According to MacRumors, AltStore PAL launched in Japan on June 7, just one day after Apple enabled alternative app marketplaces in the country on June 6. Developer Riley Testut said Apple gave no advance notice of the rule change, but his team launched the marketplace within hours because it was already operating in the European Union. iPhone and iPad users in Japan can now download AltStore PAL directly from its website, but they must be physically located in Japan, have a Japanese App Store account, and run iOS/iPadOS 17.4 or later. To celebrate, users get a free month of Patreon access for beta updates to the popular Delta game emulator. Apple requires these marketplaces to pay a five percent Core Technology Commission and uses a notarization process for apps, but exercises little content oversight.
The strategy and the rush
Here’s the thing about that one-day turnaround: it shows how ready some developers were to pounce. Testut basically had AltStore PAL on standby, already battle-tested in the EU for months. That’s smart. But it also highlights a weird dynamic. Apple is complying with Japan’s new Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), which kicked in on December 18, but they’re not exactly rolling out the red carpet. No heads-up? That feels intentional. It’s like they’re meeting the legal letter but not the spirit, making alternative stores scramble instead of smoothly onboarding them. For a company that controls the experience so tightly, this passive-aggressive rollout is pretty on brand.
Who wins with this model?
So what’s the actual business here? AltStore itself is free, but it’s powered by Patreon. Developers can monetize their apps through subscriptions there, and users can pay to access betas or special features. It’s a direct line between creator and user, cutting out Apple’s 15-30 percent standard commission. The obvious early beneficiaries are apps like Delta, the Nintendo game emulator, which Apple’s App Store rules have historically banned. But it’s bigger than just emulators. This opens a door for any app that falls outside Apple’s often-arbitrary content guidelines—maybe utilities that are too powerful, or social apps that are too niche. The notarization process checks for malware, but that’s it. Apple’s walled garden just got a new, much looser gate.
The bigger, messier picture
Look, this is a crack in the dam, not the dam breaking. It’s only in Japan and the EU right now, and the requirement to have a local account and be physically present is a huge hurdle. And let’s talk about that five percent commission Apple still charges marketplaces. It’s lower than the standard cut, but it’s still a toll. Apple’s argument is that it’s for core technology, but critics will say it’s just a tax on competition. The real test will be if big-name companies or major app developers start putting their apps exclusively on stores like AltStore. I don’t see that happening soon. But for indie devs and specific toolmakers? This is a new, viable path. It’s a niche play, but in the world of tech, niches have a way of growing.
