The Play Store is the hardest Google habit to drop on an Android phone, because your apps, updates and purchases all live there. A good Google Play alternative doesn’t have to replace it in one go. Most people end up with two or three sources, each doing one job well.
Below are the stores that matter in October 2026, the order to switch in, and what Google’s new developer verification rules change.
Quick Comparison
All of these are free.
| Store | Best for | Where apps come from | Account | Status (Oct 2026) | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-Droid | Open-source apps | Built from source by F-Droid, plus extra repositories you add | None | 2.0 released 24 Sep 2026 | Yes |
| Obtainium | Apps that publish their own releases | GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid and more | None | Active (1.6.17, Sep 2026) | Yes (GPLv3) |
| Aurora Store | Apps that only exist on Google Play | Google Play’s servers | Anonymous, or your own Google account | Active (4.8.4, Jul 2026) | Yes (GPLv3+) |
| Accrescent | Security-focused installs | Developers publish signed apps directly | None | Alpha, small catalog | Yes |
| /e/OS App Lounge | Phones running /e/OS | Google Play, F-Droid and web apps | Optional Google sign-in | Built into /e/OS | Yes |
| Sandboxed Google Play | GrapheneOS users who still need Play | The real Play Store, run as an ordinary app | Google account | In the GrapheneOS App Store | No (the sandbox is) |
Which One Should You Pick?
- If most of your apps are open source, or could be, start with F-Droid.
- If you use apps from small developers who post releases on GitHub, add Obtainium. Updates come straight from the developer, signed with the developer’s own key.
- If you need your bank, your airline or a local transport app, use Aurora Store with the anonymous login.
- If you run GrapheneOS, use F-Droid and Obtainium for most apps and sandboxed Google Play, ideally in a separate profile, for the rest.
- If your phone came with /e/OS, App Lounge is already installed and covers all three kinds of app.
The Alternatives, One by One
F-Droid
F-Droid is a volunteer-run catalog of free and open-source Android apps. It builds most of them from their published source code and checks them for security problems before adding them. Apps that track you or depend on non-free online services carry an “anti-features” label, so you see the trade-off before you install.
- Pick it because you need no account, F-Droid says it doesn’t track what you install, and the catalog has grown to thousands of apps, including replacements for many Google apps. Version 2.0 is a full rebuild with three tabs, Discover, Search and My Apps, and it updates your apps automatically by default.
- Possible deal-breakers are that it carries no proprietary apps, so no banking, streaming or most games. F-Droid signs most apps with its own key, so its version usually can’t update over a copy you installed from Google Play. You back up the app’s data, uninstall and reinstall. Version 2.0 needs Android 7 or newer, and it doesn’t support the F-Droid Privileged Extension yet.
- It costs nothing. The project runs on donations.
Obtainium
Obtainium isn’t a store. It watches the release pages of the apps you choose and installs new versions when they appear. It supports GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid, SourceHut and direct download links.
- Pick it because updates come from the developer, with the developer’s own signature, and you get a notification when a new release appears. Obtainium itself is on F-Droid.
- Possible deal-breakers are the setup, since you add each app by pasting its release page address. Some sources work by reading web pages, which breaks when a site changes its design. It needs Android 8 or newer.
- It costs nothing (Oct 2026) and is open source under GPLv3.
Aurora Store
Aurora Store is an unofficial, open-source client for Google Play. It downloads apps from Google’s servers, so you get the same app files without the Play Store app or a Google account on your phone.
- Pick it because it covers the apps that only exist on Google Play, such as banks, airlines and delivery apps. It shows the trackers found in each app, links to Plexus compatibility reports, lets you block updates for specific apps and can spoof your device or region for geo-restricted apps. It’s on F-Droid.
- Possible deal-breakers are the anonymous logins. They use shared accounts handed out by volunteer-run servers, and Google sometimes throttles or blocks them, so you retry later. By default Aurora sends your app list and device details to Google Play’s servers, which F-Droid warns is likely enough to fingerprint your device. Paid apps need the Google account that bought them.
- It costs nothing and is open source under GPLv3 or later.
Accrescent
Accrescent is a newer store built for security. It needs no account, and it verifies an app’s signing key on the very first install, so you don’t have to trust the first download blindly. Updates install unattended on Android 12 and later.
- Pick it because it has the strongest security model on this list. On GrapheneOS, the recommended way to get it is through the GrapheneOS App Store.
- Possible deal-breakers are that it still calls itself alpha and carries few apps. Its last release, 0.28.1, came out in November 2025, and in 2025 its developers warned that feature work would stop without more donations. Treat it as an extra, not your main store.
- It costs nothing and needs Android 10 or newer.
/e/OS App Lounge
If your phone runs /e/OS, for example a Murena phone or a Fairphone sold with /e/OS, App Lounge is your store. It combines Google Play apps, open-source apps from F-Droid and web apps in one search. When an app exists in both catalogs, it shows the open-source version first.
