List of free and open-source Android applications Open Source Android Applications
Android phones, like this Nexus S running Replicant , allow installation of apps from the Play Store , F-Droid store or directly via APK files .
This is a list of notable applications (apps ) that run on the Android platform which meet guidelines for free software and open-source software .
Advertisement blocking
^ The API column is used to describe which versions of Android each individual application is compatible with. If API column shows "5.1" then the application is compatible with Android version 5.1 or higher; "L7" or "L14" mean specific Android API versions.
Web browsers
Office Suites and synchronisation
Application name
Description
Availability
License
API[ a]
Note
Google Play
F-Droid
Collabora Online
Office suite with Microsoft Office compatible word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and vector graphics editor
Yes
Yes [ 12]
MPLv2
5.0+
An enterprise-ready edition of LibreOffice
ownCloud
Client for synchronization server
Yes
Yes [ 13]
GPLv2
4.0+
Nextcloud
Client for synchronization server
Yes
Yes [ 14]
GPLv2
4.0+
Communication
Privacy/security focused
Application name
Description
Availability
License
API[ a]
Note
Google Play
F-Droid
APG
OpenPGP and key management
Yes
Yes[ 22]
Apache 2.0
1.5+
OpenKeychain available as more up-to-date alternative
Briar
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and forums
Yes
Yes[ 23]
GPLv3
4.0+
Conversations
Federated encrypted instant messaging and group chat
Yes
Yes [ 24]
GPLv3
4.0+
Interoperable with any Jabber/XMPP clients. End-to-end encryption using OMEMO , OpenPGP (and OTR for versions under 2.0 and the legacy version). Uses traditional login/password with any provider account, instead of quicksy/phone number
Element (formerly Riot)
Decentralised, encrypted chat & collaboration powered by Matrix
Yes
Yes [ 16]
Apache 2.0
5.0+
I2P
Anonymizing network layer
Yes
Yes [ 25]
Apache 2.0
2.3+
I2P also maintain their own F-Droid repo.[ 26]
IVPN
Privacy-focused VPN service
Yes
Yes [ 27]
GPLv3
?
Also available on Windows, macOS, and iOS; and undergo independent security audit.[ 28] [ 29]
Jami
Softphone and messenger utilizing DHT and strong cryptography
Yes[ 30]
Yes[ 31]
GPLv3
?
Formerly named "GNU Ring" and "SFLphone".
Lantern
Peer-to-peer internet censorship circumvention
Yes
No
Apache 2.0
?
Linphone
SIP client, plus optional ToIP free service
yes
can be used with any SIP provider
Mozilla VPN
VPN service
Yes
?
MPL 2.0
?
Also available for iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows
Mullvad
Privacy-focused VPN service
Yes
Yes [ 32]
GPLv3
?
Also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS
OpenKeychain
OpenPGP and key management
Yes
Yes [ 33]
GPLv3
?
Integrates with K-9 Mail .
Orbot
Client and proxy for Tor anonymity network
Yes
Yes
BSD, GPL
1.6+
Psiphon
Client for internet censorship circumvention system
Yes
No
GPLv3
?
ProtonMail
Client end-to-end encrypted email service
Yes
No
GPLv3
?
Open source apps on WEB app, Android, IOS, Bridge app.
ProtonVPN
Privacy-focused VPN service
Yes
Yes [ 34]
GPLv3
?
Also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS; and undergo independent security audits.[ 35]
Quicksy
privacy-focused and federated secured xmpp client, using phone number
Yes
yes
Equivalent of conversations , interoperable, but using phone number instead of traditional id/password; support both PGP or OMEMO encryption plus Jingle for voice/video communication , and file transfers .
Signal
Encrypted instant messaging, voice and video calling
Yes
No
GPLv3
2.3+
Also available for iOS. The Android client is a merger of the former TextSecure and RedPhone apps.[ 36]
Surespot
Encrypted instant messaging
Yes
No [ 37]
GPLv3+
?
Also available for iOS. F-Droid build is based on forked repo.
Telegram
Client for cloud -based messaging platform
Yes
Yes [ 38]
GPLv2
2.2+
Also available for iOS. F-Droid build is based on forked repo.[ 39] Server uses closed source software.
Tox
Peer-to-peer instant-messaging
Yes
Yes [ 40]
GPLv3+
4.0+
Alpha release
Tutanota
Client for end-to-end encrypted email service
Yes
Yes [ 41]
GPLv3[ 42]
?
Wire
Encrypted instant messaging, voice and video calling
Yes
Yes
GPLv3
?
Also available for iOS, Windows and OS X. Server uses closed source software.
