The first alternative App Store went live today in the European Union: AltStore PAL. You need to know this.
First alternative App Store launched
AltStore PAL from developer Riley Testut is an alternative App Store where you can install apps from independent developers. At launch it will include two apps: game emulator Delta and clipboard manager Clip. Delta will also be released simultaneously on the App Store outside the European Union, but EU customers will need to download it from the AltStore.
Once AltStore PAL is running smoothly, app developers can submit their apps for distribution outside of the App Store. The developers have to promote and host their apps on their website themselves. Distributing apps via the alternative App Store is free, but for apps that are downloaded more than a million times, Apple must pay a Core Technology Fee of 0.50 euros. To pay this fee, Testut charges 1.50 euros per year for access to AltStore PAL.
Testut has been working on AltStore PAL since Apple announced plans to support alternative app marketplaces in iOS 17.4. The alternative App Store AltStore PAL is for all apps, but according to Testut especially for smaller apps that could not otherwise exist due to the App Store rules.
Delta and Clip
Delta is an emulator for NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Clip is a clipboard manager that was not allowed by Apple in the App Store. This is because Clip requires the app to run indefinitely in the background, which Apple sees as a security risk.
Delta can be downloaded for free via the alternative App Store AltStore PAL, for Clip you pay 1 euro plus tax monthly.
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