by Julie Clover
One of the first alternative app marketplaces went live in the European Union today as developer Riley Testute unveiled AltStore PAL, a version of his AltStore available in EU countries.
AltStore PAL is an open source application designed to distribute applications from independent developers. At launch, it includes two apps, including Testut's gaming emulator Delta and the clipboard manager app Clip. Delta is also being released simultaneously on the App Store outside the European Union, but it looks like EU customers will have to download it from the AltStore.
Testut claims that once the AltStore PAL is “running smoothly” Third, Third-party app developers will be able to submit their apps for distribution outside of the App Store. The app marketplace is designed to be decentralized and directory-less, so developers will have to advertise their apps themselves and direct users to their websites to install the app through the AltStore.
Distributing apps through the AltStore is free. , but it's worth noting that apps that are first installed more than a million times a year will have to pay an Apple Core Technology Fee of €0.50. App marketplaces have to pay a commission on every install without any freebies, so AltStore charges €0.50 per install. To afford this fee, Testut charges €1.50 per year for access to AltStore PAL.
Testut has been working on AltStore PAL since Apple announced plans to support alternative app stores in iOS 17.4. It's open to all apps, but Testut says it's best suited for “small, independent apps that might not otherwise exist due to App Store rules.”
AltStore PAL is equipped with Integration with Patreon, allowing developers to monetize their applications. Developers can only offer their apps to their backers, and this distribution method also limits who can sign up to use the app to 1 million people.
iPhone users in the European Union can download AltStore. PAL from the AltStore website. Alternative app marketplaces are not available outside the European Union.
Tag: European Union[ 177 comments ]
