9 alternative Android app stores in China

Xiaomi’s app store pictured on a OnePlus phone.

Even before Google and every single one of its services got blocked in China mid-2014, the nation’s Android phone owners weren’t fans of the official Google Play store. That prompted a billion-dollar industry in alternative Android app stores.

China’s tech titans now dominate Android app distribution.

At first it was startups which disrupted Google Play, but eventually China’s tech titans weighed in, and they now dominate Android app distribution just as they control so much else in the country’s online life.

Here’s our list of the nine most significant Android app portals in China, with the ones run by major local tech firms presented first. If you’re an app developer looking to gain users in China, these are the ones you need to know about.

1. Baidu App Store

Baidu is China’s top search engine.

Baidu App Store is available for Android. As with most on this list, there’s also a website for installing Android ‘.apk’ files without needing to sign up or download the actual mobile version.

The company is clearly taking its App Store seriously after dishing out US$1.9 billion to acquire rival 91 Mobile in 2013. The two apps still run independently.

2. Tencent App Gem

Tencent is China’s social media giant, with nearly 700 million monthly active users on its WeChat messaging app.

As China’s citizens switched to smartphones, Tencent has also piled more resources on to its own Android app store. It’s now one of the largest in the country. The company uses WeChat to give a boost to App Gem. A few days before a new WeChat update arrives on Android, it gets an early launch on Tencent App Gem before the freshest version of WeChat is distributed to other app stores. The ruse is that you need to install the App Gem store in order to access the early WeChat release.

3. Xiaomi App Store

This isn’t limited to Xiaomi phones – it’s also available as a web app and an Android app that can be installed on any Android device.

The Xiaomi App Store is a rarity in that it supports paid apps as well as in-app purchases for games – though the in-game extras are limited to titles published in conjunction with Xiaomi.

4. Huawei App Store

Just as Xiaomi’s rise has boosted its web services and app portal, the Huawei App Store is growing in prominence as Huawei gains traction in its home market.

After initially being whipped by Xiaomi, Huawei is now catching up in the Chinese market. In 2015, Xiaomi remained China’s top selling phone brand, edging out Huawei by a small margin, according to data from Canalys.

5. Qihoo 360 Mobile Assistant

6. Wandoujia

7. 91 Mobile Assistant

8. HiMarket

9. D.cn