Google, like Apple, has received increasing scrutiny over its marketplace control in Android. Despite Android’s open-source nature, Google’s Play Store makes deGoogling Android rather difficult. That’s where the following options come in, that allow you to obtain (and update) apps on Android. Here are privacy-friendly alternatives to the Google Play Store.
microG
Right off the bat, microG is not an app store. It’s a framework that emulates Google’s Play Services with less of a hit to privacy and battery life. For the uninitiated, Google Play Services does quite a lot behind the scenes on Android. From signing into your Google accounts and push notifications to SafetyNet and locations.
Google’s apps and banking apps famously don’t work without Google Play Services. This is why a lot of deGoogled versions of Android include microG. It offers a stop-gap measure to help users migrate away from Google.
Initially, microG came with its own deGoogled app store called PhoneSky. They later discontinued it though in favor of more polished app stores.
Aurora
Aurora is the only app store on this list that grants access to the Play Store. You can access it anonymously and install apps, or log in with your Google account. The only real reason to login would be to restore your purchases though.
Aurora is pre-bundled by default in many privacy-friendly Android alternatives. Like microG, it eases the transition away from Google. Both options are definitely better for your privacy too.
F-Droid
F-Droid is the absolute gold standard when it comes to FOSS apps. In fact, F-Droid outright rejects any app that isn’t 100% free and open-source. That, combined with the fact that it’s been around for a very long time, means it’s full of useful apps. A quick scroll through can help you replace many of your favorite apps (and games) with FOSS versions.
One of the most coveted features of F-Droid is anti-features. Those are aspects that do not disqualify an app from being on F-Droid but are still not great. So it will warn you about them on the app’s page to make sure you’re cool with it.
If you’re not the biggest fan of F-Droid’s UI/UX, or want a little more from it, well F-Droid itself is FOSS. That means anyone can make an alternative front-end client for it. And many have. Here are a few that you can check out to decide which you like best.
Droidify
Droidify is by far my favorite looking F-Droid front-end. It’s very modern and minimalist, using Material 3 design standards. It’s also more straightforward to use than the default client. I much prefer Droidify’s update process, for example, compared to F-Droid’s. You don’t get to see “anti-features” anymore, sadly. It makes up for it with convenient options to skip certain updates for certain apps.
Droidify comes with more repos installed than F-Droid, that you can enable with a single click. Though Neo Store certainly has more, like Cromite‘s, for example.
Neo Store
Neo Store is another modern F-Droid client with Material 3 design. Compared to Droidify, it’s more of a maximalist than a minimalist. Every app’s page shows a rates the tracker-count in the app and the number of permissions it requires. It also integrates with Tracker Control to identify trackers in your apps and block them.
Neo Store brings back anti-features from the default client, as well as app categories. It includes navigation customization and an optional “kids mode” to disables app installs. Neo Store also lists more trusted repos by default than Droidify does.
Fossdroid
Fossdroid is not an app store like the others on this list. It’s a website that allows you to browse F-Droid in the browser without needing an app. Of course, the lack of an app means you can install apps, but not auto-update them.
IzzyOnDroid
IzzyOnDroid is a lot like F-Droid, but it’s a lot less strict with who they allow to list apps. They allow a lot of apps that get rejected from F-Droid for not completely open-source. There are also FOSS apps that prefer Izzy for some reason. Their technical process for listing apps is also easier and faster. This means that apps that are on both often have updates show up sooner on Izzy than they do on F-Droid.
Accrescent
Accrescent is trying to be the new Play Store. Unlike F-Droid, it’s not too concerned about FOSS. Instead, it’s focusing more on privacy, security, and user experience. You see, F-Droid believes in transparency and open-source. If an app, say, connects to Google, that’s the app’s problem. As long as the app itself is open-source and free, it’ll be on F-Droid. This app likely wouldn’t be on Accrescent though.
This makes Accrescent sound better than F-Droid, but that’s only in theory. It’s only got a handful of apps. Part of the problem here is that their lofty standards fly too close to the sun. There are very few apps that meet their uber high requirements. And at the end of the day, if the apps you need aren’t on this store, you likely won’t use it at all.
It’s worth mentioning though that Accrescent is still in early stages of development. It’s nowhere near ready to replace your favorite app store. All you can do right now is install and uninstall apps. It can’t even uninstall apps you’ve installed from elsewhere. I’ll be keeping an eye on it though and updating this section as it improves.