Android Alternatives

Android is described as 'operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It consists of a kernel based on the Linux kernel, with middleware, libraries and APIs written in C and application software running on an application framework which includes' and is a leading operating system in the os & utilities category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Android for a variety of platforms, including Android, Linux, Android Tablet, Linux Mobile and Android-x86. The best alternative is Ubuntu Touch, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Android are /e/, LineageOS, Sailfish OS and Plasma Mobile.

Android alternatives are mainly Operating Systems but may also be Mobile OSs or Android ROMs. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Android.

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Android

896

Free • Open Source
Operating System

Android
Android Tablet
Android Wear

Android is an operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It consists of a kernel based...

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Ubuntu Touch
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mobile OS
Operating System
Android ROM
Linux
47 alternatives to Ubuntu Touch
Ubuntu Touch is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system for mobile devices. It is adapted to run naturally in a mobile, touch-screen environment but is also capable of functioning as a desktop computer while in "desktop mode".
Suggest and vote on features
Ubuntu Touch Features
1. Privacy focusedUbuntu Touch is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
2. OpenVPNUbuntu Touch supports OpenVPN, one of the most secure and reliable VPN protocols.
3. LightweightUbuntu Touch consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
4. Ad-freeUbuntu Touch doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
5. Support for GesturesUbuntu Touch supports touch or mouse gestures and interactions.
6. No TrackingUbuntu Touch will not track you or use your personal data.
7. Calendar IntegrationUbuntu Touch lets you sync your tasks and events with your calendar application.
GNU/linux-libre
Community-based
Security focused
Conference Bridging
Linux-based
Based on Ubuntu
Customizable
Sync Contacts
Calendar Sync
Swiping from all window edges
Ubuntu Touch vs Android
Almost everyone thinks Ubuntu Touch is a great alternative to Android.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Guest
Fully open source, no Google spyware, community driven
Top positive comment• ago

7

hugovenhorst
True Linux on your phone, control over your own data and your own hardware. A positive, active and helpful community behind it
Top positive comment• ago

10

Guest
Because it is free and and easy to use BUT for the stability I would give sold Two out of Ten; 2/10 for stability.
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
Limited in devices, there are very few devices availables and they have no plan to make it bigger. It's a dead project with no future.
Negative comment• ago

-6

airmjr
Free, no tracking, no advertisement, nice GUI and user friendly.
Positive comment• ago

0

thilovv
A joy to use, growing, foss.
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
Ubuntu touch is a completely free and open-source alternative mobile operating system. It is developed by a community of enthusiastic people from all over the world. Being a true community project without any commercial pressure, it is a true alternative to commercially developed platforms.
Positive comment• ago

0

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7 of 27 comments
/e/
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mobile OS
Android ROM
Operating System
Android
Android Tablet
57 alternatives to /e/
/e/ is a fork of LineageOS that aims to be completely free of everything Google. Not only that, but there are a number of goals the developer has in mind for /e/ that more people feel are vital to a mobile operating system.
Suggest and vote on features
/e/ Features
1. Privacy focused/e/ is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
2. Lightweight/e/ consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
3. Cloud SyncSync your data (notes, documents, bookmarks, etc.) across your different devices and to the cloud.
User friendly
Nextcloud integration
Ungoogled
OTA Updates
One-click upgrade
Intuitive
Low bandwidth usage
Security focused
Low CPU usage
Custom-ROM
/e/ vs Android
Almost everyone thinks /e/ is a great alternative to Android.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
tibbe
It is currently available for 190 smartphone models.
Top positive comment• ago

0

Guest
/e/ is easy, ready to use and compatible with plenty of Apps available on its own App Store
Top positive comment• ago

0

rob46
Covers up to now only google pixel devices and some Samsung.
Top negative comment• ago

0

Guest
It just works like any other Android version but it does not share your user data with Googl.e
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
Gives you all the Android power that a regular user would expect while taking the necessary steps into the right privacy direction.
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
Good alternative because of his approach on data privacy, your data is YOUR DATA !
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
Light and very efficient OS on many supported devices. The devs do an amazing job and work a lot to make the installation easy.
Positive comment• ago

