PhonePe has announced the consumer launch of its Indus Appstore. Indus Appstore is PhonePe’s attempt at creating a more competitive and localised mobile app store economy for India, which is already the largest mobile apps download market globally. Here’s how it serves as an apt alternative for the Play Store on Android.
Indus Appstore: Features
The PhonePe Indus Appstore allows Indian consumers to download over 2 lakh mobile apps and games, across 45 categories. Users will be able to discover these apps conveniently in 12 Indian languages, thereby catering to 95% of Indians’ language preferences. The app store also offers a brand new short-video based discovery feature to discover news apps in an intuitive manner.
Indus Appstore allows app and game developers to choose any 3rd-party payment gateway for in-app billing, and they will not be charged any commission if they use an external payment gateway. At a later date, Indus will also provide its own in-app billing and catalog solutions, but these will remain strictly optional for app developers. Further, to accelerate developer registrations, Indus is offering zero listing fees to developers for one year.
Indus Appstore: Is It Better Than Google Play Store?
The Indus App Store offers several benefits to both app developers and users in India. For developers, the Indus App Store does not charge any app listing fee until April 2025, and allows them to use any third-party payment gateway of their choice. This gives them more flexibility and control over their app monetization and distribution. The Indus App Store also provides them with localised support and tools for app promotion and optimisation.
For users, the PhonePe Indus Appstore aims to provide them with a more relevant and engaging app discovery experience, as well as a more accessible app download and usage experience. It also has features like a two-step install process where you can download the app and install it at a later stage if you want to. The Indus App Store also respects the user’s privacy and choice, and does not impose any mandatory policies or fees on them.
The Google Play Store, however, also offers some benefits to app developers and users in India. For developers, the Google Play Store provides them with a large and global user base, as well as a robust and reliable app delivery and update system. The Google Play Store also offers them various tools and resources for app development and improvement, such as Firebase, Android Studio, and Google Play Console.
Read More: Microsoft Copilot App Debuts On Google Play Store: How To Use?
For users, the Google Play Store provides them with a wide and diverse range of apps and games, as well as a secure and trustworthy app installation and usage experience. The Play Store has over 3 million apps, offering a diverse selection to the user. For instance, apps like ChatGPT and Copilot aren’t available on Indus Appstore yet. The Google Play Store also offers them various features and services, such as Google Play Protect, Google Play Games, and Google Play Pass, that enhance their app enjoyment and utility.
To sum up, both the Indus Appstore and the Google Play Store are viable and valuable app stores for Android app developers and users in India. They both have their own features, benefits, and challenges that make them different and competitive. The Indus Appstore offers a more localised and user-friendly app store experience, while the Google Play Store offers a more comprehensive and reliable app store experience. While the Indus Appstore does have potential to be a full-blown alternative to the Play Store, it is yet to reach that point.
How To Install Indus App Store?
Step 1: Open the default Browser on your Android phone and go to “https://www.indusappstore.com/”.
Step 2: Now, tap on the blue “Download Indus Appstore” button and allow the browser to begin the download.
Step 3: Open the file once downloaded and install it.
Step 4: Tap on settings and allow your browser to install it by enabling the “Allow installation from unknown sources” permission in case it is denied.
Step 5: Once again, tap on the Install button which pops up and you are done.