The Best App Store in 2026
Steam is the top-ranked app store of the 20 we ranked (9.4/10, free plan), best for PC game publishers seeking a broad storefront. Epic Games Store is the runner-up (9.2/10), and GOG Galaxy is the next highest-ranked option with a free plan (9.0/10). We researched app stores using information on their official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Our rankings focus on the core job of distributing apps, value for money, and verified features that help developers publish and manage apps for their intended platforms.
Our top picks
-
Top ranked
Steam#1 of 209.4/10A free, broad game storefront with library, community, Workshop, and cloud tools.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Epic Games Store#2 of 209.2/10A free-to-install store and launcher for buying games, claiming giveaways, and organizing a library.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
GOG Galaxy#3 of 209.0/10A free Windows and macOS client for managing GOG games and connected libraries.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 20 tools, best first
-
Best forPC game publishers seeking a broad storefront
A free, broad game storefront with library, community, Workshop, and cloud tools.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Steam -
Best forPublishers distributing PC and mobile games
A free-to-install store and launcher for buying games, claiming giveaways, and organizing a library.
9.2/10★★★★★Try Epic Games Store -
Best forPlayers consolidating game libraries across platforms
A free Windows and macOS client for managing GOG games and connected libraries.
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit GOG Galaxy -
Best forAndroid publishers seeking a free regional storefront
A free Baidu storefront for Android discovery, publishing, and app promotion.
- App analytics
- App review
- Web distribution
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Baidu -
Best forAndroid developers targeting Samsung device users
A free publishing and in-app sales channel for developers targeting Galaxy users.
- Subscriptions
- In-app payments
- App analytics
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Galaxy Store -
Best forIndie players managing itch.io game downloads
A free desktop client for downloading and managing itch.io games and software.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit itch.io -
Best forLinux users installing software from configured sources
A Linux desktop app center for browsing sources, installing apps, and managing updates.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit KDE -
Best forAndroid publishers needing sales reports and APIs
A free-to-register Android marketplace with app review, payments, subscriptions, and sales reporting.
- Subscriptions
- In-app payments
- App analytics
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit ONE store -
Best forAndroid publishers running store-page experiments
A free Android publishing console with experiments, analytics, payments, and API automation.
- Subscriptions
- In-app payments
- App analytics
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit RuStore -
Best forAndroid developers seeking a free app catalog
A free Android catalog and storefront with review, verification, scanning and publishing tools.
- In-app payments
- App analytics
- App review
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit APKPure -
Best forPublishers distributing apps across Android and desktop
A free publishing console with app management, country controls, and download analytics.
- In-app payments
- App analytics
- App review
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Uptodown -
Best forLinux publishers needing staged releases and metrics
Free snap distribution with staged release channels and publisher metrics for Linux apps.
- App analytics
- App review
- Web distribution
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Snap Store -
Best forLinux maintainers distributing Flatpak applications
A free, open-source catalog and distribution service focused on Flatpak apps for Linux.
- App review
- Web distribution
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Flathub -
Best forWindows users playing supported mobile games
A free Windows launcher for supported mobile games, with synced progress and PC controls.
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Google Play -
Best forPublishers seeking multi-store Android distribution
Aptoide suits publishers seeking multi-store Android distribution with billing and analytics.
- Subscriptions
- In-app payments
- App analytics
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Aptoide -
Best forMac and iOS developers seeking curated distribution
A multi-model app marketplace with licensing, payments, analytics, and build-upload options.
- Subscriptions
- In-app payments
- App analytics
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forAndroid publishers needing billing and app review
A Persian-language Android storefront with publishing, app review and billing tools.
- Subscriptions
- In-app payments
- App analytics
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Cafe Bazaar -
Best forAndroid developers publishing to OPPO users
A free route for developers to publish and monetize apps in OPPO App Market.
- In-app payments
- App review
- Web distribution
6.8/10★★★☆☆Try OPPO App Market -
Best foriOS users installing notarized third-party apps
A regional iOS marketplace for notarized apps, source discovery, and permission alerts.
- App review
- Web distribution
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit AltStore PAL -
Best forAndroid users seeking a privacy-focused Firefox browser
A free, privacy-focused Firefox browser for Android with extensions and Sync.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Fennec F-Droid
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | App review | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steam | Yes | Free | 9.4 | ||
| 2 | Epic Games Store | Yes | 9.2 | |||
| 3 | GOG Galaxy | Yes | Free | 9.0 | ||
| 4 | Baidu Mobile Assistant | Yes | Free | Android | Yes | 8.7 |
| 5 | Samsung Galaxy Store | Yes | Free | Android | Yes | 8.6 |
| 6 | itch app | Yes | Free | 8.5 | ||
| 7 | Discover | Yes | Free | Linux | 8.4 | |
| 8 | ONE store | Yes | Free | Android, Windows | Yes | 7.8 |
| 9 | RuStore | Yes | Android | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 10 | APKPure | Yes | Android | Yes | 7.6 | |
| 11 | Uptodown | Yes | Free | Android, Windows, Mac | Yes | 7.5 |
| 12 | Snap Store | Yes | Free | Linux | Yes | 7.4 |
| 13 | Flathub | Yes | Free | Linux distributions with Flatpak support; web storefront | Yes | 7.3 |
| 14 | Google Play Games on PC | Yes | Free | 7.2 | ||
| 15 | Aptoide | Yes | $69/yr | Android | Yes | 7.1 |
| 16 | Setapp Marketplace | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Web | Yes | 7.0 | ||
| 17 | Cafe Bazaar | Android | Yes | 6.9 | ||
| 18 | OPPO App Market | Yes | Free | Android | Yes | 6.8 |
| 19 | AltStore PAL | iOS | Yes | 6.7 | ||
| 20 | Fennec F-Droid | Yes | Free | 6.4 |
Head-to-head All 25 comparisons →
- Steam vs Baidu Mobile Assistant
- Steam vs Samsung Galaxy Store
- Steam vs itch app
- Steam vs Discover
- Steam vs ONE store
- Epic Games Store vs Baidu Mobile Assistant
- Epic Games Store vs Samsung Galaxy Store
- Epic Games Store vs itch app
- Epic Games Store vs Discover
Buyer's guide
Which app stores have a free plan? 17 of the 20 we ranked list one. The highest-ranked are Steam (9.4/10), Epic Games Store (9.2/10) and GOG Galaxy (9.0/10).
Which features set app stores apart? Subscriptions: 6 of 20, including Samsung Galaxy Store (8.6/10), ONE store (7.8/10) and RuStore (7.7/10). In-app payments: 9 of 20, including Samsung Galaxy Store (8.6/10), ONE store (7.8/10) and RuStore (7.7/10). App analytics: 10 of 20, including Baidu Mobile Assistant (8.7/10), Samsung Galaxy Store (8.6/10) and ONE store (7.8/10).
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How we rank app store
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Last updated · How we research and update