As a result of the agreement between Apple and the EU
Digital Markets Act (DMA), the third-party iOS app store marketplace AltStore
PAL is now live in the EU. The store has been developed by Riley Testut and Shane
Gill to accommodate apps that can be self-hosted by developers on their own
servers.
To install the app store, an annual subscription fee of €1.50
(plus tax) must be paid, which covers Apple’s Core Technology Fee (CTF). During
the installation process, Apple confirms with the user multiple times if they
wish to proceed with installing a third-party app, before it finally lets them get
through.
AltStore PAL is bringing with it two apps, both developed by
Testut himself: the Delta game emulator and a clipboard manager app ‘Clip’. The
Delta app is simultaneously also making way to the App Store outside of the EU.
According to Testut, AltStore PAL is also open to submissions from third-party
developers.