AltStore vs SideStore vs Sideloadly vs Feather - Full Comparison 2026
Detailed comparison of every major iOS sideloading tool in 2026. AltStore, SideStore, Sideloadly, Feather, KSign, Scarlet — features, iOS compatibility, safety, and which to choose.
Picking the wrong sideloading tool wastes hours of setup time. This guide cuts straight to the point: here's every major tool in 2026, what it does best, what it does poorly, and exactly who should use it.
Quick Recommendation
| Your Situation | Best Tool |
|---|---|
| Complete beginner, have a computer | AltStore Classic |
| Want computer-free daily use | SideStore |
| Want manual IPA control on desktop | Sideloadly |
| Want fully on-device, open-source | Feather |
| Former ESign user | KSign or Feather |
| On iOS 17.0 | TrollStore (not on this list — different category) |
| In the EU | AltStore PAL |
AltStore Classic
Verdict: Best for beginners. Most documentation. Most community support.
AltStore Classic is created by Riley Testut and is the tool that made iOS sideloading mainstream. It uses your free Apple ID through a Mac/PC companion app called AltServer.
How it works: AltServer runs in the background on your computer. When AltStore needs to refresh apps, it contacts AltServer over Wi-Fi or USB to re-sign apps using Apple's developer infrastructure.
| Feature | AltStore |
|---|---|
| iOS Support | iOS 14 – iOS 26 |
| Computer Required | Yes (AltServer must be accessible) |
| Auto-refresh | ✅ Via AltServer on Wi-Fi |
| App Limit | 3 apps (free Apple ID) |
| IPA Sources | ✅ AltStore sources/repos |
| JIT Support | ✅ Native on iOS 16 and below |
| Open Source | ✅ Yes |
| Trust Level | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highest — original creator |
| Cost | Free (AltStore Classic) |
Pros:
- Massive documentation base — most questions are already answered
- Official developer (Riley Testut) — trusted and maintained
- Wi-Fi auto-refresh works reliably
- AltStore PAL is the EU-legal version, Apple-approved
- Excellent source/repo ecosystem
Cons:
- AltServer must be running on the same network for refreshes
- Computer dependency is a deal-breaker for many users
- 3-app limit (solve with LiveContainer)
Best for: Beginners who have a Mac or PC and want the safest, most documented starting point.
SideStore
Verdict: Best overall for iOS 26. Computer-free after setup. Recommended for most users.
SideStore is a community fork of AltStore that removes the AltServer dependency entirely. After one-time computer setup, everything runs on-device through a WireGuard VPN tunnel and on-device minimuxer.
| Feature | SideStore |
|---|---|
| iOS Support | iOS 14 – iOS 26 |
| Computer Required | Once (for initial install) |
| Auto-refresh | ✅ Fully on-device background refresh |
| App Limit | 3 apps (free Apple ID) |
| JIT Support | ✅ Native iOS 16 and below; StikDebug for iOS 17+ |
| Open Source | ✅ Yes |
| Anisette Server | Configurable — switch if default is down |
| Trust Level | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Community-audited |
| Cost | Free |
Pros:
- Truly untethered — no computer after first setup
- Background refresh without AltServer
- Best iOS 26 compatibility
- Great source/repo support including community apps
- Pairs beautifully with LiveContainer to bypass 3-app limit
Cons:
- Initial setup is more complex than AltStore
- Anisette server downtime can break signing temporarily
- Community-maintained — bug fixes slower than AltStore
Best for: iOS 26 users who want the best free daily driver with no computer dependency.
Sideloadly
Verdict: Best desktop IPA installer. Most flexible. Best for power users and developers.
Sideloadly is a Windows and Mac desktop application designed for direct IPA installation. It gives you full control over every aspect of the signing process.
| Feature | Sideloadly |
|---|---|
| iOS Support | iOS 14 – iOS 26 |
| Computer Required | Yes — desktop app |
| Platform | Windows and Mac |
| IPA Upload | ✅ Drag-and-drop any IPA |
| Free Apple ID | ✅ Supported |
| Paid Dev Account | ✅ Full support |
| Advanced Options | ✅ Bundle ID change, dylib injection |
| Anisette | Built-in |
| Trust Level | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Trusted, closed source |
| Cost | Free |
Pros:
- Works with any IPA file — maximum flexibility
- Supports dylib injection for tweak injection directly
- Bundle ID spoofing to bypass duplicate app limits
- Simple drag-and-drop interface
- Works great with a paid developer account
Cons:
- Always needs a computer connected
- Closed source (not auditable)
- No background refresh — manual re-sign every 7 days with free account
Best for: Users who prefer manual control, want to inject tweaks, or use a paid developer account.
