AltStore
AltStore is an open-source alternative iOS app marketplace that enables sideloading without jailbreak, serving iOS power users and indie developers via the PAL marketplace (EU, Japan, Brazil) and Classic sideloading tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What AltStore does
AltStore is a Dallas-based, privately held alternative iOS app marketplace operated by AltStore, LLC. Founded in 2019, the company builds open-source tooling that allows iOS users to install apps outside of Apple's official App Store without jailbreaking their devices. The product portfolio centers on two distribution paths: AltStore PAL, a regulatory-compliant alternative marketplace that operates within Apple's notarization and Core Technology Fee framework in jurisdictions where competition law requires Apple to permit alternative distribution (currently the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, Japan under the Mobile Software Competition Act, and Brazil following the CADE settlement); and AltStore Classic, which sideloads apps via the companion AltServer desktop application using personal Apple Developer accounts globally.
The technical stack is built on open-source components and Apple's Developer Program infrastructure. Notable proprietary elements include AltJIT, a just-in-time compilation workaround for sideloaded apps; a Source JSON distribution system allowing developers to self-host app metadata with SHA-256 verification and localization; and a REST API for registering Developer IDs, processing Alternative Distribution Packages, and federating sources to the Fediverse via explore.alt.store. The company maintains first-party iOS apps including Delta (a Nintendo emulator) and Clip (a clipboard manager) as flagship distributed apps. AltStore PAL 2.3 introduced social web features including Mastodon and Bluesky sign-in, federated likes, and curated source collections.
The business model combines consumer subscription revenue from AltStore PAL (€1.50 early adopter fee plus annual subscription), Patreon community membership tiers, and developer-side pass-through of Apple's €0.50-per-install Core Technology Fee. Distribution is entirely digital, delivered through direct downloads via altstore.io, the altstore-pal:// URL scheme, and integration with the Epic Games Store as a source. The team is extremely small (1-10 employees, publicly led by founder Riley Testut as Developer and Shane Gill as Operations), backed by a $6 million Series A from Pace Capital in October 2025 and an earlier Epic Games investment.
AltStore firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AltStore
- Legal name
- AltStore, LLC
- Website
- https://altstore.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AltStore is an open-source alternative iOS app marketplace that enables sideloading without jailbreak, serving iOS power users and indie developers via the PAL marketplace (EU, Japan, Brazil) and Classic sideloading tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AltStore industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alternative iOS App Marketplace
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alternative App Distribution & Sideloading Platforms (BPAMADAM)
Keywords
Where AltStore is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AltStore business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- AltStore PAL Subscription: AltStore PAL initially charged €1.50 for early adopters and offers annual subscription for marketplace access. "Day One" promo gave early adopters exclusive icon and one free month of Early Adopter Patreon tier.
- Core Technology Fee Pass-through: Developers must accept Apple's Core Technology Fee of €0.50 per first annual install as part of AltStore PAL's business terms for marketplace distribution.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | AltStore PAL Early Adopter - €1.50 one-time |
| Subscription | Monthly | Patreon Community Member |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Developer Core Technology Fee - €0.50 per install |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
AltStore product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AltStore operates an open-source alternative iOS app marketplace that enables sideloading of apps without jailbreaking devices. Its two main distribution products are AltStore PAL, a regulatory-compliant marketplace available in the EU, Japan, and Brazil, and AltStore Classic, which uses personal Apple Developer IDs for global sideloading via the AltServer desktop companion app. Supporting products include the Delta Nintendo emulator and Clip clipboard manager, alongside developer tools such as the REST API and AltJIT compilation workaround.
Product overview
AltStore is an open-source third-party app store for iOS devices that enables sideloading of apps not available on the official App Store without jailbreak. The product portfolio consists of two main distribution approaches: AltStore PAL (alternative marketplace for regions with DMA regulations in EU, Japan, and Brazil) and AltStore Classic (traditional sideloading requiring AltServer desktop companion). Supporting products include AltServer (macOS/Windows desktop app), AltJIT (JIT compilation enabler), Patreon Integration (exclusive app distribution), and a REST API for developers. The ecosystem is built by a small team and funded through Patreon supporters, with recent $6M Series A funding for global expansion and Fediverse integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AltStore PAL: The regulatory-compliant alternative app marketplace for iOS, available in regions where alternative app distribution is permitted (EU, Japan, Brazil).
- AltStore Classic
- AltServer
- Delta
- Clip
Products and services
- AltStore PAL Official alternative app marketplace for iOS operating under regulatory frameworks (EU Digital Markets Act, Japan Mobile Software Competition Act, Brazil CADE settlement). Available in EU, Japan, and Brazil, requiring iOS/iPadOS 18.0+ and a signed-in regional App Store account. Handles notarization and marketplace compliance for third-party developers.
- AltStore Classic
- AltServer Desktop companion application for macOS and Windows that enables installation and management of AltStore Classic on iOS devices. Handles Apple ID authentication, code signing, and app refreshing over WiFi or USB.
- Delta Nintendo emulator for iOS developed by the AltStore team, distributed through the AltStore platform. One of the flagship apps demonstrating the platform's sideloading capabilities for gaming and emulation.
- Clip Clipboard manager for iOS developed by the AltStore team, distributed through the AltStore platform as one of the team's self-published apps.
