Alternatives to the 59 Banned Apps in India and Their Development Cost
Alternatives to the 59 Banned Apps in India and Their Development Cost
Sachin Sharma
Last Updated on August 1, 2020
The political tensions between India and China have been fluctuating for the past couple of weeks. China has been at the center of global scrutiny, and its recent advances towards the Indian border have prompted the Indian Government’s response, which came in the form of a ban on fifty- nine of the Chinese applications in the Indian space.
The banned applications relate to various Industries, and as the ban takes effect, people have started looking for alternatives. With all these apps going out of the market, there is also a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs. If you can summon up a little innovation, and provide a better solution to the people looking for an alternative.
The need for innovative solutions is imminent, and, if you have a slight bit of interest in developing an app, and providing a solution, this is probably the best time for that.
Before you do that, however, you need to figure out what the cost is going to be for your dream project.
This article is going to be providing the present alternatives to the banned apps, along with the price considerations for entrepreneurs looking to build similar apps. But before we begin,
Let’s look at the list of banned apps in India
- TikTok
- Shareit
- Kwai
- UC Browser
- Baidu map
- Shein
- Clash of Kings
- DU battery saver
- Helo
- Likee
- YouCam makeup
- Mi Community
- CM Browser
- Virus Cleaner
- APUS Browser
- ROMWE
- Club Factory
- Newsdog
- Beauty Plus
- UC News
- QQ Mail
- Xender
- QQ Music
- QQ Newsfeed
- Bigo Live
- SelfieCity
- Mail Master
- Parallel Space
- Mi Video Call – Xiaomi
- WeSync
- ES File Explorer
- Viva Video – QU Video Inc
- Meitu
- Vigo Video
- New Video Status
- DU Recorder
- Vault- Hide
- Cache Cleaner DU App studio
- DU Cleaner
- DU Browser
- Hago Play With New Friends
- Cam Scanner
- Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile
- Wonder Camera
- Photo Wonder
- QQ Player
- We Meet
- Sweet Selfie
- Baidu Translate
- Vmate
- QQ International
- QQ Security Center
- QQ Launcher
- U Video
- V fly Status Video
- Mobile Legends
- DU Privacy
Now, let’s look at the alternatives for these Applications
Video-Sharing Social Media Apps
In the list of banned apps, there are plenty of video-sharing social media apps such as Tiktok, Helo, BigoLive, Vigo Video, Vmate, Kwai, UVideo, New Video Status, etc.
If you’ve been using these applications, you can go for Snapchat, Youtube, Instagram, Bolo Indya, IGTV, Triller, etc. All these platforms are popular and give you plenty of features to tinker with and play.
Browser Apps
Few of the Chinese browsers also have been banned in India. These apps include the UC Browser, DU Browser, CM Browser, & APUS Browser.
You can replace all these applications with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Edge, etc. You’ll get similar, if not better, service with any of these applications.
Security Apps
For mobile security, you may have some of the banned apps on your phone. These include Virus Cleaner, QQ Security Center, etc.
Instead of any Chinese security apps, you can use Avast antivirus, BitDefender, Avira, ESET, and so on. These applications are safer and effective alternatives for their Chinese counterparts.
Apps like Parallel space and DU Privacy are also amongst the banned apps, and you can find an alternative for these in Multiple app cloner, Dual apps (for Parallel Space), and, App Hider (for DU Privacy).
Image Editing and Beautification Apps
Users tend to play with the phone camera a lot, hence the onset of a variety of camera apps that help with editing and beautification of the output with various filters and effects. Amongst the banned applications from China in this category are, YouCam Makeup, Beauty Plus, Photo Wonder, SelfieCity, Wonder Camera, Sweet Selfie, Meitu, etc.
You can replace these apps with alternative apps such as Candy Camera, B612, PicsArt, Prisma, Snapseed, etc.
Video editing app Viva Video has also been banned, and you can use Artisto, timelapse, Splice, FilmorGo, iMovie, Kinemaster, etc., instead of the banned apps.
ES File Explorer & QQ Launcher
ES File Explorer is a file management app, and in its place, you can choose from Amaze file manager, Root explorer, X Plore file manager, Total Commander, etc. If you want to replace QQ Launcher, you can use Microsoft Launcher, Nova Launcher, Evie Launcher, Niagara Launcher, etc. depending on your taste.
DU App Studio was also banned, and you can opt for Nimbledroid, or Thunkable, instead of this app.
Gaming Apps
Mobile Legends and Clash of Kings were also amongst the banned apps. Gaming lovers can try Call of Duty, Garena Free Fire, Ludo King, Marvel Contest of Champions, etc.
Mobile Maintenance
Apps like DU Cleaner, Cache Cleaner, Clean master, have also been banned, and you can use Norton Security and Antivirus, The Cleaner, Finally Clean, Files by Google, SD Maid, etc.
Sharing Apps
Sharing apps such as Shareit and Xender are also not an option after the ban, and you can go for Files by Google, Share all, Jio Switch, etc.
