While the Google Play Store handles APKs invisibly in the background, an APK store explicitly offers these files for direct download. This process, often called "sideloading," allows users to install applications without going through a centralized marketplace like Google or Amazon.

Many apps are geo-locked. A user in the UK might want to try a specific banking app released only in Japan, or a streaming service exclusive to the US. APK stores allow users to bypass these regional restrictions.

The APK store ecosystem is currently at the center of a global legal war.