11 Best Google Play Store Alternatives for Android Apps and Games

Abstract

• F-Droid offers free and open source apps, but it requires learning to navigate. Like GIMP, it’s worth the challenge once you get the hang of it.
• APKMirror provides a trusted app library. If APKs are your thing, it’s a reliable choice for Android downloads.
• The Amazon App Store and AppBrain cater to users looking for an alternative to the Play Store’s interface and recommendation system.

While Google may want its Play Store to be the only app store in town, it actually has some solid competition. Of course, Google has an advantage since the Google Play Store is built into almost every Android you buy, from flagships to a growing number of excellent budget phones.

If you want a reprieve from the Play Store, we’re here to help. This guide will introduce you to some of our favorite alternatives to the Google Play Store, from open source marketplaces like F-Droid to library keeping in Aurora.

1 F-Droid

F-Droid is your choice for free and open source Android apps. We think it’s the best place to start for people looking for freedom from the Play Store, as it’s free with a library of non-commercial apps. And while you don’t have to pay for the app, F-Droid lets you donate to app developers.

The only downside to using F-Droid as an app store is that it takes a bit of learning (and adaptation) since the design isn’t geared towards the everyday user. But it’s similar to the power of a photo editing program like GIMP (even if it’s complicated to use at first), just as good as the best commercially available program, Adobe Photoshop. So it will be a challenge to go back after adjusting to F-Droid.

2 APK Mirror

APKMirror has a huge and reliable library of apps, which is why it’s among our top picks. Every entry on APKMirror is verified by the owner. While APKs are slowly being phased out in favor of split APKs, you don’t have to worry if you’re using APKMirrror because it already supports the file structure.

3 Samsung Galaxy Store

The Samsung Galaxy Store brings a standard app store experience for people who aren’t comfortable with sideloading apps. Unfortunately, the platform is only available to people who own Samsung Galaxy phones or tablets. And while the Galaxy Store has fewer apps than you’ll find in the Play Store, it does offer exclusive apps, such as the mobile version of Fortnite. Galaxy Store users also get access to monthly promotions and app launches. Overall, the experience straddles the line between the usefulness of the Play Store and the better feel iPhone users expect from the App Store.

Samsung Galaxy Store

4 Tap Tap

A true alternative to many games on the Google Play Store, TapTap is an app store exclusively for games. Exclusive content isn’t unheard of on TapTap, so you’ll notice that some titles not seen in the Play Store are already available for pre-registration on TapTap. This means that the store is growing to compete with Google, which is why some of the more spicy titles, like Valorant Mobile, are only available for pre-registration on TapTap.

TapTap offers many titles that you can also get from the Play Store, and you can find others sorted according to personal tastes and preferences. The key difference is that discovering new games is much easier on TapTap because of its focus on gaming. So, if you are planning to install TapTap on your Android device, opt for the full version (APK file) rather than the simple version that you can find on the Play Store.

TapTap Mobile (APK Download)

5 Srab.io

Itch.io is the best way for indie games, where developers have complete control over how their games are distributed and sold. You no longer have to worry about complying with the Play Store tax of 15% on the first $1 million and a 30% cut for money earned after that. Itch.io uses an open revenue sharing method, allowing developers to pay what they want instead of a fixed/forced rate. It essentially provides a fairer and more flexible model so that developers don’t have to worry as much about distribution fees, which is exactly the support that independent developers need. Note that there is no native Android app/APK for Itch.io, but you can browse the website through a mobile browser or pin the website to your home screen.

Srab.io

6 Amazon App Store

Similar to the Samsung Galaxy Store, the Amazon App Store traditionally functions as an app store where you’ll find various Android games and apps. To access the store app, you need to install the APK linked on Amazon; you’ll also need to create an Amazon account (if you don’t already have one). Overall, the interface is clean and you no longer have to jump between menus to get to your library; all downloaded apps are under “My Apps” in the app store, which you can filter by newest, alphabetical, and uninstalled. We praise the design of the Amazon App Store for being simple and easy to navigate, making it a great alternative to the Play Store, which is clogged with repetitive recommendations.

