GetJar

GetJar is a mobile software distribution brand founded in Lithuania in 2004 by Ilja Laurs and Chris Dury. It began as a developer-oriented beta-testing platform, created to help software developers distribute and test mobile applications across a fragmented handset market. In early 2005, the service expanded beyond testing by making free mobile applications available to users, establishing the basic marketplace model for which the brand became known. The company emerged during a period when mobile software was distributed through a mixture of carrier portals, handset-specific stores, independent websites, and direct downloads. GetJar’s early value proposition was broad compatibility and open access. Rather than concentrating on a single operating system, it supported applications for platforms including Java ME, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and later Android. Developers could submit applications through a developer portal without paying an upload fee, while users could browse and download software and games. This cross-platform approach helped GetJar build an audience before the modern app-store market consolidated around Apple’s App Store and Google Play. GetJar reported rapid usage growth in the late 2000s and early 2010s. By June 2010, the platform was associated with approximately 300,000 developers and more than one billion downloads. By July 2011, cumulative downloads had exceeded two billion. The scale of the service made GetJar one of the better-known independent mobile-app marketplaces of its era, particularly among users seeking applications outside operator-controlled distribution channels. Its catalog eventually covered a large number of mobile platforms and application types, including games, utilities, communication tools, productivity software, and personalization products. The business attracted institutional investment, including backing from Accel Partners and Tiger Global Management. Its ownership and strategic direction changed during the 2010s. Sungy Mobile announced an acquisition of GetJar in February 2014, but that transaction ultimately did not close. In November 2014, GetJar was acquired by Eightpoint, formerly known as Spigot Inc., for an undisclosed amount. The deal placed GetJar within a broader digital-media and application-distribution business and represented a shift away from the company’s original independent-startup identity. By early 2015, GetJar was described as offering more than 849,000 mobile applications across major mobile platforms and recording more than three million downloads per day. The platform’s later significance is tied both to its large historical catalog and to its position as an early independent app marketplace. Its competitive environment became more difficult as operating-system vendors integrated their own stores directly into mobile devices, reducing the importance of third-party distribution services. In 2025, GetJar stated that it was working on a comprehensive platform renewal. The planned reintroduction was described as including a modernized interface, a broader app offering, and additional features intended to attract developers and users. The announcement positioned the brand for a possible revival while acknowledging its historical role in mobile software distribution. Publicly available details about the renewed service, its ownership structure, commercial model, and launch timetable remain limited.

GetJar was established in Lithuania in 2004 by Ilja Laurs and Chris Dury. Its initial purpose was not a conventional consumer app store but a service for developers to beta-test mobile software. At the time, mobile applications were distributed across numerous technical environments, and developers needed ways to test products on devices using different operating systems, screen formats, network configurations, and installation systems. In early 2005, GetJar began making free applications available to the public. This expanded the platform from a testing utility into a two-sided distribution service connecting developers with mobile-phone users. Its model was comparatively open: developers could upload applications through a portal without an upload charge, and users could discover and download software from a catalog that was not restricted to one handset manufacturer or operating-system ecosystem. The service supported a wide range of mobile platforms over its development, including Java ME, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Android. That compatibility was central to its identity. Before Android and iOS stores became the dominant channels for mobile software, users often faced difficulty locating applications that worked on their particular phones. GetJar’s broad catalog and cross-platform orientation allowed it to serve users across a fragmented market. The company experienced substantial usage growth. In June 2010, reports associated GetJar with about 300,000 developers and more than one billion downloads. In July 2011, the platform passed two billion downloads. These figures established GetJar as one of the largest independent mobile-download services of the period. The company also received investment from firms including Accel Partners and Tiger Global Management. The rise of manufacturer-controlled app stores changed the competitive landscape. Apple and Google increasingly integrated application discovery, payment, installation, updates, and security into their own mobile operating systems. This reduced the strategic importance of independent stores, particularly those built around legacy platforms. GetJar nevertheless continued to maintain a large catalog. By early 2015, it was described as carrying more than 849,000 applications across major mobile platforms and generating more than three million downloads per day. Ownership changes marked another phase in the company’s history. Sungy Mobile announced an acquisition in February 2014, although the proposed deal did not ultimately close. In November of the same year, Eightpoint, previously known as Spigot Inc., acquired GetJar for an undisclosed amount. The transaction placed the brand under a digital-media and app-distribution owner and altered its strategic context. In 2025, GetJar said that it was actively developing a complete platform renewal. The proposed relaunch was described as involving a modern interface, expanded application offerings, and additional capabilities for a new generation of users and developers. The announcement suggested an attempt to revive a historically recognized mobile-download brand, although publicly available information does not establish the final scope, timing, business model, or market performance of the renewed platform.

