AltStore PAL is a free app store that lets iOS users install apps other than those available in the Apple App Store. Epic Games, Apple’s former nemesis, is responsible for this free service.
This facility was enabled by a ‘MegaGrant’ monetary award offered by Epic Games in order to encourage app development. AltStore PAL plans to use this grant in the future to cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee. It is still unknown how much the grant will be.
Brief History
In 2020, Epic launched a payment system for its Fortnite game. This was done to avoid Apple’s 30% fee and it was deliberate. Fortnite’s removal from the App Store and subsequent lawsuit were both a direct result.
Apple’s business model or its decision to remove Fortnite was not ruled against by the court. Epic did score a minor victory for developers.
Digital Markets Act, or DMA (Digital Markets Act), was a result of this. It required that platforms such as Apple allow alternative payment methods and alternative channels for app distribution.
AltStore PAL is different.
AltStore PAL allows users to download apps that aren’t on Apple Store to their Apple device. The platform allows people to self-publish apps without having to meet the stringent requirements Apple places on App Store apps.
Riley Testut is the creator of the app. He also created the Delta videogame emulator. Shane Gill, his friend and partner in business, also contributed to the development of this app.
They had worked on developing a model of business that made the app accessible to the general public, without being an expensive burden. They originally charged a 1,50 Euro annual subscription to cover Apple’s Core Technology fee. The Epic Games MegaGrant will eliminate this subscription fee.
MegaGrant is an Epic Games $100 million fund that aims to promote and support developers, content producers, educators and students worldwide. It is a requirement that the Unreal Engine be used. The grants are between $5000 and $500,000; however, it’s not clear how much was awarded to AltStore PAL.
The move is not a direct threat to Apple’s business, but it shows how Big Tech has been a monopoly in the industry for so many years. Apple has continued to use a business model similar to Epic’s, despite Epic’s attempts to empower developers.
Google, too, is threatened by a recent antitrust suit. These legal proceedings can drag on for so long, that the business has already been restructured to accommodate the worst-case scenario.
Shortly, monopolies are going to continue operating as they always have. However, Epic Games is taking a big step forward in giving content and game developers the freedom to create and operate the products that best suit their needs.
The post Epic Games hits back at Apple with AltStore in EU, free of charge may change as new information becomes available.
