March 23, 2023, 1:03 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Typically, apps and games for Android smartphones are downloaded from the official Google Play Store. However, there are alternatives that often offer certain advantages.
Using the Google Play Store is considered quite safe and is also the fastest and easiest way to find and install apps and games. Unlike Apple’s iOS, Android allows the use of alternatives. The operating system not only permits the installation of other app stores but also individual apps directly from the internet.
Overview
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The Best Alternative App Stores
Anyone who has ever had a Samsung smartphone knows that the company operates its own app store in parallel–the Galaxy Store. On Huawei smartphones, however, the so-called App Gallery is installed, as the company cannot access Google services, including the Play Store. These are two examples that are only available on certain smartphones. However, there are also alternative app stores that work on any Android smartphone.
The advantage of these alternatives is that they often feature apps not available in the Google Play Store. Especially for smaller apps that may only serve a specific function, it is often not worth going through the Play Store’s review process. Sometimes apps in the Play Store also have geo-restrictions and are not available in certain countries–they can be downloaded from other app stores.
Also read: Google launches ads in Play Store search
F-Droid
Unlike the Play Store, F-Droid does not charge developers a fee to offer their apps through the store. The store can be used as the sole app store on a smartphone without Google apps. Corresponding apps for email, maps, and chats are available there. The advantage of F-Droid is that the apps found there are free of ads and do not access user data. So if you want access to popular apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat but prefer to protect your private data with other apps like email and maps, F-Droid is the right choice.
Since only open-source apps are found here, the offering is completely free. Registration is also not required. The downside of F-Droid is relatively clear: The archive contains just over 3,000 apps. This is an unequal ratio compared to the more than two and a half million apps available in the Google Play Store.
Read more: F-Droid–a completely free alternative to the Play Store?
Amazon Appstore
As a “real” app store, the Amazon Appstore has the largest selection of apps next to the Play Store. Since Amazon’s Kindle tablets cannot access the Play Store, the company created this alternative. The store can be installed on all Android smartphones directly via the Amazon site and uses Amazon Coins as an alternative payment system. The coins can either be purchased or earned by installing certain apps. The Amazon App Store cannot be found in the Google Play Store, so you must download the app yourself. You can find the link here.
Users can find most paid and free apps here that are also available in the Play Store. While prices are quite similar apart from certain promotions, users can save up to 20 percent when paying with coins.
APKMirror
This is not an app store in the traditional sense. APKMirror is an online database that contains not only current versions of Android apps but also previous builds. This is useful, for example, when a new update is no longer compatible with an older smartphone. In addition to the website, APKMirror offers its own app, which allows users to search the database.
APKMirror exclusively features free apps. According to their own statements, apps are curated by the community manually. The two main goals are to provide new updates that may not be available everywhere yet and to bypass geo-restrictions. For using databases like APKMirror, it is advisable to use an additional app like APKUpdater to keep these apps up to date.
How to Install Alternative App Stores
To use an alternative app store, you must first download and install the app store. The download is usually available on the app store’s website. Once the app store is installed, you can use it like the Google Play Store to search for and install apps on your device.
To install apps from sources other than the Play Store, users must grant permission. This is possible in the Android security settings. Usually, the app you want to install something from will also ask for permission.
It is important to note, however, that alternative app stores may not offer the same level of security and protection as the Google Play Store. It is advisable to only download and install apps from app stores you trust and to regularly scan your smartphone for malware and other security threats.