Obtainium Alternatives: 4 Open-Source Tools to Install and Update Apps (2026)

Obtainium is the usual answer to “how do I keep sideloaded apps updated”. You point it at each app’s own release page, such as GitHub or GitLab, and it installs updates straight from the developer. It is open source, and we host its F-Droid build. It is the reference point for everything below.

It isn’t for everyone. Setting up a source for every app takes time, and some apps don’t publish releases anywhere Obtainium can read. These four tools take different approaches.

Quick picks

• You want updates straight from each developer and don’t mind the setup: stay with Obtainium.
• You want updates without setting up each app: APKUpdater.
• Your apps are mostly from F-Droid: Droid-ify or Florid, or the official F-Droid client.
• Your problem is an install that fails: Install with Options.

At a glance

The last three rows come from the APKs we checked. The flags are the ones IzzyOnDroid or, for Obtainium, F-Droid gives each app; the Florid version we host comes from GitHub, where there are no such flags.

APKUpdater: one list across many stores

APKUpdater checks every installed app against APKMirror, Aptoide, F-Droid and GitHub at once, so there is no per-app setup. That is the main difference from Obtainium. It can install updates silently on Android 12 and later, or with root.

The trade-off is those stores. APKMirror and Aptoide are proprietary services, which fits IzzyOnDroid’s NonFreeNet flag. It also carries a Tracking flag, even though our code scan found no tracker SDKs. We explain the details on its page.

Florid: a nicer F-Droid

If most of your apps come from F-Droid anyway, a better F-Droid client may be all you need. Florid is a redesign focused on usability, and since version 1.4.0 it can add other repositories and queue installs. It includes the Shizuku library, though the project doesn’t say what it uses it for. It is young and arm64-only, and since version 1.3.0 it sends a daily usage ping with a random installation ID, which you can switch off in the settings.

Droid-ify: a lighter F-Droid

Droid-ify is another F-Droid client, a descendant of Foxy Droid. It comes with F-Droid and IzzyOnDroid switched on, adds other repositories with one tap or a QR code, and updates apps in the background. With Shizuku or root it installs updates through Android’s pm command, so they can go through without a confirmation for each app. Our copy carries the developer’s own signature.

Install with Options: when the problem is installing, not finding

Some updates don’t install at all: a downgrade, a test build, an app Android 14 blocks for being too old. Install with Options gives you the options of adb install on the phone through Shizuku. It doesn’t look for updates. It pairs well with any of the others. One thing to know: its APK contains the Bugsnag crash-reporting SDK, which the store listing doesn’t mention.