Android phones have one of the best and most varied apps on the market, ranging from Google to more complex apps for performance optimization and similar. However, these apps must be downloaded from somewhere, and that place is called Google Play store. That store offers apps that are specifically tailored to Android OS, so this is the place you’ll probably be searching for when downloading apps or games. However, Google Play store has its substitutions or alternatives which you can access at any time.
What are the advantages of using third party App Stores aka Google Play alternatives?
There are a number of advantages of using third-party app stores for Android. Few of them are listed below.
- More apps availability than the traditional App Store.
- You can find new apps which are not yet launched in Google Play Store.
- Sometimes Paid apps go free on third-party app stores.
- You can download and use geo-restricted apps.
Now let’s go.
1. F-Droid
F-Droid is a great app, and it focuses mainly on FOSS Android apps only. For those unfamiliar, FOSS stands for Free and Open Source Software. The app is being held by volunteers and it runs on donations by many users, so consider donating if you plan on using it often, and why wouldn’t you? This app has everything you need, and if you are a developer you can easily access all of the app codes in order to edit them, improve them or get a part of the code and create your own app. There are some really cool apps here, so you might as well check it out as soon as possible. We rate F-Droid as one of the best alternatives to the Google Play Store.
2. ApkMirror
On ApkMirror, you won’t find a single paid app, as the website has only free apps. However, ApkMirror is available only in website form, so you’ll have to access it from your PC or smartphone. Feature-wise, ApkMirror is great and it’s simple. On the home page, there are apps arranged chronologically by date and on the other side, there are apps arranged by popularity in descending order. Aside from those less popular apps, there are apps like Facebook and YouTube, so you can choose from a really wide variety of apps.
3. Aptoide
Aptoide is another great Google Play alternative, boasting a very similar design to Google Play store. This Google-ish app offers more than 700 000 apps to choose from, ranging from various categories like games and some performance optimization apps. This app store works really well, and you can also create your account to be in step with updates and changes. There are three versions of Aptoide available, of which the version for smartphones and tablets is our concern. The other two are for TV and VR, which we’ll maybe talk about some other time.
4. SlideMe
SlideMe offers a fair amount of quality apps and it’s also great for developers who are at the beginning of their career. If you are a developer, you can develop your app and publish it here for others to try it for free. However, if you just want to enjoy this app and download some cool apps, then feel free to do it! This open source project allows you to download every app for free and it even includes recommendations based on geographic locations and payment methods; amazing!
5. GetJar
JAR is an old extension used in older mobile (not smart!) phones, but this website evolved into much more. GetJar now offers apps for various platforms like Symbian, Windows, Blackberry and of course, Android. Aside from the website, there is an app available for free download, and here you’ll find some popular and those less popular apps for free. The main downside here is that they aren’t always up to date, but at least you get free apps and a great user experience.
6. Mobogenie
Mobogenie offers its services in shape of website or apps for both Android and PC. This store resembles similar apps from Google Play, but it’s slightly better organized and categorized for easier access and download. Aside from apps, you can download images, videos, audio files and similar, to later transfer to your smartphone or tablet, if you’re downloading from PC. The great thing is that you don’t need to register, which makes things easier.
7. Amazon Appstore
Wherever you turn, you can find Amazon doing something great, and with Amazon Appstore, it’s the same case. This amazing app offers a little under 400 000 both free and paid apps for download. The great feature here is Free App of the Day, which is a damn fine reward for those who visit the website every day. Amazon Appstore also has a huge base of music and books at very affordable prices, usually lower than Google Play store. This is one of the best alternatives for Google Play store, without a single doubt!
8. GetApk
GetApk is surely one of the largest databases of free apps, but it comes with a downside. The apps here are sort of thrown over each other, so it’s not that neatly done. Instead, you’ll have to use the search bar to type the app name and then download the app, if it’s available. There are two categories here; Popular and Just Updated, so you can download from here instead of from search bar.
9. 1AppMarket
1AppMarket looks and feels like Google Play store, which in any case can’t be bad. On the home page, there are some categories like most popular and best free apps, which you can further expand to see the full catalog of apps. Most of the apps are free, but there are some paid apps here and there. Aside from a huge app store, 1AppMarket offers books and comics, and apps from every category you can imagine, from games to photography, finance, media & video, shopping, social and much more. If you are a developer, you can also upload your own app.
10. Opera Mobile Store
Opera browser for mobile works really well, and can be a great alternative for Chrome or Firefox, as its marketplace within the app is a great alternative to Google Play store. Thankfully, all versions of the Opera browser have this store, and the selection of apps is really huge. You can find those paid, but also free apps and download them quickly to your device. Although the user experience isn’t that good as on Google Play store, Opera Mobile Store is still a decent alternative for Google Play store.
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