Feather IPA Installer
Verdict: Best on-device option. Open-source. Most trusted no-computer solution.
Feather is a lightweight, open-source, on-device IPA installer. You import a P12 certificate and mobileprovision profile (from your own Apple Developer account), and Feather handles all signing locally on your iPhone.
| Feature | Feather |
|---|---|
| iOS Support | iOS 15 – iOS 26 |
| Computer Required | ❌ Fully on-device |
| Open Source | ✅ Full source on GitHub |
| Certificate Import | ✅ P12 + .mobileprovision |
| App Limit | Depends on certificate used |
| No Revoke Mode | ✅ Available |
| Trust Level | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highest for on-device tools |
| Cost | Free |
Pros:
- Open source — you can verify exactly what it does
- No computer needed for any step after setup
- Supports personal dev certs (7-day auto-resign) and paid certs (1-year)
- Privacy-focused — no telemetry
- Lightweight and fast
Cons:
- You need to provide your own certificate
- Getting a P12 + mobileprovision from Apple Developer requires some technical steps
- No built-in app store/repo browsing
Best for: Users who want fully on-device signing with maximum transparency and no closed-source tools.
KSign
Verdict: Best ESign replacement. Feature-rich, free, supports enterprise certs.
KSign launched as the primary replacement for ESign after its April 2025 discontinuation. It supports background operation, has a logs tab for debugging, and handles enterprise and personal developer certificates.
| Feature | KSign |
|---|---|
| iOS Support | iOS 14 – iOS 26.2 |
| Computer Required | ❌ Fully on-device |
| Certificate Types | Enterprise certs, personal dev certs, free shared certs |
| Background Mode | ✅ Runs in background |
| Logs | ✅ Built-in logs tab |
| Trust Level | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Community trusted |
| Cost | Free |
Pros:
- Free and full-featured
- Direct ESign migration path for existing users
- Background operation for downloads and installations
- Supports all certificate types
Cons:
- Closed source
- Enterprise cert revocation risk applies
- Less documentation than AltStore/SideStore
Scarlet
Verdict: Best third-party store experience. Combines repo browsing with on-device signing.
Scarlet is both an IPA installer and a third-party app store. You can browse repos, find tweaked apps, and install them in one workflow — the most streamlined experience for users who mainly want popular tweaked apps.
| Feature | Scarlet |
|---|---|
| iOS Support | iOS 15 – iOS 26 |
| Computer Required | ❌ |
| App Store UI | ✅ Built-in repo browser |
| Signing | On-device with imported certs |
| Trust Level | ⭐⭐⭐ Community trusted |
| Cost | Free |
Full Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | AltStore | SideStore | Sideloadly | Feather | KSign | Scarlet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iOS 26 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (26.2) | ✅ |
| No computer | ❌ | ✅ after setup | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open source | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Auto-refresh | ✅ (AltServer) | ✅ on-device | ❌ | ✅ (if dev cert) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Repo/sources | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| JIT support | ✅ (iOS 16-) | ✅ (iOS 16-) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Tweak inject | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Limited | ✅ | Limited |
| Free | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose AltStore if: You want the safest, most documented tool and don't mind AltServer running on your Mac/PC.
Choose SideStore if: You're on iOS 26, want computer-free daily sideloading, and want the best long-term setup.
Choose Sideloadly if: You prefer manual desktop control, need tweak injection, or have a paid developer account.
Choose Feather if: You want fully on-device signing with complete transparency (open source) and have your own Apple Developer certificate.
Choose KSign if: You're migrating from ESign and want the most feature-complete free replacement.
Choose Scarlet if: You want a one-stop third-party app store experience where you can browse and install tweaked apps directly.
FAQ
Q: Which tool is safest for my Apple ID?AltStore, SideStore, Feather, and Sideloadly all use Apple's official developer infrastructure. Your Apple ID is not at meaningful risk. Feather (open source) and AltStore (trusted developer) have the highest transparency.
Q: Can I use multiple tools at once?Yes. Many users use Sideloadly for initial installation and SideStore for ongoing management, or AltStore for specific apps and KSign for others.
Q: Does the choice of tool affect which apps I can install?Mostly no — the IPA file works the same regardless of tool. Exception: TrollStore grants special entitlements that regular signing tools can't replicate. JIT support varies by tool and iOS version.