Amazon Appstore is a free utility app for mobile devices developed by Amazon. It's an alternative app store for Android users and the default option for the company's own products running Fire OS, such as the Fire Tablets and Fire TV devices. It comes bundled and preinstalled with purchases.

Compared to Google Play, the Amazon Appstore has a far smaller selection of apps and games to choose from. Instead, it has a highly curated catalog that has been created based on popularity and the number of users, in general. For non-Amazon device users, it can be manually side-loaded and installed.

App selection

The Amazon Appstore is perhaps the most well-known and widely used alternative to Google Play. Its difference from the popular app store isn’t vast. The only major thing you will notice is the number of apps available for download. While Google Play boasts nearly three million potential downloads, the number of apps available on the Amazon Appstore hovers at around 600,000 only. 

Many of the popular apps available on Google Play can also be downloaded on Amazon Appstore. This includes Facebook, Messenger, Netflix, Spotify, VLC, and countless more. But sadly, YouTube and most apps produced by Google are not available. 

However, while the Amazon Appstore has a link to the Amazon Video Store, you would need a premium membership to be able to access the content. This makes it harder for users who want an extensive media library. In contrast, Google Play lets you buy books, movies, and music within the app with no additional membership required. 

But what users would love about the Amazon Appstore is the fact that it gives more than $20, 000 worth of apps, games, and in-app items for free. What’s more, these free contents aren’t just niche stuff that you probably would not want to download. It includes heavily downloaded apps such as Office Suite Pro 8, DuckTales, and Monument Valley. For apps that are already free, like Angry Birds and Star Wars Rebels, every in-app purchase is free. 

Free content isn’t hard to spot in the Amazon Appstore. You only need to look for the Actually Free banner on top of the right-hand corner of the app’s thumbnail. Free apps of the day are also posted on top of the app’s homepage.

Ease of Use

The Amazon Appstore is not available for download on other app stores. In order to access the app on your Android device, you would need to install the Amazon Underground app. You can download the underground app directly from the Amazon website or have it emailed to your device. 

Once you have the Underground app installed, you can proceed to download the Amazon Appstore. The app would require you to enable unknown sources in your security or application settings. The Amazon Appstore APK is available on the Amazon website and the Softonic website. 

But while the installation can be arduous, using the app is easy. The app comes with a sleek interface that is easy to navigate. On the homepage, you can see the apps available for download. These apps are neatly organized so you can easily find what you are looking for. There is also a search bar on top of the screen that lets you key in the app title.

The Verdict

Google Play may be the staple app store for Android users, but it is nice to have a handy alternative. Amazon Appstore offers some cool features and can even help you save money with its daily free app offering. If you are looking for another place to download your favorite programs, this app is perfect for you.