Last updated on February 11, 2015

Most Android users turn to Google’s Play Store for apps but there are tons of other Android app store alternatives to the Play Store, and in this post we’re going to list 17. You can visit their websites, download their app store clients directly onto your Android device and start downloading both free and paid apps.

However, unlike the Play Store, downloads from these app stores may trigger the ‘unknown sources’ message, which can be dealt with by changing the settings on your device (as explained in this post).

#1. Amazon Appstore (Download Required)

The Amazon App Store is one of the biggest after the Play Store and there are a couple of exclusives as well. Along with their own Android devices, Amazon started the app store to compete against Google. A big plus for installing it is that you get to download the “Free App of the Day” every day!

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#2. 1Mobile Market (Download Required)

1Mobile Market is a great app store if you’re looking for free Android apps. They boast of having over 800,000 apps which can be downloaded directly to any Android device. This is also a great platform for app developers because uploading apps is also free (but they do review your app before it is published on the store).

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#3. Samsung Galaxy Apps (Pre-loaded)

If you have a Samsung Galaxy Android phone or tablet you can take advantage of Samsung’s own app store which is accessible via the device. There are a lot of free apps available, but you might be disappointed by the lack of options and fairly average quality of apps.

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#4. Mobile9 (Free Themes – Download Required)

Mobile9 is basically a social network like marketplace which mainly focuses on themes and apps which allow you to customize the visual appearance of your Android devices. They currently boast of having over 200 million downloads per month, and if you’re interested in giving your Android a makeover, you should definitely check it out.

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#5. Opera Mobile Store (Download Required)

The Opera Mobile Store has over 200,000 apps and there is a good variety of both free and paid ones. While the quality of apps may leave you disappointed, you will run into new free apps because publishing apps on the store is free (as opposed to publishing them on the Play Store).

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#6. Mobango (No Download Required)

A relatively smaller app store (with around 100,000 apps) Mobango allows users to directly send apps to their devices via SMS or e-mail. Publishing apps on the store is also free, which means developers can get a good amount of exposure if they’re looking for options.

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#7. Soc.io Mall (Download Required)

Soc.io Mall, as the name suggests, is trying to become a one-stop Android app and entertainment hub. Not only will you find apps, you’ll also be able to download books and music. However, they are still growing and aren’t at a level to compete with bigger app stores. Yet, if you’re looking for something fresh, they are worth a try.

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#8. F-Droid (Download Required)

F-Droid is a complete app manager and store for free and open-source Android apps. You can download and install available apps through the client onto your device, and they’re automatically updated when new versions are available. If you want open-source and ad-free apps, you should try out F-Droid.

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#9. Getjar Apps

One of the oldest players in the app store market, those who have used Nokia Symbian devices would remember Getjar all too well. While there are tons of apps and loads of offers (surveys and ad-clicks in exchange for free apps), you should be careful with downloads because a lot of them have ads and can also send annoying notifications after installation.

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#10. AppsLib (Download Required)

AppsLib is the Android marketplace for tablets and you’ll run into some exclusives here. If you’re looking for a few good free games for your Android tablet, this is the marketplace you should check out.

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#11. AndroidPIT App Center (Download Required)

The AndroidPIT App Center is built around the site’s large Android community and you simply need to download their client in order to purchase and download paid and free apps. The app center supports PayPal and ClickandBuy along with a 24-hour refund period.

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#12. Slideme Market (No Download Required)

Slideme is also one of the oldest app stores and has a considerably large user-base. Moreover, you don’t really need to download any clients and can simply browse for apps and download APKs directly to your PC from the site. After that you can copy the APKs to your Android device and install them manually (see link in intro for a guide on that).

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#13. AndAppOnline

AndAppOnline is a small store which mainly has free apps from independent publishers. However, you’ll also find some paid offerings and app developers can also submit their apps for publication.

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Recommended for you: How to Install Apps on Android without Google Accounts

#14. Nexva App Store

Nexva app store has a good variety of apps but most of them are also available on the PlayStore. However, this store has partnerships with mobile carriers and provides app downloading and billing solutions.

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#15. Pdassi for Android

Pdassi is a standard app shop for Android with a client you can download to purchase apps using PayPal. There is a good variety available here, especially in the Dictionaries and Knowledge category.

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#16. Aptoide for Android (No Download Required)

Aptoide is a clean and simple app store for Android, allowing you to directly download APKs to your device and install them. There is a fair variety of apps available and the whole process is quite simple.

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#17. Pandaapp

Pandaapp is another app store with a good variety of apps (mainly games). However, there are a lot of ads on the site and the free apps are also usually loaded with in-game and notification adverts. Still, if you want to try out free games, give it a go.

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If you like any of the Android app stores listed in this post or have any you want to add to this list, comment below to let us know.