Amazon App Store (download APK)

7 AppBrain

AppBrain makes app selection easy and you can use it in conjunction with other app store sources (note that the Amazon App Store does not work). You can reach out to AppBrain for app networking and make recommendations and suggestions based on the apps you like. You don’t necessarily need a Google account to use AppBrain; you can sign up via Facebook and Twitter.

The nice thing about using AppBrain is that the recommended app feature is optional (not forced); you must go to “Recommended Apps” and select “Update Recommendations” to see the list. You can browse AppBrain and it will reveal the app’s score, number of downloads and number of favorites in one column. So while AppBrain isn’t a store, per se, it highlights the data you need to make informed decisions about which apps and games to install, filling a gaping hole in the Play Store and lack of competent discovery.

8 Shop Aurora

At first glance, the beautiful UI design already makes the Aurora Store an attractive option as an alternative to the Play Store. Between the customizable display options and the Aurora Store’s privacy policy of not tracking your downloads and the apps you use (unfortunately, the Play Store is pretty guilty of this), and not requiring a Google account to operate, the Aurora Store increases the penalty. candidate as a replacement for the Play Store. Plus, open source means you’ll get new apps that you wouldn’t normally find in the Play Store. And if you’re already an F-Droid user, consider installing Aurora Droid. Aurora Droid combines the best of both worlds by serving as a repository for F-Droid apps, but also providing access to the fantastic design that Aurora does for it.

Aurora Store (APK Download)

9 Uptodown

This is a safe alternative to the open market that does not require any registrations or fees to use. You can browse the Uptodown website to find APKs or download the app store. Each APK list is checked for safety, offers app rating, comments and download count. Tapping the hamburger menu opens up options to customize your experience, such as tracking your device’s downloaded/installed APKs, managing updates, restoring apps, and finally, a section to track your app wishlists. Freemium apps, including in-app purchases, are mostly supported, but developers are working on bringing paid apps to the store.

The whole idea behind Uptodown is to add and distribute apps in the most non-restrictive way possible while ensuring that your download activity is completely safe and secure. Uptodown provides all the freedom in one place.

Uptodown (download APK)

10 QooApp

QooApp is one of our favorite apps to discover authentic Asian games and apps. As you may already know, Google is famous for its region-locked apps. So if the app isn’t available in your country, you’re out of luck. And to no one’s surprise, region-locking software disables global app discovery. Of course, the downside of using QooApp is that the app store won’t offer much outside if you’re not the target audience (anime and Asian culture). But hey, if you’re fluent in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, you’ll find apps on QooApp that won’t be on the Play Store.

QooApp (Download APK)

11 Obtainium — Honorary recognition

We’ve included Obtainium (by ImranR98) as an honorable mention in this list, since Obtainium plays more of a support role in fetching APKs. It will pull apps hosted from other open sources, such as GitHub and F-Droid. You can consider Obtainium a useful addition; it lets you download apps from real sources and all the updates that come with them. It’s a great way to cut out the middleman of needing an app store to get some apps, especially if you’re a user who doesn’t care about app store bloatware.

The downside of Obtainium is that it requires you to manually add apps or search for sources. So if you’re hoping to use Obtainium for app discovery, you’re going to have a hard time. You can also set Obtainium to notify you when an app developer releases an update, or set it to check at intervals (so it doesn’t consume all your data at once). Overall, Obtainium can be a demanding application to initially set up, but if you only install a few applications anyway, it becomes a great add-on to help with management.

Obtainium (GitHub)

A perfect alternative to the Google Play Store is not difficult to find

As Google continues to monopolize digital distribution services, it is starting to push out more developers who want to publish apps. Just because Google reigns as the most popular store (app) doesn’t mean we’re obligated to use it.

Independent app stores have a lot to offer; some include a better user interface that’s easier to use with actual elaborate categories, while others flaunt more developer-friendly practices because they’re open source, giving more unrestricted access to apps. And don’t forget that one of the primary reasons we came to Android is the freedom to choose apps and games — sideloading apps is one of Android’s many perks!