After the EU forced Apple to open up its iOS platform for third-party app stores, we now have the first alternative to Apple’s default App Store.It’s called AltStore PAL, which is rather fitting.
Technically, AltStore PALhas been around since 2019, but you were able to access it after “hacking” your way into it. You had to “disguise” yourself as a developer using companion software called AltServer running on your computer. But after the EU Commission’s DMA, AltStore PAL is now available to anyone willing to tap through all the prompts from Apple asking if you are sure you want to install apps from other App Stores.
Accessing AltStore PAL requires a small annual fee – €1.50. The fee covers Apple’s Core Technology Fee required for AltStore PAL to operate on iOS.
The app store also offers deeper integration with Patreon to support developers sharing beta apps. In other words, a crowdsourcing feature that is unavailable on the default App Store.
In addition, the developers behind the alternative app store are launching its app Delta on Apple’s own official App Store. Once again, the app itself isn’t new but it can now exist on the default App Store. It’s a game emulator that works for NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS.
