At the same time, a host of new alternative app stores have proliferated, driven by the open nature of the Android platform (which allows third party app distribution) and growth of the Chinese app market, where Google Play isn’t officially available but still can be reached. However, as competition on the two major stores has grown, developers have found it increasingly difficult to achieve visibility for their apps on these stores.
The Google Play Store for Android and the Apple App Store for iOS are the two largest distribution channels for mobile apps, offering almost global coverage to a huge potential audience.
