What is F-Droid used for?

F-Droid is the Android app for browsing and installing software from F-Droid, a repository system for free and open-source apps. It is a good fit for installing open-source apps without Google Play and distributing apps through a custom repository.

Is F-Droid open source?

Yes. F-Droid is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at f-droid/fdroidclient and is written mainly in Kotlin.

Yes. F-Droid is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host F-Droid?

Yes. F-Droid can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What are some alternatives to F-Droid?

Similar open-source tools in the Productivity category include Obtainium, Tasks.org and Loop Habit Tracker. SaaS products in the same category include Breeze, Buma Baby Tracker and Calchi AI.

Is F-Droid actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to F-Droid was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.18.0, published on 24 January 2024. The project has 3.1k stars on GitHub.

F-Droid: open-source productivity

About F-Droid

The F-Droid client is the Android application for F-Droid, a repository system that distributes free software for Android. It works as an app store and installer: you browse the catalog, install apps from it and keep them up to date. It is written in Kotlin and released under the GPL-3.0 license.

The project explains why the client asks for permission to install from unknown sources by default. A regular Android app cannot act as a package manager on its own, because that requires system privileges like those Google Play has. A separate Privileged Extension can be bundled with a ROM or installed from a zip file to provide those privileges.

Core F-Droid functionality is split into reusable libraries so other projects can use the same technology. The app can be downloaded directly from the project site or from its own repository, and it builds with Gradle. Code style is enforced with ktfmt, and contributors can reach the team on IRC, including weekly developer meetings.

Key features

Browse and install free software on Android
Repository-based app catalog
Optional Privileged Extension for system-level installs
Reusable libraries for F-Droid technology
Direct download from the project site

Good fit for

→Installing open-source apps without Google Play
→Distributing apps through a custom repository

Built with: Kotlin
Tags: android; app-store; package-manager; f-droid; kotlin; installer; free-software; mobile

F-Droid: questions and answers

What is F-Droid used for?: F-Droid is the Android app for browsing and installing software from F-Droid, a repository system for free and open-source apps. It is a good fit for installing open-source apps without Google Play and distributing apps through a custom repository.
Is F-Droid open source?: Yes. F-Droid is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at f-droid/fdroidclient and is written mainly in Kotlin.
Is F-Droid free?: Yes. F-Droid is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host F-Droid?: Yes. F-Droid can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What are some alternatives to F-Droid?: Similar open-source tools in the Productivity category include Obtainium, Tasks.org and Loop Habit Tracker. SaaS products in the same category include Breeze, Buma Baby Tracker and Calchi AI.
Is F-Droid actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to F-Droid was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.18.0, published on 24 January 2024. The project has 3.1k stars on GitHub.