I’m a big fan of free and open-source (FOSS) applications. They offer a no-nonsense approach to mobile app design, while also being free of upsells, subscription fees, and proprietary codebases.

In the realm of productivity, there are plenty of excellent FOSS applications that stand out to me. Across note-taking, office work, file management, and more, I’ve grown accustomed to FOSS software and its benefits.

Here are five FOSS productivity applications for Android that I simply can’t live without. Each of these apps is an indispensable tool in my workflow, and I can’t see myself parting ways with any of them anytime soon.

Joplin

For note-taking

Joplin is a cross-platform FOSS note-taking and to-do application that offers a comprehensive set of features. The app lets you organize your notes into dedicated notebooks, and there are various niceties like a search function, tagging, and more. Notes exported from other note-taking applications can be imported into Joplin in Markdown format. Notes can also be synchronized across your devices using one of various cloud service providers, all in an end-to-end encrypted fashion.

Artefact

For office work

Artefact, previously known as ClearPDF, is a FOSS PDF reader and document editor for Android. It features a Liquid Glass-esque design language that I personally really enjoy, with haptic feedback sprinkled throughout the user interface that adds a touch of refinement to the package. Artefact makes it easy to read, sign, and edit PDF files, while also letting you open and edit documents from Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The app also offers the ability to create notes, to-do lists, and voice memos, which are then presented on screen in a visually pleasing manner.

LocalSend

For file sharing

LocalSend is a cross-platform and FOSS alternative to the likes of Apple AirDrop, Google Quick Share, and Microsoft Nearby Sharing. The app, in my experience, is incredibly reliable, allowing you to wirelessly transfer files without a hitch. The process is always speedy, and the communication between devices is end-to-end encrypted via HTTPS. I personally love LocalSend’s clean and minimalistic user interface, and I’ve never encountered any loading issues or latency troubles in my time using the application.

Tasks.org

For task lists

Tasks.org is a FOSS to-do list application for Android that offers plenty of advanced features. A totally offline experience, the app lets you customize your lists with different icons and colors, hide tasks, automatically add new tasks to your calendar, create new tasks and list reminders using Tasker, and nestle subtasks. Optionally, you can synchronize your to-do lists using Google Tasks, CalDAV, or EteSync. The app’s interface is a bit dated, in my opinion, but it certainly gets the job done and does so without any necessary UI complications.

Fossify File Manager

For file management

Fossify File Manager is a FOSS file browser application for Android with a focus on privacy, speed, and customizability. There’s navigation, search, and sorting options on deck, as well as compression and transfer capabilities. The app’s home folder is customizable with the option to add favorite shortcuts, which is appreciated. Fossify File Manager’s user interface is clean and minimalistic, while still being full-featured as far as file browser applications go. In my experience, the app is speedy and responsive, and I love that I can personalize colors, themes, icons, and other aspects of the UI.