and its smartphones lose access to the Google Play Store.
However, it is important to turn to trusted sources to avoid unpleasant surprises. Fortunately, very effective alternatives exist:
There are alternatives to the Google Play Store that you have certainly heard of: Aptoide, APKPure or UpToDown. However, we do not recommend their use. First of all, some offer applications illegally, without paying the developers, but you can also find applications or mods which may pose a danger to your smartphone or tablet. That’s not to say that ALL apps from these stores are illegal or dangerous, but the added value isn’t enough to justify the risk.
Let’s take a closer look at our selection of the best alternatives to the Google Play Store.
Amazon Appstore: the other GAFAM
Launched in 2011, the Amazon Appstore is the first alternative to the Google Play Store. This store is installed by default on Amazon Fire, but is also available for any Android device. Like Google, the giant returns 70% of the revenue generated by payments on its store to developers and therefore keeps 30%. The use of this store requires an Amazon account, in particular to manage the synchronization of purchased applications. Note that Amazon offers its own virtual currency, Amazon Coins, which can be used for purchases in applications and games, often with attractive discounts.
The approach of this store is basically the same as Google and this is ultimately what we could blame the Amazon Appstore for. It is certainly placed in alternative best provided in applications and undoubtedly the most popular alternative, but it is like Google of a traditional store which recovers 30% of commission and belongs to a giant of the tech, that we know how to love just as much as Google to collect information on its customers. There are also only a few exclusive applications.
Most :
- a well-known and reassuring brand
- a wide choice of applications and games
The lessers :
- no real advantages over the Google Play Store
Download the Amazon Appstore
F-Droid: the store of free and open source applications
F-Droid is another fairly popular catalog of applications, although little known to the general public. This project exclusively hosts free applications and open-source. His philosophy is also similar to that of the repository under Linux, with a management of the repositories as sources of origin of the applications. This means that it is possible to add sources of applications different from F-Droid and which will therefore not respect the same rules. F-Droid also allows you to exchange applications with people around you without going through an Internet connection, which can be practical especially abroad.
By only offering free applications and open-source on its official repository, F-Droid obviously does not have the largest catalog possible. On the other hand, there are certain applications prohibited by Google on its Play Store, such as New pipe.
Most :
- free apps and open-source
- a simple interface that goes to the essentials
- access to apps banned from the Play Store
- no need to register with an account
The lessers :
- an editorial line that restricts the catalog
Download F-Droid
Aurora Store: another free and alternative store
The Aurora Store is a completely free and open-source (GPLv3 license), but not limited to applications of this nature. Based on the Yalp store, Aurora contains its share of popular applications like Spotify or Instagram. Its advantage lies in its native compatibility with Android, even without Google services. Thus, a smartphone without Google Play Services, or with the alternative microG API, will be able to install and use the Aurora Store perfectly.
Most :
- a free store free and open-source
- no account needed
The lessers :
- a weaker catalog than Google and Amazon stores
- No web version of the catalog
Download the Aurora Store
APK Mirror
To download applications without going through the Play Store, there is another solution, the sideloading. It is simply a matter of installing applications by directly downloading their package in APK format without going through an application store. To find application packages for free legally and with the assurance that they will not contain malware, the best solution is the APKMirror site.
This is a good way to access applications declared as incompatible for your device by the Play Store, or which are only available in certain countries. APKMirror only lists free apps. Finally, note that an application installed by this method may very well be updated by the Play Store.
Most :
- access to applications available exclusively abroad
- access to apps banned from the Play Store
- downloading new versions as soon as they are deployed
- no need to register with an account
The lessers :
- reserved for slightly more experienced users
Visit APK Mirror
Huawei AppGallery: the new challenger
Deprived of the Play Store, Huawei had no choice but to work hard to develop its AppGallery, the official application store found on Huawei and Honor smartphones by default.
The brand wants to push developers to create versions of their applications independent of Google. It’s probably the telephony giant with the most strength to be able to do this.
Most :
- independent apps from Google
- verified apps
The lessers :
Download the Huawei AppGallery
Samsung Galaxy Store, Xiaomi Mi Store, etc.
Some brands like Samsung or Xiaomi offer their own app store directly on their smartphones alongside the Google Play Store. In general, these stores are of little interest, it must be admitted, but they can present good alternatives for those who absolutely wish to avoid giving information to Google.
Apart from that, these shops have the merit of being rather orderly and a minimum secure in addition to remunerating the developers. Moreover, with the desire of manufacturers to free themselves from the yoke of Google, we should see more and more competitiveness on their part in the years to come. We have already seen this, for example, with Samsung, which negotiated temporary exclusivity on its store at the launch of the Android version of Fortnite.
Most :
- The shop is already installed on your smartphone
- Apps are verified
- There may be exclusives
The lessers :
- The often limited interest
- The mediocre selections
One does not prevent the other
As we can see, there are several alternatives to the Google Play Store. However, keep in mind that using one of these alternatives does not imply disabling or uninstalling the Play Store. Android allows multiple stores to coexist on one device, so there’s no reason to limit yourself to one or two solutions.
For example, one can very well imagine installing free applications with F-Droid and buying games on the Amazon Appstore while continuing to update Google applications via the Play Store.
How to install an alternative store
Application stores are not available on the Google Play Store, which is the main obstacle to their adoption. Their publishers offer to download them as APK packages on their official website. You must then install the APK file on the device to access the store. To learn how to install an APK file, the easiest way is to follow our complete guide on the subject.
In a nutshell, allow app installation from unknown sources (i.e. not from the Play Store) in device settings, then open the file from file explorer which will launch then the installation.
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