- Pick it because it’s built in, updates install automatically and every app shows a Privacy Score out of 10, based on its trackers and permissions. Anonymous mode gets you free Play apps without a personal account, and an optional No-Google mode never contacts Google’s servers.
- Possible deal-breakers are that paid apps aren’t available in anonymous mode and in-app purchases aren’t supported. Sign in with Google to reinstall apps you already bought. It only exists on /e/OS. Our degoogled phone buying guide covers /e/OS phones.
Sandboxed Google Play on GrapheneOS
GrapheneOS can run Google Play services and the Play Store as ordinary apps, with no special access or privileges. You install them from GrapheneOS’s own App Store, and only in the profile where you want them.
- Pick it because it’s the most compatible option. In-app purchases, license checks for paid apps and Play Games services all work, and Android Auto installs from the GrapheneOS App Store. Put Play in a separate user or work profile so only the apps that need it see it.
- Possible deal-breakers are that it’s still Google’s code, and the Play Store needs a signed-in Google account to install apps or take payments. Features that need Play services built into the system aren’t available. Some banking apps still refuse to run because GrapheneOS isn’t Google-certified. It only runs on Pixel phones. Our GrapheneOS guide has the details.
Android Developer Verification and Sideloading in 2026
Google now requires Android app developers to register and verify their identity. The rule covers certified Android devices, which means ordinary phones sold with Google Play. F-Droid has told its developers not to register, so its apps are the ones most affected.
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | Google rolled out the “advanced flow” for installing apps from unverified developers, and free limited distribution accounts for hobby developers (up to 20 devices) |
| 30 Sep 2026 | Registration became required for installs from Google Play and other participating stores, such as Samsung Galaxy Store and Xiaomi GetApps, in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand |
| 2027 | Google plans to extend the requirement worldwide |
Today, outside those four countries, nothing has changed. Inside them, Google’s own timeline covers installs from the participating stores, and Android Authority confirmed on 2 October 2026 that apps from other sources still install normally. That includes F-Droid and downloaded app files.
Once the rule reaches your country, apps from unregistered developers on a stock phone will need one of two routes.
- The advanced flow. In Developer options, turn on the setting for apps from unverified developers, confirm that nobody is pressuring you, restart, then wait 24 hours once. After that you can allow these apps for seven days or indefinitely. Labels can differ between phones.
- ADB. Installing from a computer with
adb installworks as before.
On a custom system, none of this applies. GrapheneOS, CalyxOS and /e/OS aren’t Play-certified. The indirect risk is that developers who refuse to register lose stock-phone users, which could shrink the supply of open-source apps.
F-Droid signs most of its catalog itself, which doesn’t fit Google’s model. In September 2026 it described a way to add developer-signed packages. If you rely on F-Droid apps, a phone running GrapheneOS or /e/OS avoids the question. Our phone guide compares the options.
How to Switch From the Google Play Store
Most people get through their app list in an evening. The slow part is the two or three apps that only exist on Google Play.
First, List Your Apps and What You Paid For
- Open the Play Store, tap your profile icon, then tap Manage apps & device and Manage. Screenshot or write down the list. To include apps you removed in the past, tap This device at the top, then Not installed.
- Tap your profile icon again, then Payments & subscriptions and Budget & history, to see which apps you paid for. Those stay tied to this Google account.
- Open your Google Play subscriptions and cancel the ones you won’t keep. Uninstalling an app doesn’t cancel its subscription.
If you want an archive of your Play history, Google Takeout has a Google Play Store entry. Our Google Takeout guide shows how to export a single product.
Then Install F-Droid
- In your phone’s browser, go to f-droid.org and download the F-Droid app file.
- Open the downloaded file. Android asks you to allow installs from your browser. Allow it, then tap Install.
- Open F-Droid and let it load its catalog. Search for a replacement for each app on your list, starting with the everyday ones such as your browser, keyboard and maps.
Fill the Gaps With Obtainium and Aurora Store
- Install Obtainium from F-Droid. For an app that publishes releases on GitHub, GitLab or Codeberg, add it by pasting the project’s release page address.
- Install Aurora Store from F-Droid. Choose the anonymous login, then search for the apps that only exist on Google Play.
- When Android refuses to update an app because the signatures don’t match, back up the app’s data, uninstall the old copy and install the new one.
Finally, Test and Step Back From Google Play
- Use the phone normally for a week. Note which apps lose notifications or refuse to start, and look them up on Plexus.
- Keep the Play Store, or Aurora signed in to your account, only for the apps that truly need it.
- When you’re ready, remove the Google account from the phone. Our phone guide walks through it, including what to back up first. After that, the Play Store asks you to sign in again, which is expected.