An Android app store competitor is available in the Play Store

Today brings a development Google has fought long and hard against: A rival Android app store is officially available in Google Play.

Aptoide has announced that Aptoide Games is now downloadable through Google Play for Android users in the United States. The company specializes in mobile games but was previously only available through preinstalls or sideloading.

Google has fought to be the only easy app store option for Android users. "More than ten years ago, Android users lost the ability to discover alternative app stores through Google Play," Aptoide CEO and co-founder Paulo Trezentos said in the announcement. "Today, that changes. Users gain more choice, developers gain additional distribution opportunities, and Android becomes a more open and competitive ecosystem."

After nearly half a decade of fighting between Google and Epic Games, US District Judge James Donato ordered Google to open the Play Store to competitors in 2024. The latter party sued both Google and Apple in 2020 for removing Fortnite from their app stores. Google had blocked both OnePlus and LG from offering the game in a way that bypassed the Google Play store.

Epic and Google have since reached an agreement that includes "more billing options, a program for registered app stores, and lower fees and new programs for developers," according to a Google blog post . That includes allowing third-party app stores on Google Play.

These third-party app stores have only been available since July 22 . Aptoide might be the first company to take advantage of the rule change, but it certainly won't be the last.