AltStore PAL, the alternative app marketplace for iPhone and iPad owners in the European Union (EU), no longer requires a monthly subscription fee to use.

The team announced on August 15 that AltStore PAL is now 100% free for anyone living in the EU. Users are no longer required to pay the €1.50 annual subscription, which the AltStore team collected to cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee. Those already subscribed to AltStore PAL needn’t do anything, as they won’t be charged upon their renewal date.

“We plan to show our appreciation for our existing subscribers in a future update,” the team promised. At any rate, this is major news for the AltStore community. Dropping the subscription fee ought to remove the last remaining hurdle associated with signing up for AltStore PAL. Many novice users were left scratching their heads when confronted with the monthly AltStore subscription fee. Even those who were aware of the fee's purpose just didn't want to pay it.

With that barrier to entry gone, AltStore PAL is now completely free for everyone in the EU to use, and you can thank Epic Games for that! AltStore developer Riley Testut explained that's because Epic has provided AltStore PAL with a MegaGrant grant, which the team will use to cover Apple’s Core Technology Fee going forward. Apple imposes the Core Technology Fee for each annual app install carried out through a third-party app marketplace. Testut hasn’t revealed how much money changed hands as part of the deal.

Epic provides these financial grants to projects built using Unreal Engine and other “creative, noteworthy, and innovative projects,” according to the Epic website. Epic’s move makes a lot of sense if you consider that its CEO Tim Sweeney has announced that his company will distribute Fortnite through AltStore PAL. Epic will also distribute Fortnite for iOS and iPadOS through its Epic Games Store, which has been submitted to Apple for “final notarization.”

AltStore PALalso hosts Delta, the popular Nintendo emulator (also available on the App Store), as well as free and paid third-party software across categories like Utilities, Games, Lifestyle, Entertainment, etc. All AltStore PAL apps are self-hosted, notarized by Apple, and can be installed without using Apple’s own App Store. If you previously skipped AltStore PAL because of the monthly subscription fee, give it another chance by visiting the AltStore website in Safari on your iPhone or iPad and hitting the "Get Altstore" button.

Apple made a slew of changes to the App Store business model earlier this year to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, including allowing alternative app stores and sideloading on the iPhone and iPad. The changes are restricted to the 27 EU member states, but other governments may force Apple to implement them over time. Apple has, for its part, loosened game emulator and NFC restrictions outside the EU.