8Store

8Store is a third-party alternative of the Windows Store for Windows 8.1. Windows Store is a digital distribution platform for Microsoft Windows operated by Microsoft. 8Store was first developed by ChockingNetDude on YouTube, and then another person whose name is readypakalads temporarily became the new owner.

8Store allows people to download and install Universal Windows Platform apps (also known as Metro applications) for Windows 8 and 8.1 with an unofficial App Installer port. It also allows users to upload their own programs or old and archived programs that used to be available on the original Windows Store. All apps are free and can be rated from 1 to 5 stars like other platforms, such as Google Play.

History

8Store development was first announced in the Discord server on December 24, 2025.

In December 27, 8Store was finally released and it was announced on YouTube on December 28, 2025.

The YouTube video got banned and got flagged as dangerous on December 29, 2025. The program was reannounced on January 10, 2025, with a new video.

Features

Accounts

8Store lets users register and login to their accounts. It allows people to review applications and see their reviews under their account information.

Reviews

Users can review applications from one to five stars. All the reviews are public and anyone can read them.

Metro/Universal Windows Platform apps and games

8Store offers usually open-source software made by other people. Anyone can upload apps in the store, but it requires it to get approved. File archiving platforms and other websites, such as Catbox, Internet Archive, Google Drive, are not allowed.

Users can also upload old programs and videogames that used to be on the old Windows Store. The publisher is written below the name.

The store also distributes newRetiled versions (patched versions of preinstalled Windows apps with live tiles and functionality brought back) of MSN apps such as MSN Weather and MSN News.

Categories

8Store has several categories listed in the web store, for example "Security", "Shopping", "Social", "Sports" and more.

List of categories
  • Books + Reference
  • Dependency
  • Finance
  • Food + Cooking
  • Government
  • Health + Fitness
  • Music + Audio
  • News + Weather
  • Other
  • Photo + Design
  • Security
  • Shopping
  • Social
  • Sports
  • Travel + Navigation
  • Video + Entertainmente
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Arcade
  • Card + Casino
  • Classics
  • Family + Kids
  • Games
  • Music + Rhythm
  • Puzzle
  • Strategy
  • Simulation

App Installation

Software is installed via an unofficial open-source Windows 8.1 port of the App Installer component for Windows 10 that uses the APPX file format.

Users must unlock Metro sideloading to install applications. To achieve this, the computer's system administrator uses open-source programs for that or use Windows Embedded 8.1 Industry Enterprise Edition with WSAppPkgIn.

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