12 Open-source Free Android Sports Apps that respect your privacy

If you exercise or meditate, properly you have tried dozens of sports apps. You also may notice that most of the apps you tried require access permissions to your contact, camera, and location. Also, many of them come with advertisements, or locked features to open with in-app purchases.

Therefore, we collected the best, open-source, free, and privacy-aware apps, to help your exercises without locked features or annoying ads.

Moreover, these apps don't require any subscription or even have locked features that force you to pay.

So, we write this article to help people find the right open-source, free, and privacy-first alternative apps.

How did we choose these apps?

Our primary target is to choose from dozens of apps the apps with these criteria:

1. Apps without invasive permissions
2. Apps that do not collect, or share your data without your permission
3. Apps without in-app purchase
4. Apps that do not contain any malware scripts or advertisements
5. Open-source with GPL v2.0, GPL v3.0, Apache 2.0, or MIT License

Where do you get these apps for your Android device?

Almost all of these apps are listed at the F-Droid application store, which offers dozens of open-source, free applications free of charge for Android users.

Some apps are listed also at the Google Play application store, but with certain code modifications and different licenses.

Therefore, we encourage you to download and install the F-Droid app store and enjoy the freedom of open-source software.

1- RunnerUp

RunnerUp is a free open-source GPS tracker for people who like to run. It tracks pace, distance, and time.

RunnerUp offers detailed statistics, progress, supports smart watcher heart rate monitors, and comes with built-in effective interval workout modes with extensive configuration.

With RunnerUp, you can upload your running tracks to third-party apps like Strava, Endomondo, RunKeeper, and RunningAHEAD.

You can install RunnerUp either from Google Play or the F-Droid store, but there is some feature difference between the two versions. To ensure more privacy use the F-droid version but keep in mind it comes without several tools and features.

If you are interested in looking into the source code, here is its GitHub repo.

2- OpenTracks

OpenTracks is a sports tracker that respects your privacy. With OpenTracks you can track your running, walking, and cycling tracks easily without the need to install any additional third-party plugins or apps.

OpenTracks Features

1. comes with voice announcements,
2. supports Bluetooth sensors for heart rate monitors, cycling tools
3. barometric sensor support for altitude gain and loss
4. export data as KMZ, KML, or GPX.
5. It has a built-in dark theme support
6. comes without ads or internet access permissions

OpenTracks is released as an open-source project under Apache 2.0 license

3- AAT Another Activity Tracker

AAT or Another Activity Tracker is another GPS-tracking app to help you track your sporting outdoor activities like running, cycling, and hiking.

AAT Another Activity Tracker features

1. It displays a live tracking view
2. Stores the tracks in standard GPX format which you can export, import, and share with other applications
3. Support offline tiled maps
4. Supports real-time tilemaps for cycling, running, and hiking routes
5. Offers route planning using GPX editor
6. It supports GPS independent altitude
7. Download AAT ANother Activity Tracker

4- FitoTrack

FitoTrack is another cycling, running, and hiking tracker that respects user privacy and does not depend on 3rd party services.

FitoTrack features

1. It tacks workouts sessions for cycling, running, and hiking
2. It views workout session data like date, time, duration, distance, speed, and pace.
3. It has a level performance viewer
4. Offers a built-in live map viewer
5. Record your workout with one click

FitoTrack is a completely open-source Libre app, released under GPL v3.0 license. You can download FitoTrack from the F-Droid store.

5- Interval Timer

The Interval Timer app is my favorite app on this list and my daily used sport session controller daily-use app. It is an easy-to-use timer in which you can set workout, rest intervals, and how many rounds and sets you are planning to perform.

Interval Timer Features

1. It has a simple customization screen
2. It offers a full-screen timer with large font views
3. It comes with a built-in statistics and diagrams screen.

Interval Timer is an open-source project licensed under GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL v3.0)

6- Feeel - Home Workouts

Feeel is a simple workout app designed specifically for working out at home.

Feel application highlights

1. It allows users to add workout plans
2. It has a clean user interface
3. Comes with a visual exercises viewers
4. Helps users to set exercise and break duration

Feeel is a free Libre "Open-source" project which is released under GPL v.3.0.

7- Circuit Trainer

If you like to set intervals and organize your workout sessions in a Circuit, then Circuit Trainer should be your pick. It comes with several features optimized for Circuit training methods. It also does not require any special permissions or contain any ads or hidden scripts.

Circuit Trainer highlights and features

1. Workout timer which is easy to configure and use.
2. Motivation alerts that remind you of your workout sessions
3. Block Periodization option
4. Workout history and logs which helps you track your performance
5. Create many exercise sets as you require

Circuit Trainer is free, open-source software released under GPL v3.0 License.

• Download Circut Trainer

8- Pausing Healthily

If your work requires long sessions, then It's healthy to exercise between sessions, therefore, the Pausing Healthily Android app is created. It reminds you to take a break between your work sessions to do some exercises, and track down your performance.

Pausing Healthily is a privacy-friendly application that does not require location, GPS, or contact info. However, it requires vibration permission, startup permission, and preventing the phone from sleeping permission.

Here is where you can get Pausing Healthily.

9- Exceer

Progression is a major aspect in many sports, it allows you to challenge your limits and progress to better performance. Exceer App is designed specifically for body weight training and daily workouts to enforce and ensure progression and form.

Progression is released as a free, open-source app under GPL 3.0 (GNU General Public License 3.0)

• Download the Exceer app from this link.

10- Lift

Lift is another awesome progression-focused app for body weight training and deadlift workouts.

Lift Features

1. It does not require any privacy-invasive permissions or internet connection.
2. It allows you to control your daily workout routine.
3. It supports several programs supported: Starting strength/5x5, 531 Big But Boring 3 month challenge, and Phrak's GSPL (Modified)
4. The weight lifting data is saved as plain text org files
5. Allows the user to use standard UNIX tools to manipulate and sync with programs like syncing
6. Interval timer that beeps at 1.5-minute intervals.

11- Pedometer (Privacy-Friendly)

Pedometer app is a privacy-friendly step counter for Android devices. Furthermore, it is a completely free, open-source project which is released under GNU General Public License v3.0.

Pedometer Features

1. A fancy-looking user interface that is easy to use
2. View your progress by day, week, or month
3. It includes charts and diagrams to help you view your performance
4. It does not contain any ads or background malware
5. Download the Pedometer app from the F-Droid store.

12- Workout Time!

Workout Time app is a timer package that helps you track your exercises, like squats, push-ups, and jumping jacks.

Workout Time Features

1. It comes with a simple interface with several screens: Home screen, Workout screen, Edit screen, Log screen, and Settings screen.
2. Set timer for your exercise
3. Customize the timer end sound with a beep, ding, or applause.
4. Download your workout sessions in JSON format files which you can find in the download folder
5. Lists all your workout exercises
6. Start your workout with one click.
7. Download Workout Time.

Final thought

Finding free, open-source sports apps that respect your privacy is not easy, especially when the App store is swarming with dozens of sports apps filled with ads and locked features to ensure payments with In-App purchases.

So, here we covered 12 open-source, free alternatives without ads or locked features.

If you know of any other open-source sports app that we did not mention here, let us know.