- AltStore REST API Developer-facing REST API providing endpoints for registering Apple Developer IDs with AltStore PAL, downloading and processing Alternative Distribution Packages (ADPs), and federating sources to the Fediverse for social app discovery.
Companies that use AltStore
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
AltStore technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature5 records
AltStore partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Mastodon/FediversecoreAltStore PAL joined the fediverse via Mastodon server integration, enabling federated interactions for app news, updates, and alerts. Apps like Loops, PeerTube, and iPhanpy are featured. Users can sign in with Mastodon accounts to like items directly in-app.
- BlueskycoreAltStore PAL 2.3 added Bluesky social login alongside Mastodon for federated likes and social web features. Added Bluesky social media button to Settings in AltStore 2.2.
- ApplecoreRegulatory relationship: Apple enables alternative app marketplaces in regions where required by law (EU DMA, Japan Mobile Software Competition Act, Brazil CADE settlement). AltStore PAL operates within Apple's technical framework including notarization requirements and Core Technology Fee.
- Epic GamesminorEpic Games Store is available as a source on AltStore PAL, distributing Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League through AltStore's marketplace.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AltStore competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Setapp: Subscription-based alternative app marketplace for macOS and iOS that distributes curated software outside the official App Store. Highly comparable business model — recurring subscription access to a vetted app catalog — and overlapping target audience of iOS/Mac power users seeking App Store alternatives.
- Aptoide: Long-standing alternative app marketplace, originally Android-focused but now expanding to iOS under DMA-style frameworks. Directly comparable as an independent, third-party app store operator pursuing multi-region regulatory expansion with a developer-pays revenue model.
- F-Droid: Open-source alternative app catalog emphasizing FOSS distribution. Directly comparable to AltStore Classic's open-source, sideloading-first philosophy and indie-developer-focused distribution model, though currently Android-centric.
- BuildStore: Subscription-based iOS sideloading service that signs and distributes apps outside the official App Store using developer certificates. Directly comparable business model — recurring subscription for sideloading access — targeting the same iOS power-user segment.
Broad incumbents
- Epic Games Store: Major alternative app/game marketplace that has launched on iOS in the EU following DMA compliance. Directly comparable because Epic Games Store is already a source on AltStore PAL and competes for the same regulatory-driven marketplace slot on iOS with vastly greater resources.
- TestFlight (Apple): Apple's official beta app distribution platform that any iOS developer can use. Overlaps with AltStore Classic's developer-distribution use case for testing and pre-release app sharing, but is constrained to beta usage versus AltStore's broader distribution claims.
- Mac App Store: Apple's official macOS app marketplace that competes indirectly with AltStore/AltServer distribution on macOS. Comparable as the incumbent software distribution channel AltStore is positioning against, and a likely target for AltStore's expansion beyond iOS.
- Huawei AppGallery: Major alternative app marketplace operated by a device OEM following US sanctions that removed Google Play. Comparable as an alternative iOS/Android-style app store that emerged from regulatory or platform-access disruption, illustrating both the scale opportunity and the platform-risk dynamics AltStore faces.
Emerging players
- AppFair / OpenAlternative: Emerging open-source iOS app marketplace project, already present as a source within AltStore PAL's catalog. Comparable as a community-driven iOS alternative distribution project with overlapping open-source and indie-developer values.
Others
- Stripe (payment infrastructure): Payment processor used by AltStore for subscription billing on its website. Included as an ecosystem/infra peer because Stripe underpins AltStore's PAL subscription and Patreon-adjacent revenue flows; also comparable as a developer-platform enabler serving similar indie-developer customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AltStore social profiles
Digital presenceAltStore financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AltStore leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
AltStore funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AltStore M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AltStore
What does AltStore do?
AltStore operates an open-source alternative iOS app marketplace that enables sideloading of apps without jailbreaking devices. Its two main distribution products are AltStore PAL, a regulatory-compliant marketplace available in the EU, Japan, and Brazil, and AltStore Classic, which uses personal Apple Developer IDs for global sideloading via the AltServer desktop companion app. Supporting products include the Delta Nintendo emulator and Clip clipboard manager, alongside developer tools such as the REST API and AltJIT compilation workaround.
Is AltStore a public or private company?
AltStore is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was AltStore founded?
AltStore was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AltStore based?
AltStore is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
How does AltStore make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. AltStore PAL Subscription is the primary driver. The others are core Technology Fee Pass-through.
Who are AltStore's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Setapp, Aptoide, F-Droid and BuildStore. Broad incumbents are Epic Games Store, TestFlight (Apple), Mac App Store and Huawei AppGallery. AppFair / OpenAlternative is listed as an emerging player. Stripe (payment infrastructure) is listed as an others.
Does AltStore have an API?
Yes. AltStore provides a REST API with endpoints for developers to register Developer IDs with AltStore PAL, download and process Alternative Distribution Packages (ADPs), and federate sources to the Fediverse/explore.alt.store. The API supports registration of Apple Developer IDs, ADP processing and downloading, and source federation for social discovery. Developer documentation is at faq.altstore.io/developers/rest-api.
What industry is AltStore in?
AltStore's product category is Alternative iOS App Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMADAM, Alternative App Distribution & Sideloading Platforms. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 5734.