You have many options when it comes to using the operating system most people know as ‘Android’. This is because the core of Android is the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which is, as its name says, open source. This means that anybody can make a copy of AOSP and make their own version of it (we call this a ‘fork’). Google’s Android is just one of these AOSP forks: many organizations have made alternative ones, including smartphone manufacturers, Google competitors and volunteer groups. This page aims to give insight into some of the most-used Android alternatives.
Note: This page was made by E Foundation, the organization behind /e/OS, so it is subjective :), our favorite OS is /e/OS. However, we have tried to be as factual as possible in the table below.
Note 2: This page is made to create insight into Android options for mainstream, everyday smartphone users. It is not focused on tech-savvy users (‘techies’), who often already know about these options and for whom many considerations in the table below are very different.
/e/OS |
Android |
CalyxOS |
GrapheneOS |
LineageOS |
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Founded in |
2018 |
2008 |
2018–2019 |
2019 |
2016 |
Organization |
E Foundation and Murena |
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Logo |
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Description |
/e/OS is an open-source OS that focuses on user-friendliness for mainstream users while simultaneously helping users to protect their privacy |
Android is AOSP + Google’s default applications and Google Play Services, Google’s proprietary layers on top of AOSP. It focuses on being a mainstream OS and a base OS for its resellers (like Samsung) |
CalyxOS is an OS that puts privacy and security into the hands of everyday users and makes proactive security recommendations |
GrapheneOS is a privacy- and security-focused mobile OS that is developed as a non-profit open source project and that enables users to be extra secure |
LineageOS is a free and open-source operating system that supports many devices and has lead the way for years in providing a more open and more customizable fork of AOSP |
Screenshot of OS |
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Screenshot of connected cloud for backup, sync and PC access of data |
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UF: User-friendliness for mainstream users Priv: Privacy Sec: Security OS: Open source Sus: Sustainability See further on in this table for more detail on scorings |
UF ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Priv ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sec ⭐⭐⭐ OS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sus ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
UF ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Priv ⭐ Sec ⭐⭐⭐ OS ⭐⭐ Sus ⭐ |
UF ⭐⭐⭐ Priv ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sec ⭐⭐⭐⭐ OS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sus ⭐⭐⭐ |
UF ⭐ Priv ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sec ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ OS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sus ⭐⭐ |
UF ⭐⭐ Priv ⭐⭐ Sec ⭐⭐⭐ OS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sus ⭐⭐ |
Typical user |
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Pros |
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Cons |
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Geographical location of headquarters / lead maintainer |
Europe |
USA |
USA |
USA |
USA |
User-friendliness for mainstream users |
/e/OS focuses on achieving user-friendliness for mainstream users in its user interface (UI). In addition, it provides integrated online backup facilities and PC access to an online workspace (murena.io). Its UI is harmonized across OS, apps and online workspace. It has an app store that provides access to Play Store apps, F-Droid apps and Progressive Web Applications (PWA) in one integrated UI. /e/OS supports 220 devices at the time of writing. It is available on both tablets and smartphones. Devices can be bought from Murena’s online shop and Helpdesk support is available for customers. /e/OS also makes available an installer to easily install /e/OS yourself. One point deducted because not all Android apps work (well) on /e/OS. Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Android focuses on achieving user-friendliness for mainstream users in its user interface (UI). In addition, it provides integrated online backup facilities and PC access to an online workspace (Google Cloud). It has an app store that provides access to Play Store apps. 100% of those apps function on Android. Android supports the largest number of devices of all OSs in this table. Devices can be bought from Google’s online shop and many other online and physical stores. Helpdesk support is available for paying customers. Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
CalyxOS aims to put privacy and security into the hands of everyday users. Devices can be bought from the Calyx Institute online shop and Helpdesk support is available for customers. The OS includes a lot of useful applications that users might appreciate. The Calyx Institute makes available an installer to easily install CalyxOS yourself. Points deducted because CalyxOS: does not provide integrated backup and online access to data, its UI is not harmonized across OS and apps, many default apps have a different design, CalyxOS supports only 23 smartphones at the time of writing, it has two app stores instead of one, and because because not all Android apps work (well) on CalyxOS. Score: ⭐⭐⭐ |
GrapheneOS is a privacy- and security-focused mobile OS and is focused on users that value this. It’s focused on the research and development of privacy and security technology. As a result, it is less suitable for mainstream / general / everyday users, but highly suitable for users with high-risk security profiles. GrapheneOS makes available an installer to easily install GrapheneOS yourself. Points deducted because GrapheneOS: does not provide integrated backup and online access to data, GrapheneOS only supports 16 devices at the time of writing, via its default app store it provides access only to apps in the GrapheneOS app repository, to install other apps you need to visit third party app stores such as F-Droid, Aurora (via app) or the Google Play Store, GrapheneOS does not sell devices with its OS pre-installed on its website, a lot of the security measures by GrapheneOS (see further) come with detrimental side effects for user-friendliness, and because because many Android apps do not work (well) on a default install of GrapheneOS, for this you first need to install Google Play Services. Score: ⭐ |
LineageOS is a free and open-source operating system that aims to provide a more open and more customizable fork of AOSP. It supports 214 devices at the time of writing. LineageOS makes available an installer to easily install /e/OS yourself. Points deducted because LineageOS: does not provide integrated backup and online access to data, it comes without any app stores, to install other apps you need to visit third party app stores such as F-Droid, Aurora (via app) or the Google Play Store, LineageOS does not sell devices with its OS pre-installed on its website, it does not have a Helpdesk, and because because many Android apps do not work (well) on a default install of LineageOS, for this you first need to install microG or Google Play Services. Score: ⭐⭐ |