• 2025

  Platform renewal announced

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  GetJar announces plans for a modernized platform, broader app offerings, and new features.

• 2015

  Large multi-platform catalog documented

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  GetJar is described as offering more than 849,000 applications and recording more than three million downloads per day.

• 2014

  Proposed Sungy Mobile acquisition does not close

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  A planned acquisition by Sungy Mobile ultimately falls through.

• 2014

  Eightpoint acquires GetJar

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  Eightpoint, formerly Spigot Inc., acquires GetJar for an undisclosed amount.

• 2011

  The platform surpasses two billion downloads

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  GetJar exceeds two billion cumulative downloads as an independent multi-platform mobile marketplace.

• 2010

  The platform surpasses one billion downloads

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  GetJar reports more than one billion cumulative downloads and approximately 300,000 developers associated with the service.

• 2005

  Public application distribution begins

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  GetJar begins offering free mobile applications to users, expanding beyond developer testing.

• 2004

  GetJar is founded in Lithuania

  [1]GetJaren.wikipedia.org

  Ilja Laurs and Chris Dury establish GetJar as a developer-focused mobile software beta-testing platform.

An independent, cross-platform mobile-app marketplace with roots in developer testing and free software distribution. Historically, GetJar differentiated itself through broad support for legacy mobile operating systems and an open submission model rather than dependence on a single handset manufacturer or operating-system owner.

• Mobile application distribution · 2005

  GetJar mobile app marketplace

  GetJar’s principal offering is an independent marketplace for discovering and downloading mobile applications. Historically, the catalog covered multiple generations of mobile technology, including Java ME, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Android. Its broad compatibility distinguished it from stores tied to a single operating system and made the service useful during the fragmented pre-smartphone and early-smartphone periods.

• Developer services · 2005

  GetJar developer portal

  The developer portal allowed software creators to submit applications to GetJar without an upload fee. It supported the brand’s original developer-first identity by providing a distribution route for mobile software across several device and operating-system environments. Publicly available material does not establish the portal’s current feature set after the planned platform renewal.

• Digital content · 2005

  GetJar mobile games and applications

  The marketplace historically carried both practical applications and downloadable games, including utilities, communication tools, productivity software, and personalization content. Games were an important part of the catalog because independent distribution offered developers an additional route to reach mobile users outside carrier and handset channels.

• 2025

  Renew the GetJar platformStrategy

  Background

  GetJar’s historical position was built in a mobile market that has since become dominated by integrated operating-system app stores.

  Action taken

  The company announced work on a complete platform renewal involving a modernized interface, expanded app offerings, and new features.

  Aftermath

  The announcement suggested a possible brand revival, but the final launch details and commercial results were not established in the available reference material.

  Source

• 2014

  Proceed with Eightpoint acquisition after failed Sungy Mobile transactionM&A

  Background

  A proposed Sungy Mobile acquisition announced earlier in 2014 did not ultimately close.

  Action taken

  GetJar was acquired by Eightpoint, formerly Spigot Inc., in November 2014.

  Aftermath

  The brand became part of Eightpoint’s digital-media and application-distribution portfolio.

  Source

• 2005

  Expand from beta testing into public app distributionStrategy

  Background

  GetJar was initially created for developers to test mobile applications across a fragmented device market.

  Action taken

  The company began making free applications available to users, turning the developer service into a consumer-facing distribution platform.

  Aftermath

  This decision established the marketplace model that supported GetJar’s later download growth and international profile.

  Source

1. 1GetJaren.wikipedia.org