For most Android users, the Google Play Store is the go-to place to browse and download Android Apps and games. It is a secure, reliable digital distribution service operated and developed by Google, that has the biggest Android app collection with over 1.6 million apps. However, it’s not the only place for Android apps. There are many other alternative app stores, which might not have such a huge app collection, but they do have unique features that are worth looking at. They even enable you to download a variety of apps that Google Play doesn’t offer. Not only that, sometimes the following alternatives offer premium apps for free which otherwise would be paid on Google Play.
Installation of apps from any source other than Google Play Store is blocked on Android by default. So the first thing you need to do is to enable app installation from unverified sources. To do so, go to your Settings menu and then open ‘Security.’ Tap on “Unknown sources” to enable it. This will now let you install apps (or APKs) from outside of Google Play.
Here we have listed some of the best app store alternatives to the Google Play Store. Take a look at them!
Google Play Store Alternatives for Android Apps:
1. Amazon App Store:
When looking an alternative to the Google Play store, the Amazon App Store is one of the best choices to start with. The app store, also known as the Amazon underground, is user-friendly and has an interface similar to the Google Play store. Here you can get thousands of free and paid apps, which are often available at a price lower than Play Store.
The fascinating thing about the Amazon Appstore is the “free app of the day” feature. Every day a premium application is offered for free. Those who frequently check the app store can download many popular apps without paying a single penny. Amazon also regularly offers free bundles of paid apps.
How to Download Amazon App Store?
- In order to get the Amazon App Store, firstly download an Apk as there is no web interface. You can download the Amazon App Store APK here.
- After the installation of the app, sign in with the email address. You need to have an Amazon account to use the service.
- Now, you can find the apps which are well organized into various categories.
2. GetJar:
GetJar is another alternate app store with a vast array of free apps to download. You can review or vote for apps just like the Google Play Store to make it easier for other people to get the right app. Furthermore, it also has an “App day” to offer paid apps, for free.
GetJar is one of the oldest app/game stores in the mobile app market. It has been around for a very long time and is even older than the Play Store. It isn’t just for Android phones either, it has cross-platform support (iOS, Symbian, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile etc), and also employs user comments (likes and dislikes, and Facebook support).
GetJar allows users to add their apps through a submission queue option on the forum. Users are rewarded with virtual currency for their loyalty, the currency can be used to purchase apps from other stores including Google Play Store.
How to Download GetJar App?
You can use the GetJar website to download and access apps or you can download the dedicated GetJar app store APK from here.
The apps are organized into categories (and subcategories) within the store that makes it easier to find what you want. Although the site is well organized and the selection of apps is huge, not all of them are up to date.
3. 9apps.com
9Apps is one of the most popular and widely used app stores which lets you download free android apps and games. It is safe and just like Play Store, you can also see a review of software/application before you decide to do the installation. 9Apps is a nice app with interesting features. It has better app recommendations, a wide range of categories, advanced data compression technology, Hindi language support and provides price comparison and Coupons.
How to Download 9Apps?
- You can download 9Apps from the official website here.
- After you download the app, you also need to download the supporting installer for coupons and price compare things.
- After installation, enjoy 9Apps on your phone.
4. APK Mirror:
APK Mirror is for the people who love to get the new updates of their favorite apps before everyone else. This app gets the latest releases of the apps, which at times arrive on Google Play after they have been uploaded here.
ApkMirror hosts a large number of free apps and you won’t find any paid apps in this store. This App Store, however, has no official app and users need to visit the website to download the apps. The interface is very user-friendly and apps popular over a month, over a week or over the last 24 hours are available in one section in decreasing order of their popularity. The site claims that all their offerings are malware free.
How to download APK Mirror?
There is no apk version of APK Mirror. One has to go to the website of ApkMirror to search and download applications.
5. Apk4Fun
Apk4fun.com is another amazing platform to download millions of high-quality apps and games for free. It also has paid android apps for free. Everything is similar to Google Play Store like updates and reviews. Lots of APKs available on this site and its worth to check out.
You can download Apk4Fun from here.
6. APK Pure:
With APKPure APK Downloader app, you can instantly download region locked (that means which are not available in your country), free registered games and many other apps on Android devices. All the apps are categorized and some of the apps which are available on google play store as the paid version are available for free here.
You can download this APKPure APK Downloader app from here.
7. APK Genie:
APK Genie is another Google Play store alternatives. The website is user-friendly and it has very easy navigation. The apps are well categorized and easy to find with ease.
You can download the app from the official website from here.
One can also download/upload the previous version of the app if required. However, you can find the updated version along with all the other versions as well.
CONCLUSION:
There are many other Stores that can be added to the list, but we focused only on the ones that offer the experience and security just like the Google Play Store. Having said that one must be cautious while trying third-party app stores as there are stores which offer pirated apps at the cost of breaching their privacy and security. The best thing to do is to check the app permissions before/while installing an app to ensure it is safe.