Aptoide Sues Google Over App Market Monopoly in US

Aptoide, a Portuguese company specializing in mobile games and Android app distribution, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in a San Francisco federal court. The lawsuit alleges that Google has maintained an illegal monopoly over app distribution and billing on the Android platform, effectively blocking competition from rival app stores.

Filed on April 14, 2026, the legal action claims that Google uses an anticompetitive chokehold to shut out smaller competitors. Aptoide argues that this control has prevented the company from exerting pressure on Google’s pricing and policies, which would have otherwise occurred in a more competitive market.

Claims of Market Manipulation

Aptoide describes itself as the alternative Android app store and claims to be the third-largest Android app store globally. According to data provided by the company, its catalogue contained approximately 436,000 apps and served more than 200 million annual users by 2024.

The lawsuit asserts that Aptoide offers lower costs to users and lower commissions to developers than Google Play. Despite these advantages, Aptoide alleges it has suffered irreparable harm because Google steers developers toward Google Play and other essential services while depriving rivals of exclusive content from top developers.

As a result of these alleged practices, Aptoide is seeking an injunction to stop Google’s anticompetitive conduct and is requesting unspecified triple damages.

Legal and Regulatory Context

This filing is part of a long-standing legal struggle between Aptoide and Google. In 2014, Aptoide filed a separate complaint against Google with European Union antitrust authorities. The company was also one of the original complainants in the European Commission’s Android antitrust case, which eventually resulted in a €4.34 billion fine against Google.

in October 2018, a Portuguese court ruled in favor of Aptoide, ordering Google to stop removing the Aptoide app from users’ devices without their knowledge.

Wider Industry Impact

The lawsuit arrives during a period of intense judicial scrutiny regarding Google’s control over the Android ecosystem. In December 2023, a U.S. Jury ruled that Google had maintained an illegal monopoly in the Android app distribution and in-app billing markets during a case brought by Epic Games.

Following that verdict, Google agreed in November 2025 to implement changes to Android and its app store to settle the five-year-old dispute with Epic Games.

Google has not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the Aptoide lawsuit.