GoKawiilAndy Walker / Android Authority
While sideloading might be a bit harder in 2026 than in the past, it still remains one of the most distinctive features of Android compared to more locked-down platforms like iOS. This not only lets you sideload your work-in-progress app ideas, but also run unofficial apps or even third-party app stores.
For those who want the widest selection and prefer to go straight through an official source, Google Play remains the very best storefront, but there are a few others worth looking at for specialty apps, older apps, or privacy-conscious users who want to free themselves from their Google accounts.
With that in mind, here are just five alternative app stores. You’ll find most of these options don’t fully replace Google Play, but they do make wonderful supplements. It’s also possible to meet most of your app needs by combining the options listed below.
What do you think is the best Google Play Store alternative? 50 votes F-Droid 42 % Aurora Store 20 % Obtainium 14 % APK Mirror 8 % Galaxy Store 14 % Other (Let us know in the comments) 2 %
F-Droid
If you’re looking for a more private, open-source experience, F-Droid is one of the first places I would recommend. I love that you don’t need to sign up for an account and that the app actively bans user tracking. There are also no ads here, which makes the whole experience load and function much faster.
Of course, nothing is perfect. While the F-Droid team inspects submitted code, as Google Play does, it’s important to be vigilant about what you’re installing, as apps from bad actors can still sneak in from time to time. There’s also a much smaller app catalog here, with about 2,600 apps, and you’ll often find that updates lag behind official GitHub or Google Play app releases.
One last point is the UI. While F-Droid is fully functional as is, the layout is also less than inspiring in 2026. That may not matter to some of you, but if it does, the good news is that there are clients like Droid-ify and Neo Store that use the same repositories, and many of these clients have considerably more polished, modern layouts.
Aurora Store
... continue reading