SideStore vs AltStore: Which iPhone Sideloader Should You Use? (2026)

ByScarlet iOS Team Updated on

SideStore and AltStore Classic both install apps on an iPhone with your own free Apple Account, and both come with the same Apple limits: apps last 7 days, and you can have 3 installed at a time. The real difference is how they refresh those apps. AltStore Classic needs a computer running AltServer on your Wi-Fi every week. SideStore needs a computer only once, then refreshes on the iPhone itself. This comparison uses both projects’ own documentation and our guides to each tool. Last checked: 2 November 2026.

The Short Version

  • Pick SideStore if you do not want to keep a computer running. After the first install it refreshes apps over Wi-Fi with the LocalDevVPN app.
  • Pick AltStore Classic if you have a Mac or Windows PC that is on most of the time. Its setup is simpler, and it refreshes through AltServer on that computer.
  • Both have the same free-account limits: 7-day apps, 3 apps at a time (the store counts as one), 10 App IDs per week.
  • In the EU, Japan and Brazil there is a third option, AltStore PAL, where apps do not expire.

SideStore vs AltStore Classic at a Glance

SideStore AltStore Classic
Signing Your Apple Account (free or paid) Your Apple Account (free or paid)
Computer Once, for the first install Every refresh (AltServer on the same Wi-Fi, or USB)
First install with iloader AltServer
Computer systems Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook Windows, macOS
Minimum iOS iOS 15.0 iOS 14.0
On the iPhone LocalDevVPN, pairing file Nothing extra
App expiry (free account) 7 days 7 days
App limit (free account) 3 apps 3 apps
Sources AltStore sources (SideStore says it is fully compatible) AltStore sources

Requirements are from SideStore’s prerequisites page and AltStore’s documentation. On iOS 16 and later, both need Developer Mode turned on, because both install apps signed with a development certificate.

How Each One Refreshes Apps

This is the part that decides it for most people. Apps signed with a free Apple Account stop opening after 7 days until they are signed again. See why sideloaded apps expire after 7 days for the details.

AltStore Classic refreshes through AltServer, a helper app on your computer. AltStore’s docs say it can sideload and refresh whenever the iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi as a computer running AltServer, or plugged into it by USB. With Background Refresh on, AltStore tries to do this on its own now and then. If the computer is off, asleep or on another network for a week, your apps expire.

SideStore started as a fork of AltStore and removed that dependency. With a pairing file from the first install, it acts as its own “computer” and talks to the iPhone’s developer services through LocalDevVPN, a local VPN that sends nothing to the internet. You tap the days counter in My Apps, or let background refresh do it, as long as LocalDevVPN is connected and you are on Wi-Fi.

Setup Compared

SideStore: install iloader on a computer, connect the iPhone by USB, sign in with your Apple Account and let iloader install SideStore and place the pairing file. Then install LocalDevVPN from the App Store. Full steps: how to install SideStore.

AltStore Classic: install AltServer on a Mac or Windows PC (on Windows with iTunes and iCloud downloaded from Apple, not the Microsoft Store), connect the iPhone, and install AltStore from the AltServer menu. Leave AltServer running at startup so refreshes keep working.

AltStore has fewer moving parts on the phone. SideStore has more parts (pairing file, VPN app), but once they work, the computer can stay in a drawer.

Common Problems

  • AltStore Classic: most errors are AltServer connection problems, such as “Could not find AltServer” (1200) on school or work Wi-Fi, or the Windows firewall blocking AltServer. See AltStore and AltServer errors.
  • SideStore: most errors come from LocalDevVPN being off, another VPN taking its place, or an outdated pairing file. See SideStore errors explained.
  • Both: “You may only register 10 App IDs every 7 days” is an Apple limit for free accounts, not a bug. See the 3-app and App ID limit.

Which One Should You Use?

  • No computer that stays on: SideStore.
  • Linux or Chromebook only: SideStore. AltServer runs on Windows and macOS.
  • A Mac or PC that is always on at home, and you want the simplest setup: AltStore Classic.
  • Your network blocks devices from seeing each other (school, work): SideStore, because the refresh never leaves the iPhone.
  • In the EU, Japan or Brazil and you only need notarized apps: AltStore PAL, with no 7-day expiry.
  • You do not want any weekly refresh: neither. A paid Apple Developer account ($99 a year) removes the 3-app limit, and according to Sideloadly’s FAQ, apps signed with a paid account can last up to a year. Installers that use a shared certificate, such as Scarlet, have no 7-day expiry either, but Apple can revoke that certificate at any time.

FAQ

Do they use the same app sources?

Yes. SideStore says it is fully compatible with AltStore sources, so the same source URL works in both. See our list of AltStore and SideStore sources.

Is SideStore safe?

SideStore is open source (AGPL-3.0), and it says LocalDevVPN uses no remote servers. It does sign in with your Apple Account, so only enter your password inside SideStore itself, and consider a separate free Apple Account just for sideloading.

Which one is better for emulators that need JIT?

SideStore users enable JIT with StikDebug, which also runs through LocalDevVPN, so no computer is needed.

Similar Posts