1

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7 of 27 comments
LineageOS
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Android ROM
Mobile OS
Operating System
Android
Android Tablet
59 alternatives to LineageOS
A free and open-source operating system for smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android mobile platform. It is the successor to the highly popular custom ROM CyanogenMod, from which it was forked in December 2016 when Cyanogen Inc.
Suggest and vote on features
LineageOS Features
1. Privacy focusedLineageOS is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
2. LightweightLineageOS consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Customizable
Custom-ROM
Security focused
Sideload apps
LineageOS vs Android
Almost everyone thinks LineageOS is a great alternative to Android.
Guest
Lineage is basically stock Android without bloat from Google or device manufacturers. You can usually update to a more modern version of Android than your device natively supports, and you can reinstall any software you still want, so it's a great alternative.
Top positive comment• ago

16

bharathse
Lineage OS is the best custom ROM if you don't like the original heavily skinned Android that was provided by the OEM. It is very close to stock ROM with lots of little meaningful tweaks available.
Top positive comment• ago

4

3rd
Can be tricky to install on some phones but every single time it's worth it! It is still googly but much, much less!
Positive comment• ago

1

Guest
Just the basics. Run it with f-droid and no google apps!
Positive comment• ago

4

Guest
It is personnalizable. I aggree that there's ubuntu touch, but for those who really want an android interface, this is the best choice. It is a fork from Cyanogenmod, which even if shutted down, still had proven it reliability...
Positive comment• ago

3

Guest
Some resources of LineageOS are still Google ressources, but the FLOSS process is on the go. As GoogleMaps is switching to commercial these days, Android could become commercial with fees also. Free Software alternatives are required to prevent such enclosures.
Positive comment• ago

2

Guest
nice features, big community, many motivated developers, patches for very old devices (at least 10 years in some cases)
Positive comment• ago

4
Sailfish OS
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Operating System
Mobile OS
Linux Mobile
33 alternatives to Sailfish OS
Sailfish OS is a European alternative to dominating mobile operating systems, and the only mobile OS offering an exclusive licensing model for local implementations.
Suggest and vote on features
Sailfish OS Features
Minimalistic
Sailfish OS vs Android
Almost everyone thinks Sailfish OS is a great alternative to Android.
JohnFastman
A very promising and fresh look at the mobile interface. Compatible with Android apps but far more innovative in terms of how you interact with your phone.
Positive comment• ago

3

Guest
It is a good alternative to Android but has SIGNIFICANTLY lower number of apps versus android.
Positive comment• ago

1

Guest
nice and pretty ui, a focus on privacy and even android app support if you buy sailfish x
Positive comment• ago

0
Plasma Mobile
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mobile OS
Operating System
Linux
KDE
Linux Mobile
49 alternatives to Plasma Mobile
Plasma Mobile turns your phone into a fully open hacking device, just like a PC. You can join us to start building new mobile experiences now.
Suggest and vote on features
Plasma Mobile Features
1. Privacy focusedPlasma Mobile is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
2. No TrackingPlasma Mobile will not track you or use your personal data.
Portable Linux
Linux-based
Customizable
Plasma Mobile vs Android
Most users think Plasma Mobile is a great alternative to Android.
Guest
New mobile operating system running full GNU/Linux. Has a similar interface paradigm to Android (widgets etc) making it easy to adjust to.