Shopping Apps
For shopping, Shein, ROMWE, Clubfactory, are no longer an option in India. Alternate applications for the same purpose are Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Snapdeal, etc.
Other Camera Apps
Applications like Camscanner and Mi video call are also banned. Camsacnner, which is an app for document scanning, can be replaced with Adobe Scan, Microsoft office lens, Pocket Scanner, LaserFiche, etc.
Mi video call is a video calling app, and in its stead, you can use Messenger app, Google Duo, Skype, Whatsapp Messenger, etc.
Convenience Apps
For enhancing your mobile experience, you may be using some of the apps which are on the list. Baidu Map, Baido Translate, QQ Mail, Mail Master, Battery saver are amongst these apps.
Instead of Baidu Map, you can use Google Maps or HERE Maps. Similarly, for Baido Translate, you can use Google Translate, iTranslate, Microsoft Translator, DeepL, or Linguee.
QQ Mail and MailMaster are Email Clients, and instead of these, you can use Gmail, Bluemail, OutLook, Spike, Edison Mail, etc.
Instead of battery saver, you can use Greenify, Servicely, GSAM Battery Monitor, Wakelock Detector, etc., to boost your mobile’s performance.
Social (chatting) Apps
Social apps like Wechat, We meet, WeSync, are amongst the banned applications. Instead of these apps, you can use Whatsapp, Google Hangouts, Viber, Couplete, Facebook, LoveByte, Instagram, etc.
MI community, Weibo, and QQ International are also amongst the banned apps. You will find Reddit, NewsVine, Medium, Quora, FriendFeed, 12 Seconds, etc., a delightful alternative to these apps.
Music Apps
QQ Music and QQ player are also not going to be available in India. Instead of these apps, you can install Spotify, Tidal, Amazon prime music, Jio music, Apple music (for QQ Music), and Google Play Music, Media monkey, VLC media player, Poweramp, Mx Player Plex (for QQ Player), etc.
News Apps
Some Chinese news apps have also been banned, such as NewsDogs, UCNews, QQ Newsfeed, etc. Instead of this, you can use Inshorts, Google News, Pocket, Reuters, News360, etc.
READY TO LAUNCH YOUR APP?
Here’s a summary of banned apps along with their alternatives
| Banned Apps | Alternatives Apps | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Tiktok, Helo, BigoLive, Vigo Video, Vmate, Kwai, UVideo, New Video Status | Snapchat, Youtube, Instagram, Bolo Indya, IGTV, Triller | Video-Sharing and Social Media |
| UC Browser, DU Browser, CM Browser, & APUS Browser | Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Edge | Browser |
| Virus Cleaner, QQ Security Center, Parallel space and DU Privacy | Avast antivirus, BitDefender, Avira, ESET, Multiple app cloner, Dual apps and App Hider | Security Apps |
| YouCam Makeup, Beauty Plus, Photo Wonder, SelfieCity, Wonder Camera, Sweet Selfie, Meitu, Viva Video | Candy Camera, B612, PicsArt, Prisma, Snapseed, Artisto, timelapse, Splice, FilmorGo, iMovie, Kinemaster | Image and Video Editing |
| ES File Explorer, QQ Launcher, DU App Studio | Amaze file manager, Root explorer, X Plore file manager, Total Commander, Microsoft Launcher, Nova Launcher, Evie Launcher, Niagara Launcher, Nimbledroid, or Thunkable | ES File Explorer & QQ Launcher |
| Mobile Legends and Clash of Kings | Call of Duty, Garena Free Fire, Ludo King, Marvel Contest of Champions | Gaming Apps |
| DU Cleaner, Cache Cleaner, Clean master | Norton Security and Antivirus, The Cleaner, Finally Clean, Files by Google, SD Maid | Mobile Maintenance |
| Shareit and Xender | Files by Google, Share all, Jio Switch | Sharing Apps |
| Shein, ROMWE, Clubfactory | Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Snapdeal | Shopping Apps |
| Wechat, We meet, WeSync | Whatsapp, Google Hangouts, Viber, Couplete, Facebook, LoveByte, Instagram | Chat Apps |
| QQ Music and QQ player | Spotify, Tidal, Amazon prime music, Jio music, Apple music, Google Play Music, Media monkey, VLC media player, Poweramp, Mx Player Plex | Music Apps |
How much does it cost to build similar apps?
On average, the cost of developing an Android or iOS application is around $5,000 – $20000 with some basic functionality for a single platform. The total cost of developing a video sharing app like the Tiktok may rise to $35000 -$50000 for various platforms like Android and iOS in India with basic features.
Conclusion
The App Ban in India does not come as a surprise after recent Chinese Instigation, and very well may be the beginning of a global reaction towards China.
Whatever the case may be, India is now looking for new alternatives and local solutions for the services provided by China. Right now, people are opting for local or non- Chinese foreign alternates for most of these apps. It is probably the best time for entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity, and provide people with a trustable and innovative solution to fill the gap.
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