AlternativeTo review: how its community-suggested app alternatives and likes work, platform and license filters, and how makers can submit an app.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated November 12, 2026
AlternativeTo is a crowdsourced software recommendation site. You search for an app you already know and see alternatives that other users have suggested and liked, filtered by platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, web and more) and by license, including free, freemium, paid and open source. AlternativeTo says its recommendations come from people who use the software, not from the site or software companies.
For buyers, it is strongest for desktop, mobile and consumer software and for finding open-source or free options. It has user reviews, comments, lists and a tech news section, but little pricing detail or business-focused review depth.
For makers, signed-in users with a verified email can suggest a new app, which joins a moderation queue; AlternativeTo says many submissions are declined and the queue holds several thousand apps. A paid priority review only changes when a human looks at the submission, not rank or approval. Ranking is driven largely by community likes, and links from the site are nofollow and cannot be bought.
Yes. Using the site and suggesting an app are free. The site is supported by advertising.
Sign in, verify your email and use 'Suggest new application'. Admins review submissions and decline many of them.
No. AlternativeTo says a paid priority review only changes when a human looks at your submission, not rank, likes or placement.
It uses an internal algorithm in which the number of likes is one of the most important factors. The exact formula is not public.
27 Kilobyte AB, based in Stockholm, Sweden.
No. Its FAQ says outbound links are nofollow and cannot be bought.