App store

An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the computer itself. Complex software developed for personal computers may have a corresponding mobile app optimized for the device’s constraints. Today apps are normally designed to run on a specific mobile operating system—such as the contemporary iOS, iPadOS, Windows Phone, or Android—but in the past mobile carriers had their own portals for apps and related media content.^[1]

An app store can be thought as a restricted, commercial version of a package manager,^[2] although an app store provides additional services like app discovery, user reviews, security screening, licensing enforcement, and seamless integration of a payment system. Unlike traditional package managers, which prioritize dependency management and system integration, app stores focus on usability, monetization, and a curated user experience.