The best app stores, according to hackers
14 app stores were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 4 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended app stores with the badge. Each figure is 25 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Curated, trustworthy, no spyware
A curated store of open-source Android apps built from source and screened for trackers, making it easy to find ad-free apps; critics cite slow updates and security concerns.
Gets apps Play Store blocks
Free Play Store alternative for installing apps Google Play blocks or without a Google account; critics say it breaks and relies on shared accounts.
Pairs well with F-Droid
Free Android app that installs and updates apps straight from their GitHub, GitLab and other release pages, so you get developer-signed builds. Critics say setup is fiddly and not user friendly.
All 14 app stores, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F-Droid | 230 | 91 | 72% | 12 | 10 yrs5 owners | Approved |
| 2 | Apple App Store | 75 | 483 | 13% | 12 | 10 yrs4 owners | — |
| 3 | Google Play | 62 | 353 | 15% | 11 | 5 yrs5 owners | — |
| 4 | Aurora Store | 61 | 20 | 75% | 11 | 11 mo4 owners | Approved |
| 5 | Obtainium | 38 | 6 | 86% | 11 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| 6 | Rebble app store | 22 | 21 | 51% | 2 | — | — |
| 7 | Flathub | 20 | 14 | 59% | 11 | — | — |
| 8 | Droid-ify | 15 | 3 | 83% | 7 | 3 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| 9 | Microsoft Store | 13 | 44 | 23% | 6 | — | — |
| 10 | Mac App Store | 10 | 28 | 26% | 9 | — | — |
| 11 | Accrescent | 8 | 1 | 89% | 6 | — | — |
| 12 | Neo Store | 6 | 2 | 75% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 13 | Windows Store | 5 | 14 | 26% | 6 | — | — |
| Tied 13 | KDE Discover | 5 | 2 | 71% | 5 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same app store in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to app stores that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.