A new study from Aptoide named CTRL. ALT. DEL. Reclaiming The Game Distribution Landscape suggests mobile game developers are ready to move on from the current app store status quo.
According to Aptoide, which is allegedly the world’s largest independent app store, a survey of more than 300 senior-level professionals in the U.S. and U.K. found that 84% of respondents believe the industry can no longer survive under the control of Apple and Google, citing mounting frustration with fees, restrictive policies, and limited reach.
For more than a decade, Apple’s iOS App Store and Google’s Play Store have maintained near-total control of global mobile app distribution. According to Business of Apps, Apple and Google currently control more than 95% of the app store market share outside of China.
That grip has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years as regulatory pressure from the EU’s Digital Markets Act and ongoing antitrust lawsuits have challenged the companies’ closed ecosystems. Now, developers themselves appear to be joining the chorus calling for reform.
According to Aptoide’s findings, 67% of surveyed developers fear the risks of relying too heavily on Apple and Google, and more than half (51%) cite the platforms’ chunk of revenue they take, typically around 30%, as their top frustration. Other major concerns include rising marketing costs (46%), restrictive policies (44%), and long-standing discoverability struggles (43%). Roughly half also believe Apple and Google prioritize their own services over third-party developers.
“The mobile game ecosystem is overdue for a reset,” Paulo Trezentos, chief executive officer and co-founder of Aptoide, said in a prepared statement. “For too long, an entrenched duopoly has stifled commercial and creative potential, setting too many rules and taking too much revenue. Our findings confirm that developers are ready to reclaim control.”
The study points to growing optimism around alternative app stores that promise better economics and more creative freedom. Nearly three-quarters of developers (74%) expect alternative distribution channels to become a core part of their strategy within five years, and 73% anticipate double-digit revenue growth from embracing them. The most cited benefits include access to new audiences (43%) and greater autonomy from policy restrictions (42%).
For companies like JoyNet Games (Legend of Mushroom), the shift is already underway. “Alternative distribution channels help us reach a broader audience, reduce dependency on a single platform, and provide more flexible marketing strategies,” the studio noted in a prepared statement. “They also allow for cost optimization and improved profitability.”
Aptoide itself has grown into one of the leading players in the alt-store space, boasting 50 million monthly active users and 10 billion downloads across Android, iOS, web, and TV. The company argues that the next era of mobile game distribution will be defined by openness, not exclusivity.
“The next five years could mark a turning point,” Trezentos added. “Developers are realizing that sustainable growth comes from diversity, not dependency.”
The full study can be downloaded on Aptoide’s website.