Top 5 alternatives to Google Play Store

As an Android user, you are undoubtedly familiar with the Google Play Store. This is the download store you will find on every device, provided it has the correct certificate. Huawei is still a good example of an Android phone manufacturer without Google Play Services, which means the Play Store cannot be officially offered. The Chinese brand offers its own store as an alternative, so as not to be completely left behind as a user. In this case, you are immediately eligible for alternative app stores, without having a choice.

But we can also imagine that you're interested in what the neighbors across the street have to offer. Or maybe you're fed up with Google Play's terms and conditions. You can of course also do some research after making the changes Digital Markets Law entered into force. This law, among other things, puts Google's monopoly status under the microscope, leading to a lot of interest in competing services and space that it does not own. This of course is also one of the reasons why alternative app stores might be on your radar. But what exactly are good options?

Amazon App Store

The most well-known name on this list is Amazon Appstore. This download store can be found on the US retailer and tech giant's Fire tablets, and can also be downloaded separately for all Android devices. You can use this app store Download from the official website. It's very easy: open this page on your Android device, download the store and install it right away. Although the Google Play Store has a larger selection of applications, the Amazon version is not inferior when it comes to the most popular applications at the moment.

F-robot

the F-Droid App Store Particularly interesting for anyone looking for open source and free applications. Moreover, the available applications do not contain malware. The display here will also be somewhat disappointing when it comes to size, but on the other hand, downloading apps doesn't cost any money. The Store warns you about apps that track your behavior or location and can make recommendations so you can find what you need quickly. Since you'll likely have to replace all the apps on your smartphone, this isn't an unnecessary luxury.

Aurora Store

A recurring theme regarding alternative app stores is that they often offer fewer apps than you want. the Aurora Store solves this problem Once you grant access to the complete Google Play Store catalogue. What's the difference between a regular download store? Well, you can download all of these apps without giving Google all your data right away. Almost all apps can be downloaded using an automatically created temporary Google Account, so you can use the Store in a privacy-friendly way.

APK mirror

APKMirror has been an editorial favorite for years and is from the same people behind the excellent tech site Android Police. There is no app store to download from; So you will go to You need to navigate the site. There you will find all the apps that are also in the Google Play Store. You can also download them here without needing a Google account, making this a good alternative. By the way, if you downloaded an Android file and your device can't decompress it, download the APKMIrror installer.

itch.io

Finally, take a quick look at Itch.io. This is an interesting resource, especially for the gamers among us. In recent years, this platform has emerged as a gold mine for so-called indie titles (small games developed mainly by independent developers). This platform also does not officially have its own app, however on the site You will find more than 60,000 (!) games that you can download directly. You still have to pay for many games. This ranges from a few to tens of dollars. The nice thing about these games is that they are unique.