When everything feels broken, that’s exactly when you need to stick to your principles.
Governments want to track everyone. Big tech keeps closing the web. Search engines punish the very creators they live on. Hardware is locked down tighter every year. Even operating systems limit users and call it “security.”
Meanwhile, we just keep it simple: software matters.
Because software isn’t just apps on your phone—it’s how we learn, work, create, connect. Block software, and you block freedom.
That’s why Uptodown is built the way it is:
No logins. No tracking. No selling your data.
No commissions. No shady contracts. No competing with devs.
No borders, no artificial limits.
Free. Safe. Accessible. Everywhere.
Protect software, protect freedom.
How Uptodown Protects Your Privacy
No registration required: You can download software without creating an account or linking your identity.
No tracking or profiling: We do not connect your downloads with your personal usage.
No third-party exploitation: Uptodown does not share data with external platforms or companies.
Independent by design: We are not part of a corporate group with hidden interests or conflicts.
How Uptodown Supports Developers and the Software Community
Zero commission: All developer revenue belongs entirely to the creators.
Open access: The only conditions for publishing are quality and security, never restrictive commercial terms.
No competition with creators: We do not build apps to compete with the developers we host.
Collaboration for all: Uptodown works with individuals and companies worldwide, regardless of origin or affiliation.
How Uptodown Makes Software Accessible
Open distribution channels: We use the web as a universal, barrier-free platform, not closed ecosystems.
Authentic files: Apps are always distributed exactly as their developers provide them—without tampering, resigning, or modifications.
Global access: Uptodown distributes software worldwide, without artificial restrictions based on geography, politics, or commercial interests.
Cross-platform freedom: We support access from any device, operating system, or environment.
Uptodown exists to defend a simple idea: software should remain free, safe, and accessible to everyone. Protecting software distribution is protecting freedom itself.
Over the past few months, we’ve seen clear confirmation of the scenario we had already been anticipating: the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence and its widespread impact across the entire industry. This is happening in less obvious sectors like design—where Freepik has been pivoting for a while—but also in more “traditional” areas such as web content and search, which are closer to our core.
During this same period, Uptodown completed a monumental milestone: two full decades of operation. We have grown alongside the internet itself, serving more than 20 billion users, delivering over 60 billion downloads, and generating the largest amount of apps and content ever published by a store—in 15 different languages.
All of this has given us a chance to step back and think about our role in the years ahead: to reflect on Uptodown’s value and whether our mission continues to make sense in this changing environment.
“At Uptodown, we develop tools to guarantee free access to software and to organize information about applications from around the world.”
Even now, we keep reaching the same conclusion. No matter how much the industry changes—whether new companies, operating systems, or devices arise—independent access to software, proper organization of application information, and unified distribution will remain universal needs and rights worth defending.
The same holds true for how we want to do things:
“Uptodown aims to be an exceptional workplace for designing, developing, and delivering these tools to the world—a place where a talented group of people can help millions of users discover, download, and share apps with ease and accessibility.”
We’ve lost a lot of in-person contact these past few months without a regular office, and I’ll still be away for a while under a tricky schedule. But if all goes well, sometime in 2025 we’ll look for a more permanent space where we can come together.
Even though Uptodown is a very different company today, we’re fortunate to remain independent—free of external investors or outside influences—so that we can keep doing things the way we believe they should be done. That includes how Pepe and I view our lives and our work: building steadily, always moving forward in the same direction and with a clear purpose, focusing on what truly matters.
With our foundation in order and the benefit of some perspective, we now ask: What’s left to build?What challenge do we want to tackle in the next decade?What should be Uptodown’s next step?
We all agree that if we aim to drive real change in the industry, we can’t settle for leading just one platform, limiting ourselves to the web’s capabilities, or relying on third parties for our revenue. We’re in a position to propose something far more ambitious for universal, independent app distribution.
The Rise of Uptodown. A dominant force in the app and gaming industry.
We want to launch a multi-year movement that addresses different areas and transforms us into a truly unified, open platform. This involves enhancing the spaces we already control and creating new ones to spark a network effect, growing our market share. Among other initiatives:
A single platform for deploying all updates and licenses.
Designed to encourage user adoption and loyalty
Helping solve the growing challenge of digital rights management
Capable of building a community that crosses operating-system boundaries
Expanding the social elements of the Uptodown store.
Fostering a vibrant community around our platform and content
Giving developers the independence to publish and sell their apps
Comprehensive digital rights management for developers
Hassle-free publishing and distribution
Ubiquity in the gaming and app industry.
Presence across multiple platforms
Various integration levels to suit each platform’s needs
Additional cross-cutting services that provide cohesion
All under the umbrella of an independent, privately owned company.
Free from investors or interests that don’t align with our users
We have the capabilities and the right conditions to make Uptodown a truly beloved platform
If we didn’t know each other, or if you hadn’t already traveled much of this road with us, this might sound like a wish list. But you’ve already done the hardest work, weathering our toughest moments and helping build all that we have.
It’s clear you can achieve this, and it’s absolutely worth trying. We’ll keep pushing forward and look forward to seeing everyone throughout 2025.
