What Sibapp does

Sibapp (سیب‌اپ) is an Iranian domestic iOS application marketplace founded in 2013 and headquartered in Tehran, providing Iranian users with access to iOS apps that face geographic restrictions on Apple's global App Store. The company self-reports 70% market share in the Iranian iOS apps market and positions itself as the largest and fastest domestic app store in the country. Its core platform distributes consumer applications including Iranian mobile banking apps (such as those from Maskan Bank and Tejarat Bank), messaging apps, ride-sharing, and utility software. The company operates with a headcount in the 11-50 range and is privately held with no disclosed external funding.

The product portfolio is structured as an ecosystem of five interconnected modules: the primary Sibapp iOS app store, Sibapp Mac for macOS application distribution, Sibapp Shop (shop.sibapp.com) for e-commerce sales of authentic Apple hardware with corporate warranty, a Developer Panel (developer.sibapp.com) that provides self-serve app submission and distribution infrastructure for Iranian developers, and a Persian-language editorial blog with 609 published posts across 49 pages covering iOS tutorials, app reviews, device comparisons, and buying guides. The technology is an iOS/macOS app distribution marketplace platform serving the Iranian market as a domestic alternative to Apple's global channels.

Revenue mechanics combine recurring developer subscriptions for app distribution services, subscription-based premium app access for consumers, and hardware sales margins from Sibapp Shop. The customer base spans two primary segments: Iranian iOS device users (consumers seeking app access and genuine Apple products) and iOS app developers (independent developers and companies distributing applications to Iranian users). The go-to-market approach relies on content marketing through the Persian-language blog and SEO, with co-marketing partnerships with major Iranian brands for user acquisition. The entire business operates within a single-country geographic scope (Iran), with no global footprint or international expansion disclosed.

Name

Sibapp

Legal name

Sibapp (سیب‌اپ)

Website

https://sibapp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sibapp (سیب‌اپ) is an Iranian domestic iOS app marketplace founded in 2013, distributing mobile banking, messaging, and utility apps to Iranian users who cannot access them via Apple's global App Store. It operates a multi-product ecosystem spanning iOS, macOS, hardware retail, a developer portal, and a 609-post Persian-language content blog.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

App Marketplace

NAICS

Electronics and Appliance Retailers (44921)

SIC

Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile App Stores (General) (MPAFACAC)

Keywords

• IOS app marketplace
• Mobile app distribution
• Developer distribution platform
• App store alternative
• Apple product retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. App Distribution Services: Sibapp operates as an alternative app marketplace for iOS users in Iran, providing access to apps including mobile banking applications that face restrictions on global App Stores. The platform generates revenue through developer subscriptions and premium app access.
2. Sibapp Shop: E-commerce platform selling authentic Apple products including iPhones with corporate warranty, positioning as a trusted source for genuine Apple devices in Iran.
3. Mac App Store: Dedicated Mac application store (mac.sibapp.ir) extending the platform's reach to macOS users in Iran, creating a cross-platform ecosystem for Apple device users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sibapp operates an iOS app marketplace serving as the primary domestic alternative to the Apple App Store for Iranian users, providing access to locally-developed applications including mobile banking, transportation, messaging, and utility apps that face regional restrictions on global App Stores. The company also runs a self-serve developer portal for app distribution, an e-commerce shop for authentic Apple hardware, and a dedicated Mac app store, all supported by an extensive Persian-language content library.

Product overview

Sibapp operates as a platform-plus-ecosystem architecture centered on its core product: an Iranian iOS app store that provides unrestricted access to applications including Iranian mobile banking and utility apps. The portfolio consists of the main Sibapp iOS store, the Sibapp Mac desktop extension, the Sibapp Shop e-commerce layer for Apple hardware, the Developer Panel for app distribution, and the Sibapp Blog for content marketing and user education. These modules work together to serve the full lifecycle of iOS app consumption and distribution for Persian-speaking users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sibapp Shop (سیب اپ شاپ): E-commerce platform for original Apple products with warranty
• Sibapp Mac (سیب‌اپ مک)
• Developer Panel (پنل توسعه دهندگان)

Products and services

• Sibapp iOS App Store Primary consumer-facing iOS app marketplace for Iranian users, providing access to Iranian-developed applications including mobile banking apps (Maskan Bank, Tejarat Bank), ride-sharing (Tapsi), messaging (Bale), and other utilities not available on the global App Store.
• Sibapp Mac

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Major Iranian BrandsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSibapp runs joint growth campaigns with Iranian brands for mutual visibility and user acquisition. These co-marketing initiatives help brands reach Sibapp's user base while expanding the platform's content and service offerings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Apple App Store: Official global iOS distribution channel from which Sibapp's market exists. It is the upstream gatekeeper whose restrictions create Sibapp's value proposition, and the benchmark against which Sibapp competes on consumer trust and developer tooling.
• Google Play Store: Default Android app marketplace and the global incumbent that Iranian Android rivals (Bazaar, Myket) bypass. Comparable as the macro reference point for app-store economics, take rates, and developer relations that Sibapp and its Iranian peers emulate.
• Microsoft Store: Microsoft's cross-device application marketplace for Windows and Xbox, which Sibapp's mac.sibapp.ir mirrors on a much smaller scale. Comparable as an operating-system-level app distribution business with both consumer storefront and developer publishing surfaces.
• Huawei AppGallery: Major third-party mobile app marketplace built to serve devices without Google Play after US sanctions on Huawei. Highly comparable business model: a sanctioned-market alternative store that competes on developer onboarding, payment rails, and consumer trust outside the official ecosystem.
• Amazon Appstore: Pre-installed alternative Android app marketplace bundled on Amazon Fire devices. Comparable as a large platform owner that runs its own app distribution stack parallel to Google Play, demonstrating the alternative-store model at scale.

Direct peers

• Aptoide: Independent Android app marketplace that pioneered the alternative-app-store model with developer self-publishing, mirroring Sibapp's developer-portal approach. Closest global analog in operating a third-party store parallel to the official Google/Apple channels.
• Myket: Another Iranian Android app store offering local distribution outside Google Play. Direct domestic competition to the Bazaar/Sibapp ecosystem for Iranian developer and consumer mindshare, validated by the same demand for sanctioned-market app distribution.
• Cafe Bazaar (Bazaar): Iran's dominant Android app marketplace, also serving Iranian users cut off from Google Play. Same regulatory/sanctions environment, same dual-sided consumer-developer model, and same dependence on bypassing the official global store as Sibapp's iOS counterpart.

Emerging players

• F-Droid: Open-source app catalog functioning as a non-official Android marketplace. Comparable as a third-party, non-corporate distribution channel that depends on developer self-publishing and community trust rather than official OEM/Google approval.
• TapTap: Community-driven alternative mobile game distribution platform operating outside Google Play. Comparable as a niche store that combines curated discovery, developer tools, and content/community to differentiate from the official store.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sibappcom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sibapp