The AltStore PAL alternative app marketplace has launched, letting users in the Europen Union (EU) download and install apps not found on Apple’s App Store.
Apple has changed its guidelines covering third-party iPhone and iPad software development to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. App stores other than Apple’s own are now permitted but only within the 27 EU countries.
Apple calls them alternative marketplaces, and one of the first to arrive is a version of the AltStore marketplace that hosts apps and tweaks for jailbroken iPhones. It’s called AltStore PAL, and you can download it from the AltStore website right now.
The alternative app marketplace AltStore PAL launches on iPhone in the EU
Developer Riley Testut, the brains behind AltStore, said on his personal blog that Apple approved AltStore PAL—at long last, people who live in the EU can sideload apps not found on the App Store onto their iPhones and iPads.
It requires €1.50/year subscription to cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee, payment processing and server costs. AltStore PAL hosts paid and free apps with detailed descriptions, screenshots, update notes, required permissions, etc.
AltStore PAL hosted two apps at launch: Delta, Testut’s free Nintendo emulator, and Clip, his clipboard manager that can actually run in the background.
“Once we’re sure everything is running smoothly we’ll then open the doors to third-party apps—so if you’d like to distribute your app with AltStore, please get in touch.”
An app store designed for sideloading
Testut built AltStore as an open-source app store dedicated to independent developers who find Apple’s own app store too restrictive. Apps are not screened like on the App Store. Moreover, anyone can publish their software on AltStore.
Both AltStore and AltStore PAL host apps from trusted developers. For others, you must provide source URLs in AltStore. Apps obtained from alternative app marketplaces stop updating if you leave your EU country for over a month.
How to get AltStore PAL onto your iPhone
If you live in one of the 27 EU member states and have an iPhone or iPad set up with an Apple ID created for your country, you can download and install AltStore PAL right from the AltStore website. After purchasing a yearly subscription of €1.50, you’ll be shown a button to download the AltStore PAL storefront.
You’ll need to choose Approve Marketplace From at the top of the Settings app to authorize the download. On top of that, there are some scare screens to skip past, but you’ll need to do this only once per marketplace.
Alternative app marketplaces require iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 or later and are unavailable outside the EU. Non-EU users who try to install AltStore PAL will be greeted with an error message. Read Apple’s support document for more on installing apps from alternative app marketplaces in the EU.