Emulators
Games
General
Health
Application name
Description
Availability
License
API[ a]
Note
Google Play
F-Droid
COVID Alert
Canadian digital contact tracing app
Yes
No
Apache 2.0
?
Also available for iOS [ 69]
DP-3T
Protocol and reference implementation of decentralized European contact tracing app
?
No
MPL 2.0[ 70]
?
Also available for iOS
PEPP-PT
Protocol and reference implementation of centralized European digital contact tracing app
?
No
MPL 2.0[ 71]
?
TraceTogether
Singaporean contact tracing app
?
No
GPLv3
?
Available for iOS[ 72] Data collected is available to police, and may be used in criminal or other types of investigations[ 73]
Application name
Description
Availability
License
API[ a]
Note
Google Play
F-Droid
AntennaPod
Podcatcher
Yes
Yes [ 74]
MIT
2.3.3+
Butter Project
Media player utilising the BitTorrent protocol
?
?
AGPLv3
?
Jellyfin
Client for the Jellyfin Media Server
Yes
Yes[ 75]
GPLv2+
5.0+
Kodi (formerly XBMC)
Media player and center
Yes
Yes [ 76]
GPLv2+
Multi
Krita
Graphics editor for art and animation
?
Yes[ 77]
GPLv3
?
Optimized for tablets and may behave poorly on phone screens.[ 77] Member project of KDE .
Popcorn Time
Media player utilizing BitTorrent protocol
No
No
GPLv3+ (AGPL exception)[ 78]
?
In Nov. of 2015 PopcornTime.io ceased operations after court order from the MPAA issued in Canada .[ 79]
Ringdroid
Ringtone maker
Yes
Yes
Apache 2.0
4.1+
Rockbox
Media player
?
?
GPLv2+
?
Tribler
Decentralized video sharing
Yes
Yes
GPLv3[ 80]
3.0+
Tux Paint
Simple drawing program for children
Non-free
Yes
GPLv2
?
Version on Google Play is published by a 3rd-party & contains proprietary ad libraries in violation of upstream developers' license
VLC
Media player
Yes
Yes [ 81]
GPLv2+
4.2+
Wikimedia Commons
Client for free media repository
Yes
Yes [ 82]
Apache 2.0
4.4+
Old CommonsLab app no longer maintained. Current app is community-developed.[ 83]
Navigation
Application name
Description
Availability
License
API[ a]
Note
Google Play
F-Droid
Avare
GPS aviation application
Yes
Yes
BSD [ 84]
4.4+
Complete *Aviation* EFB & nav app with all official current U.S.A. FAA VFR & IFR charts & data, plus limited free unofficial non-US materials.
CycleStreets
Bicycle navigation using OpenStreetMap
Yes
Yes [ 85]
GPLv3
6.0+
MAPS.ME
Offline mapping using OpenStreetMap data
Yes
No
Apache 2.0
?
Mozilla Stumbler
Data gathering for Mozilla Location Service
Yes
Yes
MPL2
2.3.3+
Organic Maps
Offline mapping using OpenStreetMap data
Yes
Yes [ 86]
Apache 2.0
5.0+
Fork of MAPS.ME with proprietary bits removed.
OsmAnd
Offline mapping using OpenStreetMap data
Yes
Yes [ 87]
GPLv3
2.3+
Some of the software is available at no cost. There is an unlimited paid version.
Navit
Car navigation using OpenStreetMap
Yes
Yes [ 88]
GPLv2
2.3.3+
Reading
Application name
Description
Availability
License
API[ a]
Note
Google Play
F-Droid
FBReader
e-book reader
Yes
Yes
GPL
1.5+
iFixit
Official iFixit reader
Yes
Yes
GPLv3
2.2+
Kiwix
Offline Wikipedia reader
Yes
Yes
GPLv3
4.0+
MuPDF
PDF and XPS viewer
Yes
Yes [ 89]
AGPL
2.2+
Wikipedia
Access to Wikipedia
Yes
Yes [ 90]
GPLv2
2.2+
Wiktionary
Client for crowd-sourced dictionary
Yes
Yes
GPLv2
2.2+
XOWA
Offline Wikipedia reader
Yes
Yes
AGPLv3
4.4+
Science and education
Security
System and utilities
Notes
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n The API column is used to describe which versions of Android each individual application is compatible with. If API column shows "5.1" then the application is compatible with Android version 5.1 or higher; "L7" or "L14" mean specific Android API versions.
See also
References
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.adaway/
^ a b Multiple sources:
^ "Learn About Brave and Our Team - Brave Browser" . brave.com .