Privacy |
/e/OS is a ‘privacy-by-design’ operating system. This means that:
/e/OS It approaches privacy mainly from a Big Tech data collection viewpoint and to help protect you against that. /e/OS was specifically established in 2018 as an alternative to Big Techs and their increasing personal data-based revenue models. Overview of /e/OS features that help users to deGoogle and improve their privacy Privacy guide made by the E Foundation for its users. Supporting independent research ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Google’s business model depends on advertisements for ~80% of its revenue. Its users, including Android users, are not its customers but its products! The customers are the advertisers, they are after all the ones who pay Google. This background results in huge privacy violations for users with Google collecting people’s locations hundreds of times per day, for example. The danger of this is compounded because Google not only collects data, but combines it all, linking people’s online searches, to app usage, to location, to spending, etc. By making people its product, Google has, together with several other Big Tech companies, driven the age of data capitalism in the 21st century. Supporting independent research ⭐ |
CalyxOS is an Android mobile operating system that puts privacy and security into the hands of everyday users. Overview of CalyxOS features to help users protect their privacy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
GrapheneOS is a privacy and security focused OS. It improves the privacy and security of the OS from the bottom up. It approaches privacy mainly from an individual user’s security viewpoint. Overview of GrapheneOS features to protect people’s security and privacy. A point deducted because:
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LineageOS is an operating system that mainly focuses on creating openness and customizability for users in AOSP. Points deducted because although LineageOS does not actively take measures that are anti-privacy, like Google, it also does not actively take measures to safeguard users’ privacy and to help them protect their privacy in the digital world. Also, LineageOS retains a lot of calls and references to Google — things that have been removed by other operating systems like /e/OS. ⭐⭐ |
Security |
Security is comparable to Google’s Android and LineageOS. Security is largely AOSP-based, in which all these operating systems have the same foundation. /e/OS is more beneficial in terms of security because of its privacy-protection practises, leading to less risk of data loss / breaches by data collectors. Points deducted because /e/OS is focused mainly on helping users protect their privacy from tech data harvestors, more than individual security, for which it takes few additional measures. Also /e/OS is slow to implement Android security updates. ⭐⭐⭐ |
Security is comparable to /e/OS and LineageOS. Security is largely AOSP-based, in which all these operating systems have the same foundation. Google is more beneficial in terms of security because it leads the development of Android security updates so is the first to implement this. Points deducated because Android takes less additional security measures than CalyxOS and GrapheneOS and because Google’s large scale data collection efforts come with security risks for users particularly in case of breaches. ⭐⭐⭐ |
CalyxOS is an Android mobile operating system that puts privacy and security into the hands of everyday users. It goes further than /e/OS, Google and LineageOS in helping users to establish a high level of security, as described here. A point missing from 5 stars only because GrapheneOS does even more to help users maximize the security on their devices. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
GrapheneOS takes a lot of security-hardening features that help users to keep their devices and data ultra-secure. Overview of GrapheneOS features to help users be secure. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Security is comparable to Google’s Android and /e/OS. Security is largely AOSP-based, in which all these operating systems have the same foundation. /e/OS is more beneficial in terms of security because of its privacy-protection practises, leading to less risk of data loss / breaches by data collectors. Points deducted because LineageOS takes few additional measures to help people increase their security, like CalyxOS and GrapheneOS do. Also LineageOS is slower than others in rolling out security updates (understandable, given the large number of devices they support, but still). ⭐⭐⭐ |
Open source |
/e/OS is open source. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
All the apps and services that Google has developed on top of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) are proprietary. In making these proprietary, Google has made it challenging for other organizations to establish succesful AOSP forks, because on those alternatives apps have difficulty functioning without Google Play Services. One point added because Google also makes a lot of contributions to AOSP. ⭐⭐ |
CalyxOS is open source. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
GrapheneOS is open source. Point deducted because GrapheneOS only actively supports the installation of the proprietary Google Play Services and not of its open-source competitor microG. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
LineageOS is open source. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Sustainability |
Activities that help the environment:
Source for the information above: www.murena.com/impact/ Point deducted because not all phones that Murena sells are as repairable as the Fairphones, Shiftphones and Teracubes. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
A great number of factors collectively contribute to the negative environmental footprint of Android and Google smartphones, highlighting the need for more sustainable practices in the industry. The main factors are:
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Activities that help the environment:
Points deducted because not all phones that the Calyx Institute sells are as repairable as the Fairphones and Shiftphones and because CalyxOs does not support as many phone models as LineageOS and /e/OS, and because they don’t take additional measures focused on refurbishment of devces and renewable energy for cloud infrastructure. ⭐⭐⭐ |
Activities that help the environment:
Points deducted because GrapheneOS does not take additional measures focused on selling sustainable devices, refurbishment of devices renewable energy for cloud infrastructurem, and because it supports less models than LineageOS and /e/OS. ⭐⭐ |
Activities that help the environment:
Points deducted because LineageOS does not take additional measures focused on selling sustainable devices, refurbishment of devices renewable energy for cloud infrastructure and in terms of privacy protection. ⭐⭐ |
Sources |
