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Aptoide Alternative App Store Launches in the EU With Access to Older Versions of Games

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iPhone and iPad users in the European Union now have access to another alternative app store with the official launch of Aptoide, a gaming marketplace.

apptoide.jpg

Aptoide has been around for quite some time as an app marketplace on Android devices, but the company began working on an iOS marketplace when Apple added support for sideloading apps last year. The marketplace has been in testing in a beta capacity since June 2024, but it is now available to all EU users.
"This full launch marks a major milestone in game distribution on iOS and Aptoide's commitment to an open and unrestricted app distribution ecosystem. Apple users now have access to newfound freedoms, but there's a huge amount of work still to be done to continue opening up iOS globally and reduce friction for users, and game developers."
Click to expand...
Aptoide is a free alternative app store that's available on iPhones and iPads for those who are located in the European Union. It is unique among app marketplaces because it adds support for App Versions, so users are able to install and play older versions of iOS games.

The option to install older versions of games is useful on older iPhones that can't run newer software updates, or for those who simply prefer an older version of a game. Apptoide's game selection can be found on the Aptoide website.

Article Link: Aptoide Alternative App Store Launches in the EU With Access to Older Versions of Games
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/02/18/apptoide-alternative-app-store/
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I’m not sure if I would use an alternative App Store but I’m interested to see how this pans out.
 
I’m just curious, has anyone actually tried this? Anyone from the EU of course.
Even for being quite niche and not even popular over on android where it’s always been available in some form, there is shockingly little content out there of people actually using one of these alternative stores.
And they have been available for almost a year. Plenty of EU based YouTube channels and websites.
Yet almost all of the content about side loading that exists for iOS is either old workarounds or news coverage.
 
I would love to have mega run by get set games back, ninja town: trees of doom, and so many more great games from the early to mid 2010s
 
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Lounge vibes 05 said:
I’m just curious, has anyone actually tried this? Anyone from the EU of course.
Even for being quite niche and not even popular over on android where it’s always been available in some form, there is shockingly little content out there of people actually using one of these alternative stores.
And they have been available for almost a year. Plenty of EU based YouTube channels and websites.
Yet almost all of the content about side loading that exists for iOS is either old workarounds or news coverage.
Click to expand...
I have sideloaded and it's very niche. The only app that I still have side loaded is on my iPad and it's Fortnite.
All the other side loaded apps are trash.
 
Lounge vibes 05 said:
I’m just curious, has anyone actually tried this? Anyone from the EU of course.
Even for being quite niche and not even popular over on android where it’s always been available in some form, there is shockingly little content out there of people actually using one of these alternative stores.
And they have been available for almost a year. Plenty of EU based YouTube channels and websites.
Yet almost all of the content about side loading that exists for iOS is either old workarounds or news coverage.
Click to expand...

I tried https://altstore.io/

But there were just two free games in it and also a non-free retro version of one of those games.

You had to register to a free Patreon account to install the store.

It looks like there are some more apps now in the store when you go on the website.

Then I tried the beta version of Setapp for iOS what is not really a store, because you already subsribed to the apps with your Setapp subscription. I didn't need the iOS part of it, so I only subscribed for Mac. But only to test the apps over a year and then buy the few tha I really need. I already got most I think.

At the beginning there were about 3-4 apps in th iOS store and later maybe 20 when they closed my account because the beta phase was over.
I am not sure, but it looked like most apps are also availavable in the Apple App Store and in Setapp you have them all in your subscription if you want. In some cases it might even be cheaper to pay the monthly Setapp fee than paying for one single app instead.

I am always happy for alternatives and will also install this new one. Just to give a little support, although I don't play games.

Wasn't an Epic Games store announced? Or is it already there and I missed it?
 
Just installed it. Didn't have to register anywhere before. Seems installing free games does also work without registration. Either you pay in in the game or everything is free there at the moment. But there is always a message I can save 10% with my next purchase. It's up to 10% for in-app-purchases...

Most games doesn't even have an older version listed.


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