^ "Add Brave to F-Droid" . GitHub .
^ "DuckDuckGo Android" . June 10, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.mozilla.fennec_fdroid/
^ "Firefox" . f-droid.org . F-Droid. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2016 .
^ Archived 2018-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Tor Browser - APK Download for Android" .
^ "Guardian Project Fdroid repo" . guardianproject.info . Retrieved 18 July 2018 .
^ "Is Tor Browser available on F-droid?" . Retrieved 4 December 2019 .
^ "Index of /Downloads/Fdroid/Repo" .
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.owncloud.android/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.nextcloud.client/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.connectbot/
^ a b https://f-droid.org/en/packages/im.vector.app/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.jitsi.meet/
^ https://f-droid.org/repository/browse/?fdid=com.fsck.k9/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.linphone/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sipdroid.sipua/
^ "Zulip Mobile" . June 10, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.thialfihar.android.apg/
^ "Installing Briar via F-Droid - Briar" . briarproject.org .
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/eu.siacs.conversations/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.i2p.android.router/
^ "I2P Official App Repository" . f-droid.i2p.io .
^ https://f-droid.org/packages/net.ivpn.client/
^ Yen, Andy (2020-02-10). "IVPN applications are now open source" . ivpn.net . IVPN. Retrieved 2020-05-16 .
^ Pestel, Nick (2020-01-23). "Independent security audit concluded" . ivpn.net . IVPN. Retrieved 2020-05-16 .
^ "Ring - Apps on Google Play" . play.google.com .
^ "Ring - F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository" . f-droid.org .
^ https://f-droid.org/packages/net.mullvad.mullvadvpn
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sufficientlysecure.keychain/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/ch.protonvpn.android
^ Yen, Andy (2020-01-21). "All ProtonVPN apps are now open source and audited" . protonvpn.com . ProtonVPN Technologies AG. Retrieved 2020-05-16 .
^ Greenberg, Andy (2 November 2015). "Signal, the Snowden-Approved Crypto App, Comes to Android" . Wired . Condé Nast. Retrieved 27 March 2016 .
^ Archived 2019-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.telegram.messenger/
^ "Telegram-FOSS-Team/Telegram-FOSS" . GitHub . 21 June 2022.
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.zoffcc.applications.trifa/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.tutao.tutanota/
^ mpfau (12 August 2014). "tutanota/LICENSE.txt" . github.com/tutao/tutanota . Tutao GmbH. Retrieved 13 October 2018 .
^ RetroArch / COPYING . github.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.termux/
^ "2048 - Apps on Google Play" .
^ https://www.f-droid.org/en/packages/com.uberspot.a2048/
^ https://f-droid.org/packages/it.alessandropira.wesnoth114/
^ "F-Droid Search: Dungeon crawl stone" .
^ "F-Droid Search: Fish fillet" .
^ "F-Droid Search: Freeciv" .
^ https://f-droid.org/es/packages/org.jfedor.frozenbubble/
^ "F-Droid Search: H-craft" .
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.roguetemple.hyperroid/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.minetest.minetest/
^ "F-Droid Search: Openarena" .
^ a b c d "pelya/commandergenius" . GitHub . 14 June 2022.
^ "F-Droid Search: Openttd" .
^ Linux Magazine Issue #220 / Mar 2019 FOSS Picks
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.watabou.pixeldungeon/
^ "F-Droid Search: Tyrian" .
^ "F-Droid Search: Ur-quan" .
^ a b "COPYING" . sourceforge.net/p/sc2/ . The Ur-Quan Masters Git Repository. Retrieved 13 October 2018 .
^ "The Ur-Quan Masters Project FAQ - Ultronomicon" . wiki.uqm.stack.nl .
^ fetlife/android/README.md . GitHub.
^ "FetLife for iOS" . June 12, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ android.texi (texinfo ). git.savannah.gnu.org. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
^ "Emacs machines list" .
^ Archived 2019-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
^ "COVID Alert Mobile App" . June 2, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ "DP^3T" . GitHub .
^ "PEPP-PT" . GitHub .
^ "OpenTrace iOS App" . April 16, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ Andreas Illmer (5 January 2021). Singapore reveals Covid privacy data available to police . BBC News, Singapore.
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.danoeh.antennapod/
^ "Fdroid - Jellyfin - your media in your hands!" .
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.xbmc.kore/
^ a b F-Droid.org | Krita Retrieved 20 September 2023.
^ Popcorn Time Foundation. android / LICENSE.md . git.popcorntime.io . Retrieved 19 August 2015. Archived September 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
^ Gardner, Eriq (3 November 2015). "MPAA Touts Big Legal Success Against Popcorn Time" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 23 November 2015 .
