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microG VS Open GApps

Compare microG VS Open GApps and see what are their differences

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  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

microG logo microG

A free-as-in-freedom re-implementation of Google’s proprietary Android user space apps and...

Open GApps logo Open GApps

Open GApps is an open-source Google Apps package for rooted devices that is developed by writing...
  • microG Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-16
  • Open GApps Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-08-27

microG features and specs

  • Open Source
    microG is completely open source, allowing users to audit the code for security, privacy, and functionality assurance.
  • Privacy
    microG respects user privacy by not collecting and transmitting data to Google, making it a better choice for privacy-conscious users.
  • Lower Resource Usage
    microG tends to use fewer system resources compared to Google's proprietary services, resulting in better performance and battery life.
  • Customization
    The software provides flexibility and customization options that are not available with traditional Google services.
  • Compatibility
    microG enables the functionality of Google services for apps that require them, even on devices that don't have Google Play Services installed.

Possible disadvantages of microG

  • Limited Support
    microG may not support all features and functionalities provided by Google's proprietary services, leading to potential compatibility issues with some apps.
  • Manual Setup
    Installing and configuring microG can be complex and may require advanced technical knowledge, which may not be suitable for all users.
  • Reliability
    As a community-driven project, microG may face reliability and stability issues more frequently than official Google services.
  • Partially Unsupported Apps
    Some apps may not work fully or may have limited functionality when using microG, especially those heavily reliant on certain Google APIs.
  • Update Frequency
    Updates to microG may not be as frequent or timely as those from Google, potentially leaving some features behind or vulnerable to security risks for longer periods.

Open GApps features and specs

  • Wide Compatibility
    Open GApps provides packages for a variety of Android versions and architectures, making it suitable for many devices.
  • Customizable Packages
    Users can choose from different packages that vary in the number of Google apps included, from minimal installations to full packages.
  • Frequent Updates
    The repository is regularly updated with the latest versions of Google apps, ensuring users have access to new features and security improvements.
  • Open-Source Project
    As an open-source project, Open GApps allows transparency in its operations and contributions from the community.

Possible disadvantages of Open GApps

  • Complex Installation
    Installation requires custom recovery and some technical knowledge, which may not be user-friendly for non-technical users.
  • Stability Issues
    Compatibility with custom ROMs can sometimes lead to stability issues, as not all components may work seamlessly together.
  • License Restrictions
    Even though the project is open-source, the included Google apps themselves are proprietary, which can lead to legal or ethical concerns.
  • Limited Official Support
    As a community-driven project, official support or troubleshooting guidance from Open GApps authors might be limited.

Analysis of microG

Overall verdict

  • Overall, microG is a robust solution for users interested in privacy, open-source software, and greater control over their devices. However, it may require some technical expertise to install and configure, and not all apps may work perfectly with it.

Why this product is good

  • microG is considered good by many users because it provides an open-source alternative to Google's proprietary mobile services. It allows users to retain functionality such as push notifications and location services without relying on Google Play Services, offering more privacy and control over personal data. It's especially valuable for those using custom ROMs or seeking to minimize their dependency on Google.

Recommended for

  • Users who prioritize privacy and want to reduce their reliance on Google services.
  • Individuals using custom ROMs on their Android devices.
  • Tech-savvy users willing to troubleshoot and tweak settings for optimal performance.
  • Developers interested in open-source software solutions.

microG videos

+ Add

MicroG – what it is and where it’s going - SFScon19 / Marvin W

More videos:

  • Review - MicroG G Pen Vaporizer Review
  • Review - microG Pen Vaporizer Review

Open GApps videos

+ Add

Open Gapps Official App Walkthrough & Review | AndroGuider

More videos:

  • Review - Gapps for Android 10 powered by Open Gapps Arm & Arm64 Dec 2019

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to microG and Open GApps)

microG

Open GApps

Mobile OS
71 71%
Mobile OS
29% 29
File Manager
58 58%
File Manager
42% 42
Mobile SDK
78 78%
Mobile SDK
22% 22
Tool
50 50%
Tool
50% 50

User comments

Share your experience with using microG and Open GApps. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, microG should be more popular than Open GApps. It has been mentiond 122 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

microG mentions (122)

  • Google blocked Motorola use of perplexity AI, witness says
    > Or building your own services, presumably? In case of Android and Google Play services that is never going to work reliably. Your users will experience breakage on a regular interval and you will make yourself wildly unpopular with app developers (since they will be getting the bug reports of the subtle incompatibilities). Probably to a point where they might just block their app from running on your phone. All... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Escaping the Digital Treadmill: How to Daily Drive a Flip phone in 2025 - TCL Flip 2
    Many thanks to everyone that documented all of this information and the community around these phones: MicrogG Installer Revived - https://github.com/nift4 Magisk - https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk LSPosed - https://github.com/LSPosed/LSPosed Neutronscott - https://github.com/neutronscott/flip2/ MicroG - https://microg.org/ Whew-inc (FakeGapps fork) - https://github.com/whew-inc/FakeGApps And many more.. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • DOJ Will Push Google to Sell Off Chrome to Break Search Monopoly
    You can root your Android device and replace Google Play Services with microG (https://microg.org). - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Using Cloudflare on your website could be blocking RSS users
    It might well do, depending on what ChatGPT's app is asking the OS for. /e/OS is an Android fork that removes Google services and replaces them with open source stubs/re-implementations from https://microg.org/ I haven't tried the ChatGPT app, but I know that, for example my bank and other financial services apps work with on-device fingerprint authentication and no Google account on /e/OS. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • A Post-Google World
    Https://microg.org/ can replace services as needed. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
View more

Open GApps mentions (62)

  • Any possibility of installing Open GApps on Xreal Beam for Google Play Services??
    I've used the Open GApps project to install Google Play Services on incompatible devices like Android Fire tablets in the past, though I think to install them I had to use a custom recovery like TWRP. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Old, Bricked HTC M7 Tmobile
    Do you have any pc set up with adb and fastboot tools? If not, please do so. Otherwise go to xda-developers.com and pick any ROM you may find interesting or just go with this You'll probably also want to install gapps, so download the following from here ARM/11.0/pico. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Opengapps pico
    For older versions of Lineage, there was a download at https://opengapps.org/ to choose f.e the pico package. Also, the OpenGapp package for Lineage 18 did not contain many Google tools. The help pages of lineage/openGapps is pointing to https://wiki.lineageos.org/gapps where a download for any unknown version is available. Choosing this package for Lineage 19, I got the whole advertisement for Google back. :-(. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Installing LineageOS on Galaxy A5 (2017) Heimdall libusb: error
    For GAPPS it did not work with the suggested GAPPS since I got an error, so I used OpenGAPPS based on this form, install GAPPS error. I downloaded and installed gapps from https://opengapps.org/ with the settings ARM64, 11.0, nano. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What Gapp should I download if I want to install LOS 19.1?
    LOS 19.1 is based on Android 12 but there's only up to Android 11 on here https://opengapps.org/. So like do I just install the 11 one? Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing microG and Open GApps, you can also consider the following products

NikGApps - A Custom Google Apps Package built for users who want to customize the availability of GApps in their Custom ROMS.

MindTheGapps - A replacement for OpenGapps as a source of the standard Google Android apps.

GrapheneOS - GrapheneOS is an open source privacy and security focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.

BiTGApps - A custom gapps package with minimal install that support custom features such as Battery Optimization for GMS Core and its components.

NanoDroid - [MODULE/SYSTEM] NanoDroid 22.0.20190713 (microG, pseudo-debloat, F-Droid + apps) Magisk

LineageOS - Operating system for smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android

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