Our recommendation
Both are free, both work with a free Apple ID, and both re-sign apps automatically before they expire. Choose Sideloadly if you use a Mac, need older iOS or Windows versions, or want to modify IPAs or inject tweaks. Choose ByteLoader if you are on Windows 10 or 11 and want a small app that needs no iTunes or iCloud and shows every app's expiry.
We make ByteLoader. Sideloadly facts are from its official site, checked on the date above.
At a glance
| ByteLoader | Sideloadly | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (supported by Patreon) |
| Windows | Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit | Windows 7 and later, 64-bit and 32-bit |
| macOS | No | Yes, macOS 10.12 and later |
| iOS versions | iOS 16 and later | iOS 7 and later |
| Free Apple ID | Yes | Yes |
| iTunes / iCloud on Windows | Not needed; installs Apple Mobile Device Support and Bonjour on first run | Web versions of iTunes and iCloud required |
| Automatic refresh | Yes, about two days before expiry, from the tray | Yes, via a background daemon |
| Wi-Fi | Renewals over Wi-Fi once switched on; installs need USB | Install and refresh over Wi-Fi after one USB sideload |
| IPA changes | None | Inject tweaks and frameworks, change bundle ID, name and icon, remove restrictions and extensions |
Choose ByteLoader if…
- You are on Windows 10 or 11 and would rather not install iTunes and iCloud.
- You want a small, focused app that shows every app's expiry date.
- You want renewals handled quietly from the system tray.
Choose Sideloadly if…
- You use a Mac, or both a Mac and a PC.
- You need an older version of Windows or iOS.
- You want to modify IPAs or inject tweaks.
- You value a long track record and a large user community.
What both get right
Both sign IPA files with your own Apple ID, so no paid developer account is needed, and both keep apps alive by re-signing them before the 7-day free signature runs out. Apple's limits for free Apple IDs apply to both: three installed apps at a time and ten app IDs per seven days.
Where they differ
Sideloadly supports macOS, 32-bit and older Windows versions, and iOS back to version 7, and it can modify IPAs. ByteLoader is Windows 10 and 11 only, for iOS 16 and later. On Windows, Sideloadly needs the web versions of iTunes and iCloud; ByteLoader installs the two Apple components it needs, Apple Mobile Device Support and Bonjour, on first run. Both refresh in the background, ByteLoader from its tray icon about two days before expiry.
Use one tool per Apple ID
A free Apple ID gets one development certificate. When ByteLoader installs, it revokes a certificate Sideloadly created on the same Apple ID, and apps Sideloadly installed stop opening until you reinstall them. Pick one tool per Apple ID.
Questions
Is ByteLoader a Sideloadly alternative?
Yes, for Windows 10 and 11 users. Both sign and install IPA files with a free Apple ID and renew them automatically. Sideloadly also runs on macOS and can modify IPAs.
Do I need iTunes for ByteLoader?
No. ByteLoader installs the two Apple components it needs, Apple Mobile Device Support and Bonjour, on first run, without iTunes or iCloud. If iTunes or the Apple Devices app is already there, nothing extra is installed.
Can I switch from Sideloadly to ByteLoader?
Yes, but not side by side on the same Apple ID. ByteLoader revokes the certificate Sideloadly made, so Sideloadly's apps stop opening until you reinstall them with ByteLoader, which then shows their expiry and renews them.
Sources
The vendor pages behind the facts on this page, checked on the date above.