Let us first state a fact. Almost all users of the Android operating system are under the safe and warm umbrella of the Google Play Store. Naturally, this also has its own reasons.
Most of the apps are in this store, its security is high, it is installed by default on most Android devices, and finally, it works well.
Everyone on Android knows that there are other app stores, but the problem is that there is not much information about them. This is what we want to address in this article.
Below we want to introduce you to the best alternatives to the Google Play Store. It should be noted here that the user is responsible for any problems when working with any of these stores or the applications in them.
1. Amazon Appstore
Price: Free / Prices of apps vary
It can be said that Amazon Appstore is the best competitor of Google Play Store. This store is installed by default on all Amazon Fire devices. In this store, you can see all kinds of applications, including large and famous letters. Also, all of Amazon’s own apps are available in this store, and in addition, the Amazon Appstore can be considered the only Amazon Prime Video home. You can install this store on all Android devices without any problems. Also, if you want to have more than one store, then you should know that this application can be compatible with other options. The Amazon Appstore still has the potential for further optimization, but in any case, its strengths outweigh its weaknesses.
2. APKMirror
Price: Free
Technically, APKMirror is not a store, but rather a repository of applications. Here you can find all kinds of applications, including beta versions that are not available on Google Play. Of course, if you have a newer version, you can update your application through the Google Play Store . So APKMirror can be a great secondary resource for downloading applications. Of course, APKMirror is not a complete App Store and we only recommend it if you want to try something special or find the old APK file of one of your current applications (although in some cases, due to some problems, you can not download the version Return to your previous application). Security on this platform is also at a good level.
3. APKPure
Price: Free
APKPure is also one of the best alternatives to Google Play with many strengths. Many popular apps like TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, UC Browser, PUBG Mobile Brawl Stars and. Can be found in this store. The user interface of this application is well designed, searchable and there is also a wide range of choices in this store. APKPure has more categories than Google Play, although some categories do not have very good applications. In this store you can access basic applications such as some Google applications such as Gmail.
4. APKUpdater
Price: Free
APKUpdater is not originally an App Store, but it has a great feature. With this application, you can update your current applications without the need for other app stores. The download resources of this store are provided through several sources, so you will receive the latest updates immediately. The APKUpdater user interface has a material design and does not pose a problem for you. If you do not have the patience to work with massive app stores, then APKUpdater can keep your device up to date. Of course, in APKUpdater you can search for other applications as well, but this feature is not as good as a dedicated App Store.
5. Aptoide
Price: Free / Prices of apps vary
Aptoide is one of the oldest alternatives to Google Play in this list. In this store you can find many modern applications such as Facebook, Nest, YoWindow Weather, Fleksy as well as many new games. In any case, one of the main attractions of Aptoide is its less rigorous content. In this store you can find NSFW applications as well as controversial applications such as Show Box. As it turns out, this store is also a bit more likely to have malware, so if you use it, it is better to have an antivirus. Aptoide was targeted by a hacker in 2020. However, since you do not need to create an account to use this store, so this sentence did not actually have much effect on users.
6. F-Droid
Price: Free
F-Droid is one of the oldest app stores on this list and also one of the most trusted. This store is more suitable for fans and people who are looking for efficiency.
Items such as the Arch Linux browser package are among the applications available on F-Droid. In this store, you can access some basic applications such as Simple Gallery or Simple Calendar, as well as a small number of games. However, the F-Droid is more suitable for those looking for extras not available in a store like Google Play.
This app store is open source and all the apps in it are open source. You can even find F-Droid replacements in this store!
7. Humble Bundle
Price: Free / Variable
Humble Bundle is a great place to get cheap mobile games. The store has a “pay as much as you want” system that allows you to buy games for less than normal. If you pay more in this App Store, then you can get more apps.
You can download any application you have purchased this way and you will not have any problems working with it. Some of your payment will also go to charity, so you will be more satisfied with your purchase. The F-Droid may not be as broad as Google Play, but it constantly offers different bundles.
8. QooApp
Price: Free
QooApp is a different App Store. This store is suitable for those who enjoy Asian games made by Asian developers. Here you can see the types and varieties of applications. Of course, few of the apps in this store support English (or other non-Asian languages). QooApp is more suitable for downloading Japanese versions of world games like Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. TapTap is one of the QooApp-like app stores .
9. Samsung GalaxyApps
Price: Free / The price of the apps varies
Surprisingly, a store like the Samsung GalaxyApps is only available on Samsung devices, as it could be a good alternative to Google Play. The range of apps offered in this store is smaller than Google Play and also slightly smaller than the Amazon Appstore.
However, the store has a compact user interface and simple navigation, and in addition can offer users popular games and applications such as Microsoft, Netflix, Hulu, Fortnite, Brawl Stars and… .
The Samsung GalaxyApps may not be the most complete of its kind, but it can still be a great secondary store for Samsung device owners alongside Google Play.
10. Yalp Store
Price: Free
This store uses Google Play APK files, but you do not really need Google Play to download them. In the Yalp Store, you can search, download, and update apps directly. Its user interface is a bit old but it can still get you started. Also, if your device is rooted, then Yalp Store will offer you new features. You do not need a Google Account to work with this store. However, your purchases may not be stored in the long run.
Honorary members
Above we tried to introduce 10 of the best alternatives to Google Play. Some of them work very well and some are just a normal alternative. Below we intend to introduce other options to complete our list.
ACMarket
It is one of the app stores that has an attractive appearance. In many ways, ACMarket is reminiscent of the Google Play Store and also offers some popular games and software. In addition, ACMarket supports modified APK files and more. You have to be a little careful when working with this store, because some applications can be malicious.
Getjar
Getjar can be considered as a kind of wild west of Android app stores. You can find all kinds of weird apps here. These include modified APK files, as well as popular ones like UC Browser. It is also better to be cautious when working with this store.
Mobilism
Mobilism is a small app store with a few extra features. More than 800,000 volumes of e-books can also be found in this store. In Mobilism, to download applications, you must proceed through the host provided by the uploader. This method can be an interesting idea.
Opera App Store
You probably did not know that Opera also has an App Store. In this store you can access various options. However, all of these options are also available on Google Play by default. Opera App Store can be considered as a secondary search option on Google Play, but it can not necessarily be considered a standalone App Store.
SlideMe
This store is one of the oldest and similar to Aptoide and Getjar. SlideMe may not be as trustworthy, but its performance can be satisfying. Here you can find things like OfficeSuite, WPS Office and the like, although you will not find many games in this store.
TapTap
TapTap is an Asian-style store with a wide range of apps from the area. In this App Store, you can access some Japanese games that have a regional lock on Google Play. You can also count on TapTap to download the Japanese version of games like Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. All games in this store are in Japanese, Chinese and Korean.
XDA-Developers
Many developers use this platform to test their applications before launching them in the Google Play Store. Here you can find apps that only work in root mode (like Xposed or Viper4Android).