AltStore PAL, the first third-party app marketplace to launch in the EU, is dropping its subscription model and going free.
Until now, new users had to pay a yearly subscription fee of €1.50 with VAT. This allowed Riley Testut to cover the Core Technology Fee (CTE), which Apple charges from third-party EU app stores.
EU users can now AltStore PAL for free
AltStore PAL is an Apple-approved alternative app marketplace for iPhone and iPad users in the EU. It allows third-party developers to distribute their apps at low prices and with minimal fees.
In a post on X, AltStore announced receiving a MegaGrant from Epic Games. It’s big enough to allow the store to cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee, making the app marketplace free to use. When their next renewal date arrives, existing AltStore subscribers won’t be charged—their subscription will be automatically canceled. It will also show its appreciation towards existing subscribers in a future update.
GOOD NEWS EU 🇪🇺 For innovation in app distribution, Epic Games has granted us a MegaGrant grant that we plan to use to cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee going forward — and we won’t take it for granted!
What does this mean? AltStore PAL is now FREE — no subscription necessary 🎉 pic.twitter.com/JSJo3FdhBx
— AltStore.io (@altstoreio) August 14, 2024
Epic Games will indirectly benefit from its own grant
Apple’s sideloading rules state third-party marketplaces must pay a Core Technology Fee every time users install an app on their iPhone. The company says this fee “reflects the value Apple provides developers through tools, technologies, and services.” Apple initially exempted apps with less than 1 million yearly installs from this fee. Following criticism, it waived the fee for freeware apps, too.
AltStore PAL charged new users a yearly fee of €1.50 (+VAT) to pay Apple.
Epic Games recently announced that it will bring all its mobile games to AltStore on iOS in the EU. So, the company will indirectly benefit from its grant as well. This decision from AltStore will allow a wider audience to try out the alternative app marketplace without paying an upfront fee.