Only negative is the current lack of mobile applications. However, it has a large selection of desktop applications. Using this OS with a stylus should circumvent this issue.
Top positive comment• ago

2

Guest
It has a full-featured GNU/Linux as base and so you can do everything what you are used to from your desktop GNU/Linux system. Also, there's a great and growing community around it which develops the system and helps you with your problems. Even you can get involved and make your own ideas about a great mobile operating system become true! Furthermore, Plasma Mobile is not data and money first, but fully respects the user's privacy and freedom.
Top positive comment• ago

2

Guest
It's an alternative, though it still very dated on appearance and pretty limited.
Top negative comment• ago

4

Guest
it's not quite there yet, but i'm sure in a few years it'll be a very viable alternative to android
Positive comment• ago

0

Guest
Even though it's still in its early stages, it's a good mobile GNU/Linux experience with a great KDE user interface.
Positive comment• ago

2
GrapheneOS
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Android ROM
Mobile OS
Operating System
Android
39 alternatives to GrapheneOS
GrapheneOS is a privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility developed as a non-profit open source project. It's focused on the research and development of privacy and security technology including substantial improvements to sandboxing, exploit...
Suggest and vote on features
GrapheneOS Features
1. Privacy focusedGrapheneOS is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
2. No TrackingGrapheneOS will not track you or use your personal data.
Security focused
OTA Updates
GrapheneOS vs Android
pros, cons and recent comments
gunther
Excellent Android fork focused on privacy and security. Only works on Pixel phones. Sandboxed Google Play Services feature allows compatibility with almost all Android apps while limiting Google's telemetry and admin privileges.
Positive comment• ago

0

justarandom
Probably the best OS out there that care about your privacy and safety
Positive comment• ago

0
Android-x86
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Operating System
Mobile OS
Linux
VirtualBox
Self-Hosted
VMware Workstation
VMware Player
36 alternatives to Android-x86
This is a project to port Android open source project to x86 platform, formerly known as "patch hosting for Android x86 support". The original plan is to host different patches for Android x86 support from open source community.
Suggest and vote on features
Android-x86 Features
1. LightweightAndroid-x86 consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
ARM support
Gaming Mode
Android-x86 vs Android
This alternative is disputed. Android-x86 is still a legitimate alternative to Android, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
Guest
It's android for your pc.
Top positive comment• ago

0

someonelast
Just Android with a different processor architecture.
Top negative comment• ago

15

Guest
This is more of an alternative to Windows or macOS...
Negative comment• ago

0

Guest
is for computers, not tablets/phones
Negative comment• ago

10

Guest
Wrong processor architecture, not compatible with andoid devices
Negative comment• ago

-5
Replicant
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Android ROM
Mobile OS
Operating System
Android
56 alternatives to Replicant
Replicant is a distribution of Android that is 100% Free Software.

Most of Android is licensed freely under the Apache License 2.0. The Linux core is mostly Free Software under the GPLv2. However, there are numerous components of the default software stack on the devices that ar.
Suggest and vote on features
Replicant Features
1. Root requiredRequires root to use Replicant, mainly relevant for Android apps.
2. Privacy focusedReplicant is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
FOSS
Security focused
Replicant vs Android
Almost everyone thinks Replicant is a great alternative to Android.
Guest
Android with as few non-libre drivers as possible.
Positive comment• ago

2
CalyxOS
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Android ROM
Mobile OS
Operating System
Android
53 alternatives to CalyxOS
Everyone needs a phone. Not everyone wants governments and corporations tracking their every move and spying on their communications. CalyxOS lets you have your cake and eat it too, with "Privacy by Design".
Suggest and vote on features
CalyxOS Features
1. Privacy focusedCalyxOS is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
2. Ad-freeCalyxOS doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Ungoogled
Custom-ROM
OTA Updates
CalyxOS vs Android
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
One of the best privacy focused ROMs
Positive comment• ago

1
postmarketOS
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Operating System
Mobile OS
Linux
Linux Mobile
44 alternatives to postmarketOS
postmarketOS (pmOS), is a touch-optimized, pre-configured Alpine Linux that can be installed on smartphones and other mobile devices. The project is at very early stages of development and is not usable for most users yet.
Suggest and vote on features
postmarketOS Features
1. Privacy focusedpostmarketOS is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
2. No TrackingpostmarketOS will not track you or use your personal data.
Sustainability
Linux-based
postmarketOS vs Android
Almost everyone thinks postmarketOS is a great alternative to Android.
Guest
It aims to replace Android on devices not supported by the device manufacturer any more.
Positive comment• ago

1