App store AltStore is relaunching on iOS with a different monetization model

AltStore, an alternative app store for iOS that has long been available to those willing to experiment with their phones, will become an official “marketplace” for apps, at least in Europe. The creators of AltStore have announced that it will become a real alternative to Apple’s App Store, and that you will be able to install and download apps from it officially. The store’s monetization method is also interesting, being based on Patreon subscriptions.

AltStore will link in-store “purchases” to subscriptions through Patreon

An AltStore version has already existed for many years, being available via a developer account, which requires refreshing “licenses” via a computer every few days. Through the AltStore, developers have released various apps that are not allowed on the AppStore, such as game console emulators.

AltStore will now come officially though, using Apple’s APIs and offering the apps based on subscriptions on Patreon. Basically, developers who want to list their apps on AltStore, will “charge” users through Patreon. Thus, you will be able to download the application from AltStore as long as you are subscribed to the producer’s Patreon account. When you cancel your subscription, the app will no longer update, but will continue to work at the version it was left with.

The first apps on the new AltStore will be Delta, a game console emulator, and Clip, a clipboard manager that keeps a list of all the items you’ve copied. Delta will be available for free, but Clip will cost $1 per month. For access to beta versions of the two apps, which will bring new features and other improvements faster, you’ll need to subscribe to Testut’s Patreon, the developers behind AltStore and these apps. It will cost $3 per month.

Testut will allow other apps to be listed on the AltStore after the store launches, but developers will still need to use Patreon integration in order to distribute them.

According to iOS app developer Steve Troughton-Smit, the DMA regulation opens up new monetization opportunities that Apple hasn’t even considered before, and that not all stores need to copy the App Store monetization model, which charges between 15 and 30% in commissions for all purchases on the store.

“Here’s something that altstore does that should make you think about alternative payment systems that Apple would never have considered: It has integration with Patreon and can tie app access to your Patreon pledge — which which gives you a completely different, personal relationship with your users and allows you to use the same rewards system that you use for videos, blog posts, products, etc. Alternative app stores don’t just have to recreate Apple’s model,” Steve Troughton-Smith wrote in a post on the Mastodon social network.

AltStore is said to be ready for launch, only requiring final approval from Apple.