Alternative app distribution
Getting an app onto phones without the default public store, through direct download or another marketplace, while owning more of the risk.
See it
What it is
Alternative app distribution means reaching users without the platform's default public store. Android has long allowed signed APK downloads and third-party stores. Where regulation requires it, starting with the EU under the Digital Markets Act, Apple also supports eligible iOS distribution through alternative marketplaces and Web Distribution, under Apple's program terms and notarization process. Epic put Fortnite back on EU iPhones through its own marketplace in 2024, which is what this looks like when someone actually does it. Check which territories are currently in scope before you plan around it.
Reach for it when a defined audience, commercial model, or distribution partner justifies owning more of installation and updates. Budget for the jobs the official store normally performs: discovery, user trust, signing, update delivery, payment operations, fraud handling, and support.
Gotcha: EU routes remain bounded by eligibility, territory, signing, notarization, and ongoing compliance requirements. Enterprise and ad hoc provisioning serve limited audiences rather than public distribution. On either platform, losing control of the signing key or update channel can strand every installed copy.
Ask AI for it
Design an alternative-distribution plan for this app in the European Union. Compare an Android direct-download channel signed with apksigner, an Android third-party marketplace, Apple alternative marketplace distribution, and Apple Web Distribution with notarization. For each route, list eligibility evidence, signing custody, install steps, update mechanism, payment path, geographic enforcement, revocation response, support burden, and the official-store fallback. Include APK Signature Scheme v3 where the supported Android versions allow it, retain any older signing schemes the device matrix requires, and use Apple's notarization result as a release gate. Return an architecture diagram in Mermaid, a threat model, a key-rotation runbook, and a launch checklist. Do not treat enterprise or ad hoc provisioning as public distribution.