Google Play is convenient, safe, and works fine for most people. But there is a whole world of alternative app stores – some offer more openness, others first put secrecy, and some are just a good change of speed.
5
Tap tap
If you are fully looking for the Google Play option focused on the game, then the taptap should be high on your list. Each game on TAPTAP has its own community location, where players chat deeply with deep reviews, gameplay tips and even directly with developers. Therefore, instead of generic star rating, you get real conversations that really help you decide whether the game is worth.
Taptap has surprisingly good recommendation system. After a quick setup where you choose the game of those types that you are in, it begins to suggest the title that actually matches your style. It is a bit a little bit of how Spotify understands your taste in music, but here it is helping you search for your next favorite mobile game.
The main appeal of TAPTAP, however, focus on early access and pre-regulation. You can often find major games before showing on the Play Store. For example, large titles such as Valorent Mobile are already available for pre-regulation on tapap, while they are still missing from the Play Store.
download: Tap tap (Free)
4
Samsung Galaxy Store
If you own a Samsung phone, you have already found a solid option for the Play Store. The Galaxy Store does not get much attention, but after using the Samsung device for a few years, I started turning it more often as much as I thought I would. In many ways, the Galaxy Store holds very well against the Play Store.
What really gives a Galaxy store an edge, the stuff you cannot find anywhere else. It provides exclusive apps and features that are specially designed for Samsung’s ecosystem. We are talking about things like custom theme, icon pack and app for Galaxy Watch. However, the real standout is a good lock, which lets you customize almost every part of your phone from home screen and keyboard to quick settings panels.
download: Samsung Galaxy Store (Free)
3
Arora Store
Arora is essentially a front end for the Play Store. It lets you download the app directly from the server of Google without Google account. It is open-source, light and surprisingly smooth. You can also spuff your device model or field to reach apps that will not normally be available in your country or on your specific phone.
There is also a manual download option that lets you choose a specific app version. This is great if you are trying to avoid updates a small car or just want to live with an old version that works better for you.
Now, this is not correct. There are no paid apps, and some play store facilities such as in-app shopping or app syncing cannot work considerably. Nevertheless, if you want to download most free apps and get regular updates without handing Google to your data, then Arora Store is a solid option.
download: Arora Store (Free)
2
Malevolent
If you ever want to grab an app that is not available in your area or roll back in an old version that works better, then there is a possibility that you have already heard about APKMIRROR. It has been over the years and APK is one of the safest sites to download files.
Personally, I have turned to the epamir more often, as much as I can count – usually after a small buggy app update that I really rely on or removed a feature used. This is like having a time machine for your apps. Need that stable version from six months ago? This is probably there. Want to try to build a beta without all trouble? He is also there.
Using APK mirrors cannot be the most polished experience, but it is quick and reliable. There is no fully painted standalone app, but APKMIRROR installer helps to make sideloading easier, especially when bundles work with APK or split package.
download: APKMirror Installer (Free)
1
F droid
F-Droid is a goldmine for someone who loves free, open-source apps. This is not just an alternative app store – it is a completely different philosophy. Each app you found here is 100% free, open-source and, in most cases, is completely absent from Google Play. Think of it as an anti-corporate app store: no advertising, tracking, or shady background permissions.
The F-Droid especially refreshes that it is run perfectly by volunteers. There is no major company behind it, just a group of emotional people keeping a community-interested ecosystem alive. The platform runs on purely donations, and you can see that its values are reflected. Apps filled with advertising, in-app shopping, or timid mudification strategy do not make it through the door.
The only real tradeoffs are very basic. And if you are expecting big names like attractive sports or Instagram or Tikok, then you will not find them here.
download: F droid (Free)
Going away from Google Play may make it look a little strange at first, but with the right choice – or a mixture – you are unlikely to miss it. This is like trying a new coffee shop: The first few trips may seem unfamiliar, but once you find your favorite place, you start wondering why you didn’t switch soon.
