AltStore Pal Now Free Thanks to 'MegaGrant' From Epic Games - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

AltStore Pal Now Free Thanks to 'MegaGrant' From Epic Games

by

AltStore PAL, the open-source app that is designed to distribute apps in the EU from independent developers, is now free thanks to a grant provided by Fortnite developer Epic Games.

altstore pal eu
The alternative iOS app store had charged a €1.50 plus tax annual subscription, in order to cover Apple's Core Technology Fee (CTF). Apple's terms for alternative app marketplaces requires developers to pay the CTF for each annual app installation.

However, AltStore Pal will no longer pass on the cost of this fee after the third-party store received a "MegaGrant" from ‌Epic Games‌. AltStore said that existing subscribers won't be charged upon their renewal date, and that the AltStore team plans to "show our appreciation for our existing subscribers in a future update," but didn't go into details.

Developer Riley Testut has been working on AltStore PAL since Apple announced plans to support alternative app marketplaces in iOS 17.4. It is open to all apps, but Testut says that it makes the most sense for "smaller, indie apps that otherwise couldn't exist due to ‌App Store‌ rules."

AltStore PAL is equipped with Patreon integration to allow developers to monetize their apps. Developers can offer their apps to just their patrons, and this method of distribution also allows for a sub-1 million cap on those who can subscribe to use an app.


iPhone users in the European Union can download AltStore PAL from the AltStore website. Alternative app marketplaces are not available outside of the European Union.

As for Epic, it has submitted the ‌Epic Games‌ Store to Apple for notarization under Apple's alternative app marketplace policy in the European Union. The ‌‌Epic Games‌‌ Store will include Fortnite, which means ‌iPhone‌ users in the EU will be able to install and play the title without having to use a cloud gaming service. An ‌iPad‌ version of Fortnite is expected to follow this year.

Tag: Epic Games

Popular Stories

app store blue banner epic 1

Epic Games Wins Reversal of Stay in App Store Fee Legal Battle

Wednesday April 29, 2026 5:05 am PDT by
Apple will not be able to delay a district court battle over fee calculations while it waits to hear whether the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on the latest developments in its long-running dispute with Epic Games. On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an earlier decision letting Apple keep its current zero-fee link-out commission structure in place while it appeals to...
Read Full Article • 85 comments
fortnite apple featured

Fortnite Returns to the App Store Worldwide as Epic Signals 'Final Battle' With Apple

Tuesday May 19, 2026 6:08 am PDT by
Fortnite is back on the App Store in every country except Australia, Epic Games announced today, as the company declared it is entering the "final battle" of its long-running legal dispute with Apple. Epic said the decision to push Fortnite back onto iOS globally was prompted by Apple's own words to the U.S. Supreme Court, in which Apple acknowledged that "regulators around the world are...
Read Full Article • 18 comments
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Read Full Article • 52 comments

Top Rated Comments

vertsix Avatar
vertsix
23 months ago
Still absolutely preposterous Apple feels 'entitled' to a fee for software to run on hardware customers PAY for. Imagine having to pay a royalty to Microsoft for every executable you run or distribute on Windows. It's crazy!
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
G
goodcow
23 months ago
So if we install this, and do nothing with it, we're making Epic pass along €1.50 a year to Apple?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Amazing Iceman Avatar
Amazing Iceman
23 months ago
A nice piece of delicious cheese... in the center of a concealed mousetrap.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
klasma
23 months ago

Welcome to your security nightmare.
Any security issue would be a bug in iOS. Apple has full control over that.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
G
gnipgnop
23 months ago

Still absolutely preposterous Apple feels 'entitled' to a fee for software to run on hardware customers PAY for. Imagine having to pay a royalty to Microsoft for every executable you run on Windows. It's crazy!
If developing a commercially viable mobile operating system is no big deal, why are there only two in the EU?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
contacos
23 months ago

Welcome to your security nightmare.

Ps I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that AltStore is owned by Epic Games interests.
Its really no different than using the App Store. It's not like Apple allows them system access or to operate outside of their own Sandbox. It's really just "Apps" and i don't see how i can trust Apple more with my payment than other vendors. Apple is just another online vendor at the end of the day, just like the page I buy concert tickets on or the items I buy on Amazon. If you enter your credit card information on a page called phishmenow dot com, that's a whole different kind of issue
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments