“Experience an Exclusive App Store in the EU with The AltStore’s Patreon-Powered Selection”
As a result, we’re beginning to see what an app store ecosystem could look like when other developers are allowed to compete with the default iPhone App Store.
One notable case in point is the AltStore, an alternative app store that’s preparing to take advantage of the DMA to launch an updated version of its app marketplace in the EU, with plans to support Patreon-backed apps.
To comply with the new European law, Apple is introducing APIs and frameworks that allow developers to distribute apps independently of the App Store.
“It all works virtually the same as the App Store now,” Testut says.
In the screenshots he shared, the AltStore looks much like a modern-day app store, with categories like Games, Lifestyle and Utilities, as well as buttons to download its free apps, as on Apple’s App Store.