With fresh funding and a new social integration, AltStore bets on open ecosystems, indie developers, and the future of decentralized app discovery
AltStore Secures $6M Series A to Scale Globally
AltStore, one of the first alternative app marketplaces to take root in the EU following the Digital Markets Act (DMA), has raised a $6 million Series A led by Pace Capital. The round gives the VC firm a 15% stake in the company and enables AltStore to expand its small founding team and scale operations internationally.
- Co-founders Riley Testut and Shane Gill plan to expand into Australia, Brazil, and Japan this year.
- The company will also begin hiring, transitioning from a two-person team to a full-fledged startup.
Joining the board is Mike McCue, CEO of Flipboard and a longtime advocate of the fediverse—a collection of interconnected social networks built on open protocols.
Bridging App Stores with Social Networks
Alongside the funding, AltStore is integrating with the fediverse through Mastodon, adding a social layer to app discovery. The integration uses ActivityPub, allowing users to follow apps directly in their timelines.
- AltStore is launching its own Mastodon server, where app updates will automatically post.
- Users on Mastodon or Meta’s Threads can follow specific apps and get real-time updates like new versions or features.
- Developers simply opt-in and include a JSON metadata file to publish updates.
“It’s adding a social layer,” said Testut. “You can reply to apps from your Mastodon account. You can like stuff from Threads.”
AltStore also plans to bridge to Bluesky using tools from A New Social, increasing reach across decentralized platforms.
From Emulators to Adult Apps: A Diverse Ecosystem
Since the DMA opened the door to third-party app stores in the EU, AltStore has positioned itself as a progressive, developer-friendly alternative to Apple’s App Store.
- Originally known for hosting Delta, a popular video game emulator, AltStore has since expanded to over 100 third-party apps.
- This includes UTM, a virtual machine app that nudged Apple to allow VMs in its own store.
- AltStore also partnered with Epic Games to distribute Fortnite in the EU through AltStore PAL.
- It entered the adult app market by hosting Hot Tub, the first iOS-native app for adult content, which is now its top app.
Developers appreciate AltStore’s flexibility in business models, including support for subscriptions, donations, or no monetization at all.
A Developer-Friendly Alternative
AltStore has become a haven for indie devs, especially those whose apps don’t meet Apple’s strict guidelines.
- Apps with niche audiences, experimental tech, or adult content now have a reliable distribution platform.
- In April, the platform allowed self-publishing for free, leading to further growth.
- Testut claims AltStore has hundreds of thousands of users and offers more developer variety than Epic’s store.
Giving Back to the Open Web
AltStore is contributing $500,000 of its new funding back to the fediverse ecosystem, supporting the infrastructure that powers its new social features.
- Donations include:
- $300,000 to Mastodon gGmbH
- Support for Bridgy Fed, Ivory + Phoenix, Tapestry, mstdn.social, Akkoma, PeerTube, BookWyrm, and Fedify
This positions AltStore not just as a business venture, but as a proponent of open, decentralized digital ecosystems.
