F-Droid
An app store and client for installing free and open-source Android apps.
Recommended as the main source of open-source apps on de-Googled Android phones,1234 and trusted for vetted updates, reproducible builds and no proprietary blobs.567 The most common complaints are a clunky official client8910 and missing banking and vendor apps that still require the Play Store.111213
Why people recommend it
Main app source · 3
Many commenters get most or all of their Android apps from F-Droid, often on de-Googled phones.
“At least half of the apps I use on a daily basis come from f-droid.”
“I use F-Droid as primary App store”
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“almost everything I use on it is installed through F-Droid or directly from the author's Git repository”
Trust and vetting · 3
Commenters trust its vetting of updates, reproducible builds and guarantee of no proprietary code.
“I use F-Droid precisely because I don't want that.”
“The only truly-trustable option is basically F-Droid's reproducible builds (or similar) with source code availability”
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“That's why I use F-Droid - to guarantee I don't get proprietary blobs.”
Play Store alternative · 3
Commenters use it to avoid ad-laden, scam or malware apps found on the Play Store.
“I replaced it with something from F-Droid.”
“I mostly stopped using these types of apps and switched to F-Droid alternatives.”
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“F Droid comes close and can even auto update now”
Good apps, no account · 3
Commenters say it has lots of good apps and needs no account.
“I'd also very strongly recommend F-Droid.”
“I use the F-Droid apps”
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“it's the most popular repository of FOSS software for Android”
Redesigned client · 3
The new visual and usability redesign drew some users back from third-party clients.
“Very cool, the visual redesign was very much needed”
“The new version should be better for normal users”
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Developer publishing · 1
A developer who couldn't get onto Google Play was able to publish through F-Droid instead.
“I was able to share it on f-droid though, and I am starting to think that it may be good just to publish app only through it.”
Caveats and dissent
Client UI · 3
Some commenters called the official client's UI terrible and used alternative frontends instead.
“It's unfortunate the official f-droid client is an unusable mess.”
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“I personally prefer managing apps on my phone through a browser on my laptop instead of fiddling with F-Droid on the phone.”
Missing apps · 3
Banking, insurance and vendor apps are usually unavailable, so the Play Store or Aurora is still needed.
“F Droid comes close and can even auto update now”
“it's been fine to use f-droid repos for most of my needs”
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“I also use basically only software from F-Droid and the Debian repositories”
Security criticism · 3
GrapheneOS developers recommend against F-Droid, citing security deficiencies.
“Recommending against using Firefox and F-Droid due to major security deficiencies”
“The claims about problems with F-Droid are true.”
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“they don't recommend using FireFox Mobile and F-Droid, both of which I use regardless”
Strict rules · 1
One commenter says its strict inclusion rules keep it a niche store.
“I like that a special place like fdroid exists”
Maintainer judgment · 1
A former user lost trust after maintainers flagged religious apps as NSFW.
“it really soured me on the judgment of the F-Droid maintainers”
Often compared with
2 moved from F-Droid to Obtainium
1 moved from Droid-ify to F-Droid
2 moved from F-Droid to Droid-ify
1 moved from Google Play Store to F-DroidAurora Store8 comments mention both
1 moved from F-Droid to AccrescentNeo Store2 comments mention both
1 moved from F-Droid to Neo Store
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- F-Droid 2.0 9 mentions
- GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple 3 mentions
- So long Google, and thanks for all the nudes 2 mentions
- The Google Play app review process now regularly takes longer than a week 2 mentions
- Play Store blocks AuroraStore, hurting GrapheneOS users 2 mentions
- Using an old Android phone as a music player 2 mentions
Data: f-droid.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 41
“I like that a special place like fdroid exists”
“I was able to share it on f-droid though, and I am starting to think that it may be good just to publish app only through it.”
“I see no reason to put up with subpar installation UX just because Google doesn't endorse the store I use.”
“The new version should be better for normal users”
“maybe time to try f-Droid again”
“I use F-Droid precisely because I don't want that.”
“it's been fine to use f-droid repos for most of my needs”
“the other apps I have installed on it myself are all from F-Droid”
“F-Droid ui is terrible”
“I use a combination of Aurora, Obtainium and F-Droid.”
“Very cool, the visual redesign was very much needed”
“The claims about problems with F-Droid are true.”
“i fairly use software stores like f-droid”
“It's unfortunate the official f-droid client is an unusable mess.”
“I'm also not so paranoid that I'm going to just blindly listen to advice against using F-Droid.”
“they don't recommend using FireFox Mobile and F-Droid, both of which I use regardless”
“grab whatever other utilities I might need from Obtanium or F-Droid”
“I use the F-Droid apps”
“I'd also very strongly recommend F-Droid.”
“F-Droid homepage is also concerning.”
“F Droid comes close and can even auto update now”
“The only truly-trustable option is basically F-Droid's reproducible builds (or similar) with source code availability”
“Fdroid and obtainium work flawlessly.”
“I mostly stopped using these types of apps and switched to F-Droid alternatives.”
“most of what I use comes from F-Droid”
“I also use basically only software from F-Droid and the Debian repositories”
“I install my apps using Aurora and F-Droid.”
“Both Google Play and F‐Droid are just enough of a hassle (and I mildly dislike both of them)”
“That's why I use F-Droid - to guarantee I don't get proprietary blobs.”
“I replaced it with something from F-Droid.”
“they remove the single biggest differentiator between the two platforms”
“almost everything I use on it is installed through F-Droid or directly from the author's Git repository”
“I also appreciate F-Droid and the contributions of so many people making useful software.”
“I personally prefer managing apps on my phone through a browser on my laptop instead of fiddling with F-Droid on the phone.”
“mostly open-source apps from F-Droid”
“better vetted app stores like F-Droid might win out”
“I prefer F-Droid (or third party repositories through it) for most things”
“people who care about using F-Droid would probably be happy to use an alternative OS”
“F-Droid lives.”
“At least half of the apps I use on a daily basis come from f-droid.”
“I use F-Droid as primary App store”