Colleagues, we are facing two critical weeks defining the next decade of our relationship with technology.
Our goal during this period of implementing the DMA, with your help, is to convey to the commission and regulators what the priority should be amid all the noise caused by the malicious compliance of the Gatekeepers.
We must warn them. Nothing in the law will have any effect if the main problem is not addressed: the pre-installation of gatekeeper stores on every mobile phone sold in Europe.
In everything proposed by Google and Apple, no single line addresses what should be the only concern at this moment for the industry.
The reason is that this simple fact leaves no room for competition and nullifies any other measure of the law. It’s useless to choose a default browser if it’s not available in the pre-installed store; the control of the Gatekeepers remains intact.
Moreover, Uptodown is one of Google Play’s most significant competitors. We deliver over 300 million downloads monthly and have 80,000 developers on board. And yet, we have less than one percent market share.
After a decade of absolute dominance, the truth is that an average user would not be able to name a single alternative to Google Play. This is the damage caused by the pre-installation of stores which, unfortunately, will soon be irreversible.
Google proposes that manufacturers should decide which store to pre-install. Manufacturers that depend on Google – Maps, Gmail, and all sorts of services unrelated to app distribution. Manufacturers that are, for this and other reasons, partners of Google. Manufacturers that have been Google’s tool to manipulate the market for a decade and that have incurred fines of up to 4 billion euros to Google for this reason. The commission must see the humiliation this proposal entails for competitors and regulators.
Google proposes that the user go out to look for an alternative, which they can do. Users abandoned for more than 10 years, unable to navigate the difficulties to even identify those who propose an alternative. No, this has not worked and will not work to correct this anomaly and the total lack of competition. There must be explicit consent, and alternatives must be presented on equal terms. We do not ask for special treatment.
We do not have much time; no law or regulation can do anything once independent stores disappear. These weeks will show what Europe’s response to the challenge will be. Good luck.
The world’s first publication on mobile gaming conducts an exhaustive review of Uptodown’s role in the upcoming decade. The earthquake that is going to occur with its epicenter in Europe in the distribution of mobile applications:
In the early 2000s, we sought a way to connect app developers with users as directly and easily as possible. Our obsession was sorting out all the information about software and making it available to everyone with just one click.
-2010- At that time, Google and Apple also found value in the distribution of apps, proposing their stores as intermediaries between users and developers. The battle that raged for the next ten years focused on building walls around their gardens.
Without realizing it, we all assumed that it was impossible to publish an update without the permission of the big stores, that we could not agree on conditions and offers directly with our own users, and sell on our own website without assuming consequences.
It was too late when they discovered that the same company that imposed its own hardware, operating system, ads, monetization/payment systems, browser, or search now also wanted to control the content.
It has been challenging to counter Google and Apple’s marketing about the danger of anyone else distributing apps. But our mission remains intact. We develop tools to ensure free access to software and organize information from apps worldwide.
Against this model, Uptodown defended the web as the most valid, accessible, and transparent platform to obtain apps.
After so many years, I don't believe we will be able to participate and defend the rights of European users where it matters. Today at the European Commission. pic.twitter.com/s7nMNOBSQA
Buenas preguntas de Nuria Triguero. ¿Qué harías con tu hija?, exponed vuestras niñas a la tecnología y sobre todo a videojuegos. ¿Emprendedor?, es sólo un medio, vacío sin un objetivo. ¿Como llevarte con tu socio?, si mañana me dice que lo deje, me doy por satisfecho.
Algunos desarrolladores siguen pensando que promocionar y publicar SOLO enlaces a Google Play desde su web es la mejor estrategia – he visto a SEOs hechos y derechos hacerlo estos días, incluso en sus blogs, limitando sus enlaces a GPLay -. Probablemente cayendo en el error de que generarán más descargas para rankear en Google Play si apuestan por un solo market, o con un pensamiento más a corto plazo que no les diferencia de sus competidores. Quiero compartir algunas ventajas de añadir un portal como Uptodown a tu lista de mirrors o sitios en los que conseguir tu App, según nuestra experiencia.
– La más obvia. Tienes acceso desde el día 0 a más de 60 millones de usuarios que ya usan nuestra plataforma cada mes.
– Llegas a aquellos usuarios que no pueden utilizar Google Play Services, fabricantes de dispositivos que no utilizan Google Play o regiones a las que Google no da servicio (creedme que son más de los que pensáis).
– La autoridad de nuestros enlaces reforzará tu posición en el buscador de Google (actualmente el 30% de todo el descubrimiento de Apps se produce en buscadores). Sí, combinar tu estrategia ASO con SEO es una apisonadora.
– Te ayudará a competir con otros desarrolladores que solo utilizan Google Play, con mayor difusión y como palanca para generar más instalaciones en Google Play en el medio plazo. Este es el mayor error en mi opinión, creedme que promocionar tu enlace en Uptodown generará más instalaciones en GPlay indirectamente (por la marca, por el contenido y por vuestra visibilidad en otros ámbitos).
