Survey says this is the best Play Store alternative, but Google might not agree

The Google Play Store might be the easiest way to stuff your Android phone with new apps and games, but it’s certainly not the only way. Thanks to Android’s open nature, users can source their software from a variety of other stores, even as Google implements several new roadblocks.

If you were just getting started with life beyond the Play Store, which is the best alternative to Google’s app home? Well, we asked our readers to vote on their preferred candidate, and here are the results.

This poll received just under 3,000 votes, but one clear winner emerged. With 37.7% of the support, F-Droid stands out as our readers’ favored Google Play Store alternative. F-Droid is among the more established third-party open-source app stores for Android, housing numerous open-source apps and games.

It’s certainly a firm part of my daily workflow, but it’s not exactly a Play Store replacement. You won’t find Spotify, Reddit, and Gmail on it, for instance. But what you will find are replacements for these apps.

If you’re looking for a direct Google Play Store alternative, there’s Aurora Store. This particular option received 17.4% of the vote. Aurora lets users access the Play Store’s products without requiring a Google account.

Aurora is perfect for dodging promotions and obnoxious ads while offering up the same fare as the proper Google experience. That said, you won’t be able to access any items that you’ve purchased via the Play Store — perhaps the one chink in its armor.

Notably, Samsung’s Galaxy Store (16.3%), APKMirror (13.7%), and Obtanium (11.9%) brought up the rear.

What Play Store alternative do you use regularly, and more importantly, why do you use it? Let us know in the comments below.