PC App Store 5.0.1.8682 for Windows

PC App Store 5.0.1.8682 for Windows is a free software store from Baidu that helps you find, install and update programs on a PC. It works as a single catalogue instead of many separate download sites; this page looks at who benefits from it and what to check before you rely on it.

What PC App Store is

PC App Store is a desktop client that lists Windows programs by category, lets you search for a title and installs it with a click. It also scans the software already on your computer and suggests updates when newer versions are available, and it can remove programs you no longer need. The idea is the same as an app store on a phone: fewer trips to individual websites and one window to manage everything. The client is small, about 22.17 MB according to catalogue data, and it is developed by Baidu, one of the large Chinese internet companies. Because the store is run by a third party rather than by the makers of the programs it lists, the quality of what you install depends on how well the store checks its catalogue and on your own attention while installing. Much of its catalogue and interface is aimed at users in China, so availability and language may differ from what you expect.

Who it suits

• Users in China who want a local catalogue of popular Windows programs.
• People setting up a new PC who want to install common tools in one go.
• Less technical users who find it easier to update software from one list.

Who should look elsewhere

If you install software for work, need specific versions or care about exactly what ends up on your system, download programs from their developers directly or from the Microsoft Store. Users outside China may find the catalogue and interface less suited to them.

How to use it safely

1. Get the client only from Baidu's official channels, not from repackaged installers on other sites.
2. During each installation, read the screens and untick extra software you did not choose.
3. Compare the publisher shown by Windows with the program's real developer.
4. Keep Windows Security or another antivirus switched on.
5. Uninstall the store if you stop using it, so it does not keep running in the background.

Requirements

No official requirements list is available in our data. A current Windows PC with an internet connection is enough to run the client.

Pros and cons

• Pro: free and small.
• Pro: installs and updates many programs from one place.
• Pro: shows available updates for installed software.
• Con: depends on a third party for installers.
• Con: catalogue and language aimed at the Chinese market.

Alternatives

Other ways to get Windows software in our listings: Microsoft Store, built into Windows; Uptodown App Store, an international catalogue; and Tencent App Store, another store from a Chinese company.