Publishing to RuStore
We publish your app to the Russian RuStore store — a strong alternative to Google Play for the Russian market.
Publish Your AppAbout RuStore Publication
RuStore is a Russian app store created by VK with the support of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development. Since 2023 it is pre-installed on all smartphones sold in Russia, providing massive audience reach. For apps targeting the Russian market, RuStore has become a mandatory platform: users who don't have access to Google Play or prefer domestic services come here. We help publish your app to RuStore with full support at every stage.
A key advantage of RuStore is independence from Google Mobile Services (GMS). Many Huawei, Honor, and Chinese brand devices come without Google services, and their users cannot install apps from Google Play. RuStore works on any Android device. For apps with paid features, RuStore offers its own payment system supporting Russian payment methods.
Developer registration in RuStore Console is free and available for individuals and organizations alike. We help go through this process, fill in company information, and set up the account for publication. If you plan to monetize the app, we connect payments through RuStore Billing—their own solution with a low commission and ruble transaction support.
For full functionality in RuStore the app may require RuStore SDK integration, which provides push notifications (alternative to Firebase Cloud Messaging), in-app purchases, update mechanisms, and reviews. We help integrate the SDK into the existing app, ensuring correct operation without Google services, while keeping compatibility with Google Play.
RuStore moderation usually takes 1–3 business days—faster than Google Play. Requirements are similar to industry standards: no malicious code, compliance with Russian legislation, correct operation of declared functionality. We prepare the app card: screenshots, description, icon, promo banner. After publication we track install statistics, user reviews, and quality metrics through RuStore Console.
History of RuStore
RuStore history began in May 2022 when VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) launched this app store in response to sanctions pressure. After February 2022 many Western companies restricted operations in Russia: Google suspended Play Store monetization, Apple blocked Apple Pay. Russian developers and users needed an alternative platform for distributing and receiving apps.
The first version of RuStore was fairly simple but developed quickly. By June 2022 rating and review systems were added, in July push notifications via RuStore SDK. By fall 2022 the store had several thousand apps including the largest Russian services: Sberbank, Yandex, Tinkoff, VKontakte. A key feature was payment support through VK Pay and SBP.
2023 became a turning point for RuStore. In April a law came into force requiring mandatory pre-installation of RuStore on all smartphones sold in Russia. This gave the store coverage of nearly 100% of the Russian new device market. By mid-2023 downloads exceeded 150 million, and the number of apps reached 20,000.
The technical platform was constantly improving. RuStore SDK was launched with a full feature set: push notifications, in-app purchases, update mechanisms, reviews. AAB (Android App Bundle) support was added alongside APK. RuStore Console received expanded analytics. Moderation time was reduced to 1–3 days.
Today RuStore is the main app distribution platform in Russia. The store has more than 40,000 apps and 300 million installs. Commission is 0% for non-monetized apps and 15–30% for paid ones. VK actively develops the ecosystem: VK ID integration for authorization, VK Pay for payments, VK Ads for promotion.
What's Included
- RuStore Console registration
- APK preparation for publication
- App card design
- Subscription and payment setup
- Passing moderation
- RuStore SDK integration
- Push notification setup
- Analytics and statistics