5 reasons I stick with open source apps — and why you should too

The modern app ecosystem runs on unspoken and unfair bargains. Users get a library of free apps in exchange for their data and attention.

The model extracts maximum value from users and treats them as the product, not the customer. Two common experiences make this evident.

An app with a single purpose may request access to contacts, precise location, and the microphone. This overreach collects data far beyond the app’s core purpose.

The second is a bait-and-switch monetization model. A user downloads a free app. Later, a mandatory update moves it to a subscription and locks previous features behind a recurring paywall.

Free and open source software (also called FOSS) takes a different approach, and here’s why I prefer it.

What makes open source different?

First, let’s clarify what open source means. It’s a simple, powerful idea. Proprietary software in many Google Play apps works like a secret restaurant recipe.

You can buy the food, but you don’t know what’s in it, how it’s made, or whether it’s good for you. You have to trust the company.

FOSS is more like a community cookbook. The recipe (source code) is public. You can read every ingredient, check the process, and verify its safety.

You can suggest improvements, share the recipe, or tweak it to create your own version.

5

Open source apps don’t feed on your data

We live amid constant data scandals. In 2025, researchers found that the official Facebook and Instagram apps used a hidden Android loophole to track users’ web browsing, even in private mode.

They called it “Local Mess.” It was a reminder that you can’t know what happens behind the scenes with closed-source apps.

Another example is the Flo health tracking app, which promised to keep health data private. Investigations found that the company shared sensitive details with Facebook and Google Analytics without user consent.

Open source software makes this kind of undisclosed data collection less likely because anyone can inspect what the app does.

That transparency deters spyware and backdoors. Security experts and hobbyists worldwide review open source code.

As a result, vulnerabilities are usually found and fixed faster. Attempts to slip in malicious code to collect your data are likely to be caught by the community.

4

Open source apps focus on user experience over profits

Many freemium apps are hard to use because of constant pop-ups for subscription upgrades. This is uncommon with FOSS. Most open source apps have no ads, third-party trackers, or dark patterns.

The FOSS ethos is to remove bloat and annoyances, which is why users often feel better. These apps don’t serve ad networks or push upsells.

Furthermore, open source developers respond to community feedback. You can reach them directly on GitHub, Matrix, Discord, and forums, and they listen.

If you request a feature or report a bug, there’s a good chance it will be addressed in an update. If you’re technical, you can contribute to fixing it yourself.

This collaborative model helps FOSS apps improve in ways that align with users’ interests, not a corporation’s roadmap.

The design and polish gap between open source and commercial apps has narrowed in recent years.

Signal, a secure messaging app used by tens of millions, and VLC media player show that open source apps can be as user-friendly as commercial software.

3

Open source frees you from subscription lock-ins

How often have you used an app only to see the developer raise prices or move features behind a subscription? It’s common in today’s app economy.

Open source apps offer a way out. Core features remain free, with no bait and switch. If you donate to support development, it’s by choice, not coercion.

That frees you from worrying about budgets and billing cycles for essential apps. Take AntennaPod, a free, open source podcast player known for its simple, usable design.

Unlike many commercial podcast apps, it doesn’t require an account or push premium plans. Install it and start listening to your favorite podcasts. Contrast this with a mainstream alternative.

A few years ago, Pocket Casts, a popular proprietary app, switched from a paid model to a subscription and planned to restrict features for already paid users. Backlash followed.

The company later grandfathered early buyers with lifetime access, but many users felt betrayed and looked for alternatives.

2

Open source respects your device’s resources

Proprietary apps drain your battery or hog storage despite simple functions. They’re often bloated with ad and analytics libraries and other unrelated background processes.

Open source apps are usually leaner and more efficient. Without ads, constant tracking pings, or unnecessary permissions, FOSS apps conserve device resources and data.

This saves battery, storage, and RAM daily, and you don’t need to constantly clear your phone’s cache.

App size and speed are other benefits. Open source alternatives require fewer downloads and use less storage.

Moreover, lightweight FOSS apps can extend your phone’s usable life on older devices. Community benchmarks and discussions drive performance improvements.

For example, Simple Gallery, an open source photo gallery, is only a few megabytes and runs smoothly even with large libraries.

In contrast, Google Photos can grow large and often sync in the background, using bandwidth and battery.

1

Open source apps give you real ownership

A common worry lingers with proprietary services. What if they shut things down? We’ve seen it happen.

A company decides an app isn’t profitable or wants to push users elsewhere, and the service is discontinued.

If you’re lucky, you get a warning and an export option. If not, your data and workflows stall.

Google has a reputation for shutting down well-liked apps. Google Reader ended in 2013, and Inbox by Gmail shut down in 2019.

When the Inbox shut down, Google told users to switch back to Gmail. Community pleas didn’t matter because the app was Google’s property, not the users.

Open source apps flip that dynamic. You have control over the app and your data.

If a developer stops maintaining a project, the source code remains available, so others can pick it up or fork it.

Even games can live on in the open source world as communities maintain them, while proprietary online games can vanish when servers shut down.

An ongoing Stop Killing Games campaign highlights this. Another key facet is data portability. Open source apps favor open formats and easy import and export.

They compete on quality, not lock-in. Your data isn’t trapped in a silo.

Whether notes, tasks, contacts, or media, FOSS apps usually store them in formats you can export and use elsewhere. If they don’t, you can request it, and someone can add an export function.

Finding and using open source apps has become easier than ever

Open source isn’t perfect, but its rough edges are fading fast. Today, many open source apps look and feel indistinguishable from their proprietary counterparts.

For instance, the WordPress blogging app and Bitwarden, a top-rated password manager, are open source and have millions of non-technical users.

Finding and installing them is also easier than you may think. Many FOSS apps are on Google Play, and they update automatically through Play, with no special steps.

The community has F-Droid for apps that aren’t on the Play Store (often due to philosophical reasons or Play Store policies).