^ "Tribler Android - Beta Port" . GitHub . tribler-android/LICENSE.txt.
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.videolan.vlc/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/fr.free.nrw.commons/
^ "Commons mobile app" . commons.wikimedia.org . Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link )
^ apps4av (Oct 5, 2016). apps4av / avare / License ; commit 02924c7. github.com.
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.cyclestreets/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/app.organicmaps
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.osmand.plus/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.navitproject.navit/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.artifex.mupdf.viewer.app/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.wikipedia/
^ f-droid.org package for edu.berkeley.boinc . Retrieved 23 May 2023.
^ Anderson, David Pope (8 August 2008). "boinc / COPYING" . github.com . Retrieved 25 November 2015 . Walton, Rom (7 November 2015). "boinc / README.md" . github.com/BOINC/boinc . Retrieved 25 November 2015 .
^ Champion, Corbin. "corbinlc/octave4android" . github.com . Retrieved 5 February 2019 .
^ Treichl, Thomas (21 October 2013). "Octave on Android" . Octave Maintainers mailinglist. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019 .
^ "micro:bit - Apps on Google Play" . play.google.com .
^ a b "Request for adding the official BBC micro:bit application" . 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2018-07-28 .
^ "License text in source code repository" . GitHub . Retrieved 2018-07-27 .
^ "Samsung Launches the Official BBC micro:bit App" . 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2018-07-29 .
^ Multiple sources:
Christoph Stampfer; Heidrun Heinke; Sebastian Staacks. "A lab in the pocket." Nature Reviews Materials 5, 169–170 (2020). doi :10.1038/s41578-020-0184-2 .
Ryan Carroll; James Lincoln (1 November 2020). "Phyphox app in the physics classroom". The Physics Teacher , 58 (8): 606–607. doi :10.1119/10.0002393 .
Staacks, S; Hütz, S; Heinke, H; Stampfer, C. (6 May 2018). "Advanced tools for smartphone-based experiments: phyphox". Physics Education . IOP Publishing. doi :10.1088/1361-6552/aac05e . "The sensors in modern smartphones are a promising and cost-effective tool for experimentation in physics education, but many experiments face practical problems. Often the phone is inaccessible during the experiment and the data usually needs to be analyzed subsequently on a computer. We address both problems by introducing a new app, called ‘phyphox’, which is specifically designed for utilizing experiments in physics teaching. The app is free and designed to offer the same set of features on Android and iOS."
Sebastian Staacks; Dominik Dorsel; Simon Hütz; Frank Stallmach; Tobias Splith; Heidrun Heinke; Christoph Stampfer (June 2022). "Collaborative smartphone experiments for large audiences with phyphox". European Journal of Physics , 43 (5), 055702. doi :10.1088/1361-6404/ac7830 .
Bunga Lili Annisa; Sarah Miriam; Suyidno Suyidno (2022). "The Effectiveness of A Multiple Representation-Based Flipbook to Improve Students’ Problem-Solving Ability on The Topic of Wave." Jurnal Pendidikan Fisika Dan Teknologi, 8 (2), 122–129. doi :10.29303/jpft.v8i2.3796 .
Rhett Allain (16 August 2018). "Three Science Experiments You Can Do With Your Phone" . wired.com . Retrieved 23 August 2023.
Sven Gregori; Sebastian Staacks (29 December 2019). "36C3: Phyphox – Using Smartphone Sensors For Physics Experiments" . hackaday.com. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
^ "F-Droid phyphox" . F-Droid Contributors. 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023 .
^ "phyphox Android General Public License" . GitHub . 29 June 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2023 .
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.google.android.stardroid/
^ "Sky Map" . June 8, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ "Guardian Project Official App Repository" . guardianproject.info .
^ "Haven: Keep Watch" . Guardian Project. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2023 .
^ Timm, T. (22 December 2017). "Introducing Haven, the open source security system in your pocket" . Freedom of the Press Foundation. Retrieved 27 November 2023 .
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.kunzisoft.keepass.libre/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.google.zxing.client.android/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.fdroid.fdroid/
^ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.libreoffice.impressremote/
^ F-Droid - Impress Remote . f-droid.org. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
^ "Intra" . June 13, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ "Mycroft-Android" . June 7, 2022 – via GitHub.
^ "TeamWin/Team-Win-Recovery-Project" . June 13, 2022 – via GitHub.
External links
There are a number of third-party maintained lists of open-source Android applications, including:
Droid-Break – curated list of general purpose open-source alternatives. Inspired by PRISM-break.