iPhone and iPad users in the EU can now access another alternative app store, with games marketplace Aptoide officially launched. Aptoide has existed as an app marketplace for Android devices for quite some time, but the company started working on the iOS market after Apple added support for sideloaded apps last year.
The market has been in a testing phase since June 2024, but is now open to all EU users.
"This general launch marks an important milestone for game distribution on the iOS platform and is a sign of Aptoide's commitment to building an open, unrestricted app distribution ecosystem. Apple users can now gain newfound freedom, but there is still a lot of work to be done to continue to open iOS globally and reduce friction between users and game developers."
Aptoide is a free alternative app store available to EU users on iPhone and iPad. It is unique in the app market as it adds support for app versions so users can install and play older versions of iOS games.
The option to install older versions of games is useful for older iPhones that cannot run newer software updates, or for those who prefer older versions of games. You can find Apptoide's selection of games on the Aptoide website.