Majority of mobile devs believe industry won’t survive without alternative app stores

84% of mobile developers feel the industry cannot survive with Apple and Google dominating the app stores.

That’s according to a report commissioned by Aptoide, which explores the firms’ duopoly on the mobile market and how developers are seeking alternate app stores as part of their distribution strategy.

Independently conducted by Atomik Research, over 300 senior-level developers from mobile game studios in the US and the UK were surveyed in the whitepaper titled ‘Ctrl. Alt. Del. – Reclaiming The Gaming Distribution Landscape‘.

Over half of those surveyed cited “exorbitant app store fees and marketing costs” as their main criticism of Apple and Google’s, followed by acquisition costs (46%) and “restrictive policies” (44%).

43% of respondents also reported “struggling with discoverability and saturation on major platforms.”

While the “vast majority” of revenue still comes from Google and Apple stores for 87% of developers, 74% “expect alternative app stores to become a core part of their distribution strategy within five years.”

Almost half believe Google and Apple’s “content restrictions are limiting” and, as a result, developers are looking to use alternative app stores for better revenue share and offerings.

Many developers (73%) “anticipate double-digit growth from embracing” alternative stores, due to “fresh user bases and greater freedom from restrictive policies.”

“For too long, an entrenched duopoly has stifled commercial and creative potential, setting too many rules and taking too much revenue,” said Aptoide CEO and co-founder Paulo Trezentos. “Our findings confirm that developers are ready to reclaim control.”

“A new wave of opportunity is emerging through alternative app stores – platforms that offer game makers greater control, better economics, and access to untapped audiences.”

Apptoide launched as the first non-Apple iOS store last June, and fully launched to consumers across the EU earlier this year.