– Nuestros editores prueban y redactan un análisis sobre tu aplicación, generando contenido de calidad sobre tu App. Uptodown filtra el contenido y solo publica las aplicaciones más útiles para los usuarios. Muchas veces no se presta atención a que el contenido en GPLay es desatendido y sin participación de editores.
– Destacar en un market de 100.000 aplicaciones (aunque sean de calidad) es más fácil que destacar en uno de 2.000.000 lleno de spam no controlado. Tenemos más de 2 millones de APKs indexados para actualizar aplicaciones – aunque no los publiquemos -, y creedme que es alucinante lo que se cuela en Google Play.
– Nuestro acuerdo con Virustotal garantiza que tu aplicación, como el resto de nuestro catálogo, está libre de amenazas. Te notificaremos en caso contrario. TODOS los días pasamos más de 50 antivirus por cada APK.
– Puedes distribuir tus actualizaciones de forma automática a todos los usuarios de la App de Uptodown, sin esperar a Google Play y con unas políticas más flexibles y transparentes.
– Tú tienes el control. Estadísticas y seguimiento de tu app en el panel de desarrollador de Uptodown.
– En nosotros confían grandes desarrolladores como Twitter, Facebook, King o SuperCell. Insistimos en que nuestro catálogo es 100% legal (al contrario que otros markets ajemos a Google) y con la aprobación de todos los desarrolladores que ahí aparecen.
– Uptodown está centrado solo en aplicaciones, sin distraer con otros contenidos como películas, música o libros.
– El market legal alternativo a Gplay más usado en el mundo (auditados por Alexa).
Dénajos ayudarte agregando junto a tu enlace de Google Play, el acceso a tu App desde Uptodowm:
Gracias Francisco (@baenafrancisco), Samuel (@Sabega12) y todos los que os estáis currando los eventos de esta semana en la UMA. Aunque nos pilló agotados (hemos tenido una semana muy dura), ha merecido la pena el esfuerzo para llegar y un placer charlar con vosotros.
Ayer le dimos un pequeño repaso a las oportunidades para emprendedores dentro de la industria de las aplicaciones móviles. Contamos algo de nuestra historia.
También otras inspiradoras.
Sobre cómo montamos Uptodown.
Y por qué hacerlo en España, es jugar en hard mode.
Hablamos de por qué ni siquiera eso es un problema. Gladiadores malagueños:
Y de algunas cosas que son importantes para nosotros.
Te estamos buscando, la pieza que falta en nuestro equipo para hacer frente a los retos de la industria del software en los próximos años. Tú aun no lo sabes pero muchas cosas están por decidir en la distribución de Aplicaciones de escritorio y dispositivos móviles.
Uptodown va a tener la oportunidad de cambiar esto para siempre, de exportar al resto del mundo su modelo abierto e independiente en el consumo de aplicaciones. Esta es la aventura que te proponemos.
Buscamos guerreros como nosotros, piratas con sed y hambre. Personas creativas, con iniciativa y comprometidas. Pero sobre todo con un talento concreto, esto es lo que buscamos hoy:
– Diseñador Web. 70 % creativo, 30% maquetador. Sabemos que no es fácil, pero debes controlar todo el proceso de diseño, desde el prototipo hasta la integración final. Algunas habilidades más: dominio de los estándares web, usabilidad, accesibilidad, responsive Design, CSS3.
Enséñanos tus trabajos, actualiza tu curriculum para incluir algunas URLs, es lo que vamos a valorar. Queremos ver tu experiencia sobre el terreno, páginas que podamos visitar. ¿Quieres sumar aún más?, envíanos un boceto, una muestra en imagen de lo que harías con Uptodown. Envíalo a campodebatalla@uptodown.com
– Programador Android, necesitamos que tu trabajo esté centrado en esta plataforma. Android es nuestro futuro y tu nos ayudarás a abrir nuevos caminos. Queremos ver algo publicado en Google Play, necesitamos corsarios con experiencia navegando.
Envíanos todo el detalle que puedas sobre tu experiencia en ANDROID y tu background como programador.
Estos serán tus compañeros – filibusteros, corsarios, bucaneros, aventureros, contrabandistas y bandidos de toda clase – en nuestra posada en Málaga:
*Sí, parecen tranquilos… pero no te fies, especialmente del aquel sentado en el fondo al que llaman @pepedom.
No estamos solos, hay otros que nos han acompañado y nos ayudarán en este camimo; Jose Florido, Joaquin Cuenca, Ana Belén Ramón, Manuel y Ale Sánchez, Bernardo Quintero (si quieres saber más sobre sus otras batallas mira aquí Loopventures.io), también otros muchos desde distintos lugares como la gente de Hacker Club Alicante.
Ayudamos a 10 millones de personas cada mes a descubrir y descargar aplicaciones, una comunidad que no para de crecer y comparte nuestra visión.
Solo en Android entregamos más de 5 millones de APKs, almacenamos y ordenamos la información de 50.000 ficheros y todo nuestro contenido está disponible en 11 idiomas. Si crees que encajas en esta compañía, libra esta batalla con nosotros.
*Sí, parecen tranquilos… pero no te fies, especialmente del aquel sentado en el fondo al que llaman 
@luishg 