The terms and conditions may result in enforced promotions, the developer portal might be less than transparent, and updates can take longer to push out. There are also app stores that carry pirated versions of apps and games.įor developers, the problems are more complicated. Other problems you may encounter relate to a poor user experience. You will need to go into your Settings > Security menu, and tick Unknown sources to allow downloads of non-Play Store apps. If you are going to take the risk, then consider installing one of the top Android security apps first.

The security policy on different Android app stores will vary some will perform similar safety checks to Google, while others won’t. In our Android app security basics article, we recommended sticking to Google Play and avoiding third-party app stores. If you are an Android developer, you’ll also want to consider alternative Android app stores in order to maximize your exposure and ultimately your income.

Localized portal: There are app stores that specifically cater to different countries, and may offer localized apps you wouldn’t find otherwise.

Curated list: Some apps stores have a specific focus and a smaller selection of app choices that have been filtered for quality, age group, or purpose.

App recommendations: Similarly, these stores might offer recommended apps that don’t pop up in the Google Play top ten charts.

Free apps and promotions: Many app stores feature a free app of the day, a discounted premium app, or some other money-saving offer, making discovering new and useful apps simple.

Here’s a quick rundown of the main incentives: Most of the alternative Android app markets out there offer something to set themselves apart. There are a number of reasons that you might venture beyond Google Play. We decided to take a look at what’s out there. There are many alternative Android app stores out there that you can use anytime you want.

The Google Play Store has more than a million apps on it and billions of downloads each month, but it’s not the only place to get apps.

App store download for android