Beyond the App Store: How DT and Xsolla are unlocking a new path to mobile growth

For years, the mobile app ecosystem operated like a single-lane highway with a mandatory toll charging up to a 30% cut on every in-app transaction. 

Regulatory pressure has forced Google and Apple to allow alternative billing, web link-outs, and third-party stores. But direct-to-consumer (DTC) payments originating within their app ecosystems will soon carry a 15-20% revenue share. True off-store apps are different: they are standalone builds, such as Android APKs, distributed outside traditional app stores and monetized through DTC payments. This allows developers to avoid app-store revenue-share fees entirely.

This distinction matters as mobile monetization grows. In the EU and the UK, an interesting finding in Sensor Tower’s State of Gaming 2026 report highlights a critical shift in user behavior: while app downloads are stabilizing, in-app purchase (IAP) revenues continue to hit record highs. A webshop or link-out can improve margins, but only a standalone off-store app can fully avoid app-store revenue share. That requires two things: DTC payment infrastructure and a way to distribute the app outside traditional stores.

Piece #1: Unlocking better economics with Xsolla

The shift toward direct sales has been showing strong momentum for years. The top 100 mobile titles recorded a 38% year-over-year increase in DTC earnings in 2025, highlighting the growing opportunity for developers to build direct relationships with their players and capture more of the value they generate. With the new revenue share models from Apple and Google kicking in, how developers approach direct sales may evolve further. Rather than simply moving payments outside the app stores, developers might increasingly think strategically about where, when, and how they sell to players, balancing economics with the reach and convenience of the major app stores.

Xsolla provides a payment infrastructure that makes this model possible, helping developers operate a DTC-first economy, own the customer relationship, and retain more value from each transaction.

But better payment economics are only part of the equation. A standalone off-store app is only as successful as its commercial roll-out strategy. As it is not listed in traditional app stores, users need a trusted way to discover, install and update it. This is where the next piece of the puzzle comes in: distribution and growth.

Piece #2: Unlocking scale with DT Launchpad

DT Launchpad, announced recently, gives publishers a direct-to-device distribution route that shortens the distance between discovery and install. Through direct integrations with carriers and OEMs, DT can create more seamless paths to getting apps onto users’ phones, while its footprint across 82K+ apps creates additional opportunities to reach and acquire users.

That reach also makes distribution smarter. The signals generated across DT’s app and device footprint help identify which users are most likely to engage and convert — giving publishers not just more ways to distribute, but greater intelligence about where and how to drive growth. For off-store apps, DT provides the foundation to power distribution, downloads, updates and discovery, helping developers scale beyond the traditional app stores.

The complete picture

Together, Xsolla and DT help make off-store growth a more scalable proposition. Xsolla gives publishers greater control over how they monetize; DT helps solve the challenge of reaching the right users and getting apps onto their devices.

As mobile becomes more open, publishers shouldn't have to choose between scale and control. By combining smarter distribution with more flexible monetization, DT and Xsolla give publishers more ways to grow — and more ownership of the economics along the way.