5 alternatives to the Google Play store (Topic)

Google Play (or Play Store) is one of the most popular online stores where you can find any smartphone application.

It's huge with over a million APKs. But despite all this variety, it happens that you cannot find what you need in it. There may be several reasons for this:

- Some APKs are not available in your region;

- Some do not meet application requirements in your country;

- The developer did not manage to create a version for your region.

However, you can still download them, only you will not have to use the official store, but one of its analogues. Before that, you must allow the installation of applications from third-party sources in the smartphone settings (this is done in the section " Security and privacy ").

Why are alternative app stores good?

• They offer a huge selection of APKs. Apps that, for whatever reason, could not get into Google Play, usually end up in one of the alternative stores.
• There you can find apps blocked in your region.
• Some Google Play analogues offer several versions of the application at once - with the latest updates and without them.
• Thanks to discounts and promotions, premium APKs can be downloaded for free.

There are more than a dozen alternative Android stores, but you need to use them with caution - not all of them provide high-quality scanning of content for viruses. The 5 stores described below are the most trusted by mobile users.

Amazon App Store

In popularity, the store is located right after Google Play. Those who have a Kindle e-reader or a device based on the Fire operating system are well aware of it. The only difficulty is that it does not have a desktop version: to use it, you first need to install the store's app.

Content is conveniently sorted into categories, the download and installation process is identical to using Google Play. The highlight of the Amazon App Store is that it offers a free download of one of its paid apps every day.

ApkMirror

ApkMirror is popular with those who are looking for outdated applications without fresh updates, innovations and bugs, or those that are supported by older versions of the operating system. If Google Play always contains only one build of a specific APK, ApkMirror can have ten of them.

This store can only be used through a browser. Its management claims that all content is thoroughly scanned for viruses. There are no paid apps in it.

GetJar

If you had a J2ME or Symbian device, you probably know about GetJar. It is the oldest app store in existence and is still used by thousands of people today. It can only be accessed through a browser, the content is categorized, but there are many outdated ones among it.

Aptoide

Aptoide is considered a worthy alternative to the Play Store due to its thoughtful design and interface: the application was developed taking into account Google standards. Everything is clear in it, it is not difficult to find the right category. The store has access to the list of programs installed on your device and notifies you of available updates.

Opera Mobile Store

Most users are aware that Opera has a browser plugin store. However, in addition to this, the service also offers a fairly good catalog of mobile applications for all platforms, including Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Symbian.

Its design is not as good as that of other Play Store counterparts, but its plus is the huge selection of APKs.

The Topic of Article: 5 alternatives to the Google Play store.
Author: Jake Pinkman