FOSS Launchers #
This is a comparison of open-source home screens for Android.
Inclusion criteria: Apps in this list must be open source and maintained
Grid-Based Launchers #
Discreet Launcher #
License: GPL-3.0
Website | Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: app grid
Features: #
✅ Search: apps
❌ Search history
❌ Customizable gestures
✅Folders
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
❌ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
✅ Icon packs
❌ Material You
Fossify #
License: GPL-3.0
Website | Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: app grid
Features: #
✅ Search: apps
❌ Search history
❌ Customizable gestures
✅ Folders
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
✅ Widgets
❔ Private space
❌ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
❌ Icon packs
✅ Material You
Lawnchair #
License: Apache License 2.0
Website | Repository
Seems to be a regular (grid of apps) launcher.
Main mode of interaction: App grid
Features: #
✅ Search: Apps & Shortcuts Web suggestions People Files Android Settings Calculator
✅ Search history
✅ Customizable gestures: double tap swipe up swipe down home button back button
✅ Folders
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
✅ Widgets
❔ Private space
❔ Work profile
❌ Pinned shortcuts
✅ Icon packs
✅ Material You
Rootless Pixel Launcher #
Abandoned
License: Apache License 2.0
Repository
Main mode of interaction: App grid
Features: #
✅ Search: Apps
❌ Search history
❌ Customizable gestures
❌ Folders
❌ Tags
❌ Rename apps
⚠️ Widgets buggy/broken
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
✅ Icon packs
❌ Material You
Search based #
Aster Launcher #
Abandoned
License: GPL-3.0
Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: search
Features: #
⚠️ Search: apps (apps list is buggy/broken) web
❌ Search history
❌ Customizable gestures
❌ Folders
❌ Tags
❌ Rename apps
❌ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
❌ Icon packs
❌ Material You
KISS Launcher #
License: GPL-3.0
Website | Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: Search Some gestures available
Features: #
✅ Search: Apps Contacts Call history
✅ Search history
✅ Customizable gestures: swipe left swipe right swipe up swipe down long press double tap
❌ Folders
✅ Tags
✅ Rename apps
✅ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
✅ Icon packs
❔ Material You
Lunar Launcher #
License: GPL-3.0
Repository | F-Droid
Even natively supports RSS feeds to homescreen?
Main mode of interaction: alphabet scroller
Features: #
✅ Search: swipe up swipe down swipe left swipe right tap and hold battery indicator/clock tap and hold lower part of screen double tap tap and hold favorite item
❌ Search history
❌ Customizable gestures
❌ Folders
❌ Tags
❌ Rename apps
❌ Widgets
❔ Private space
❌ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
❌ Icon packs
❌ Material You
OLauncher #
License: GPL-3.0
Repository | F-Droid
Extremely minimal launcher with lots of forks.
Main mode of interaction: Search
Features: #
✅ Search: apps
❌ Search history.
✅ Customizable gestures: swipe left swipe right double tap
❌ Folders
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
❌ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
❔ Pinned shortcuts
❌ Icon packs
❔ Material You
Forks: #
- Olauncher Clutter Free
- mLauncher
- CLauncher (even more minimalistic, search without feedback)
- CCLauncher (rewrite using compose)
TinyBit Launcher #
License: GPL-3.0
Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: search some gestures
Features: #
✅ Search: apps contacts web maps playstore youtube
✅ Search history
✅Customizable gestures: tap double tap swipe up swipe left swipe right swipe down on left swipe down on right
❌ Folders
✅ Tags
✅ Rename apps
✅ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
✅ Icon packs
❌ Material You
YAM Launcher #
License: MIT
Repository | F-Droid
Similar to OLauncher?
Main mode of interaction: search home screen text buttons
Features: #
✅ Search: apps contacts (optional)
❌ Search history
✅ Customizable gestures: swipe left swipe right
❌ Folders
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
❌ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
❌ Icon packs
✅ Material You
Directory based #
folder launcher #
License: MIT
Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: directory navigation
Features: #
✅ Search: apps
❌ Search history
❌ Customizable gestures
✅ Folders
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
✅ Widgets
❔ Private space
❌ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
❌ Icon packs
❌ Material You
Ion Launcher #
License: GPL-3.0
Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: App grid Search
Features: #
⚠️ Search: apps contacts: buggy/broken
✅ Search history shows recently launched apps
❌ Customizable gestures
⚠️ Folders prebuilt not customizable
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
❌ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
✅ Icon packs
❌ Material You
Gesture based #
Pie Launcher #
License: MIT
Repository
Main mode of interaction: Selection wheel
Features: #
✅ Search: apps
❌ Search history
❌ Customizable gestures
❌ Folders
❌ Tags
❌ Rename apps
❌ Widgets
❔ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
❌ Icon packs
❌ Material You
µLauncher #
License: MIT
Repository | F-Droid
Main mode of interaction: Gestures Search
Features: #
✅ Search: apps
❌ Search history
✅ Customizable gestures: 35 avilable read the docs
❌ Folders
❌ Tags
✅ Rename apps
✅ Widgets
✅ Private space
✅ Work profile
✅ Pinned shortcuts
❌Icon packs
✅ Material You
Tabular Summary #
Legend: #
✅ = Supported
❌ = Unsupported
⚠️ = Buggy/Broken; check this launcher’s notes above
| Launcher | Search | Search history | Customizable gestures | Folders | Tags | Rename apps | Widgets | Private space | Work profile | Pinned shortcuts | Icon packs | Material You |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| µLauncher | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Fossify | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Lawnchair | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ | ❔ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Rootless Pixel Launcher | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| KISS Launcher | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ |
| Lunar Launcher | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❔ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| OLauncher | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❔ | ✅ | ❔ | ❌ | ❔ |
| TinyBit Launcher | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| YAM Launcher | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Ion Launcher | ⚠️ | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Pie Launcher | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| folder launcher | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Discreet Launcher | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Aster Launcher | ⚠️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❔ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Not Tested #
Feel free to test these and add https://f-droid.org/en/packages/app.easy.launcher/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.nodomain.tobihille.seniorlauncher/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.mrmannwood.hexlauncher/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.simplemobiletools.applauncher/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/peterfajdiga.fastdraw/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.mm20.launcher2.release/
Even more launchers (most of them don’t seem to be FOSS)