However, if you want access to all the apps available on Google Play Store, but minus Google tracking your activity then you can install the Aurora Store from F-Droid. Keep in mind that you won’t find all the popular apps from the Play Store instead, you will get open-source and well-liked apps (NewPipe for example) on F-Droid.
It’s one of the most popular and clean app stores where you can find safe-to-install apps on your Android device, in case you have chosen to lead a Google-free life.
F-Droid / Aurora Storeį-Droid is an app store for free and open-source applications developed primarily for the Android platform. Simply put, APKMirror is a great place to download Android apps without any limitation therefore it stands as a serious alternative to the Play Store.ĭownload ( Free) / ( Play Store) 3. In terms of security, I would say APKMirror is top-notch. As for security, it verifies the signature of all the new APKs with the original one to authenticate the publisher. It still uses the webpage to browse apps, but now you can download an APKM bundle to install apps seamlessly through the dedicated app.
Apart from that, APKMirror just released an Android app on the Play Store to make things easier for users to install and manage APKs downloaded from APKMirror. Generally, people use APKMirror for downloading apps that are geo-restricted so if you are looking for an alternative to evade the restriction then APKMirror is a solid choice. While it’s not an app marketplace in the strictest terms, it’s surely a repository of almost all Android apps which you can otherwise find on the Play Store. To sum up, Aptoide has a library of more than 1 million Android apps and is capable enough to replace the Play Store.ĪPKMirror is another popular choice among the Android community for downloading apps without using the Google Play Store. So there is no third-party fiddling in the process. Apart from that, you will find all the popular apps from publishers like Facebook, Roblox, Supercell and more.Ĭoming to security, well, the APKs on Aptoide are directly uploaded by the developers and further verified by Aptoide through many security checks. So, if you are looking for a Google Play alternative to install unavailable apps - due to geo-restriction or Play Store policy violation - then Aptoide is the best pick in this category. Aptoide is known for offering apps that are generally not found on the Play Store. While in the smartphone landscape, Play Store has a huge monopoly, at least, for apps on Android TVs, Aptoide has created its niche space. Now that you have a brief idea of the pros and cons of using third-party app stores, let’s get to our list.Īptoide is one of the few commercial Android marketplaces that is giving good competition to the Google Play Store. If you are not technologically savvy, stick to the apps that you know and trust.Always download apps from trusted developers.Never download a paid app that is free on these stores without checking the developer’s name.Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself: However, users must also be vigilant when they are downloading apps. To mitigate these problems, we have only included reputed options that offer highly-secure app stores. They also have relaxed security policies, so chances of finding malware are higher here than on the official Google Play Store. The relax policies that allow powerful apps to exist may also open doors to nefarious apps. The first and foremost is the security concern. However, just like every coin has two sides, using alternatives to the Play Store does not come without disadvantages. More money to developers will mean they will be able to support your favorite apps for long.
And finally, most of these Google Play Store alternatives take minimum to no commission. Such apps are not allowed on the Play Store for security concerns. Second, y ou get access to powerful apps that bring better customization features and talk more deeply with the Android operating system.
First, you get access to apps that may not be released in your region by the app developer. If that does not concern you, you should consider the benefits of using the replacement app stores. While that was an extreme case, it gives us a first-hand look at the problem that comes with creating a monopoly such as Google. One of the biggest reasons why we should not solely rely on Google Play Store has to do with recent Huawei situation. Before we get to our list, let’s discuss a few reasons why you should use a Play Store alternative along with the reasons why you should not.