Free and best android apps

15 best Android apps available right now

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The crème de la crème. The Android apps that stand alone at the top of the pantheon. These apps have become ubiquitous with Android and if you’re looking for good stuff it’s assumed that you have some of this stuff already. There are a ton of amazing Android apps out there. However, there are a few that stand out above the rest. These apps are useful to just about everyone no matter what their use case may be. Without further delay, here are the best Android apps currently available.

Most people should be relatively familiar with most of these apps. They are the best, and the best things are rarely anonymous. It’s difficult to get into the hall of fame, but we do have the best lists attached to each selection in case you want to see more options.

The best Android apps available right now:

1Weather

Price: Free / $1.99

1Weather is arguably the best weather app out there. It features a simple, paginated design that shows you the current weather, forecast for up to 12 weeks, a radar, and other fun stats. Along with that, you’ll get a fairly decent set of lightly customizable widgets and the standard stuff like severe weather notifications and a radar so you can see the storms approaching. The Ui is logical and reasonably easy to navigate as well.

The free version has all of the features with advertising. The $1.99 charge removes advertising. Otherwise, the two versions work the same way. Most will also likely enjoy the range of weather fun facts as well when you open the app. We have a list of the best weather apps and widgets if you want more options.

Google Drive

Price: Free / $1.99-$299.99 per month

Some of the features of these apps include live collaboration, deep sharing features, and compatibility with Microsoft Office documents. You can find more cloud storage apps here and more office apps here if you want something different.

Google Maps and Waze

Price: Free

If you add to that the Waze experience, which includes tons of its own features, and you won’t need another navigation app. Ever. Google also owns and operates Waze. It’s unique and fun in ways that Google Maps isn’t and we also highly recommend it. Of course, we have more GPS apps options as well here if you need them.

Google Search / Assistant / Feed

Price: Free

There is also a second Google Assistant app for those who want a quick launch icon on the home screen. The hardware stuff costs money, but Google Assistant is free. There are other decent personal assistants like Amazon Alexa, and you can check them out here.

LastPass

Price: Free / $12 per year

LastPass is one of those must-have Android apps. It’s a password manager that lets you save your login credentials in a safe, secure way. On top of that, it can help generate nearly impossible passwords for you to use on your accounts. It’s all controlled with a master password. It has cross-platform support (premium version only) so you can use it on computers, mobile devices, tablets, or whatever.

There are others, but LastPass always feels like it’s one step ahead. Additionally, the premium version is cheap. You can also grab LastPass Authenticator to go along with it for added security. There are other options for great password managers here and some free LastPass alternatives if the new, more restricted free version isn’t doing it for you. LastPass also has an authenticator app for additional security.

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Microsoft SwiftKey

Price: Free

Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard is one of the most powerful and customizable third-party keyboards available. It hit the market several years ago with a predictive engine unlike anything any other keyboard had and the app has grown a lot of over the years. It’s a free download and you can purchase themes for it if you want to.

Other features include a dedicated number row, SwiftKey Flow which allows for gesture typing, multiple language support, cross-device syncing of your library, and much more. It’s about as good as it gets in the keyboard space. It’s true that Microsoft now owns SwiftKey, but so far they have managed not to mess it up. Gboard, Google’s keyboard app, is also exceptionally good and we honestly could’ve listed either one. There are some other great Android keyboards here as well.

Nova Launcher

Price: Free / $4.99

You can even make it look like the Pixel Launcher if you want to. If you go premium, you can tack on gesture controls, unread count badges for apps, and icon swipe actions. Those looking for something simpler may want to try Lawnchair Launcher, Hyperion Launcher, and Rootless Launcher. Of course, we have a list of the best Android launchers with even more options as well.

Podcast Addict

Price: Free / $3.99

You can also set download rules, create playlists easily, and it supports both Chromecast and SONOS along with Android Auto and Wear OS. The UI and settings aren’t the most elegant things we’ve seen. However, the app makes up for it by hitting literally every other box we could think of. Pocket Casts and CastBox are other excellent options in this space, and we have a list of even more great podcast apps here.

Poweramp

Price: Free trial / $4.99

The UI has a tiny bit of a learning curve, but it’s one of the better-looking music players as well with optional themes in the Google Play Store. There are other great music apps here, but the top slot arguably Poweramp’s title to lose. Poweramp also has an equalizer app (Google Play link) if you want a better equalizer app.

Solid Explorer

Price: Free trial / $2.99

File browsing is something everyone inevitably has (or wants) to do, so you might as well do it with a capable, fantastic file browser. Solid Explorer is pretty much as good as it gets in the file explorer apps realm. It features Material Design, archiving support, support for the most popular cloud services, and even some more power-user stuff like FTP, SFPT, WebDav, and SMB/CIFS support.

It looks great, it’s incredibly stable, and it just works well. There is a 14-day free trial with a $2.99 price tag at the end of it. There are other file browsers with more features, but few blend together looks, ease of use, and features like Solid Explorer does. If this doesn’t work for you, here are some other outstanding file browsers.

Check out some excellent hardware as well:

Tasker and IFTTT

Price: $2.99 and Free, respectively

Tasker is a glorious application if you have the patience to learn how to use the app. What it does is allow users to create custom made commands and then use them in various places. There are many apps out there that have Tasker support and you can even use Tasker to create very complex commands for NFC tags. It’s difficult to truly explain what this app can do because it can do so many things. Between the apps supported, plugins you can add, and the sheer volume of stuff that you can do, there aren’t many apps out there as useful as this one.

IFTTT is another excellent automation app. In some cases, it may even be better than Tasker thanks to its simplicity and wide range of uses. Tasker is also available free as part of the Google Play Pass. There are some other great Android tools and utility apps, but none of them can step up to Tasker and IFTTT.

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The best free Android apps you can get right now

With so many apps available on the Google Play Store, it can be hard to find the one you want. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best free apps in several useful categories. Some of them offer in-app purchases, but they only make it onto this list if the free version is worth using in its own right, and we’ve just added six new apps for you to try out.

Jump to:

The best and most useful free apps

In this list you’ll find apps that are free permanently once you install them. Sometimes certain functions are locked until you make a payment, but with the ones below we’ve ensured that the free functions and features are the best, and can be used to a good extent.

Don’t forget to leave a comment telling us your thoughts and recommendations, and for further research, we recommend the tips and the end of the article.

Best free browser app: Firefox

Your favorite browser is a bit of a personal thing and depending on what you want out of that, you may well have a different favorite. That said, if you don’t already have a favorite and want to try something other than Chrome, Firefox is worth checking out — particularly if you use it on the desktop too, as it’ll sync your tabs and history.

It’s highly customizable and puts the same emphasis on privacy and open source as its desktop counterpart, so it’s hard not to recommend it. It’s also entirely free.

Firefox’s sync and customization options put it near the top of any best browser list. / © NextPit Firefox for Android Beta

Best free Android Launcher: Nova Launcher

One of the classics among the launchers is also available for free: Nova Launcher. For some functions, you have to buy the prime-unlocker for a fee, but the basic functions can also be used like this. Above all, the high performance has a positive effect on many a manufacturer’s UI attachment.

The most modern launcher. / © NextPit Nova Launcher

Best free messenger: Signal

If you are looking for a free but recommendable messenger, you have found it with Signal. Signal supports classic text chats as well as voice and video calls. Its encryption is considered extremely secure and so the signal protocol is also used by competitors such as WhatsApp or Allo (only for incognito chats). What’s the difference between Signal and other apps? There is no need to worry about data protection. Even Edward Snowden swears by this app.

• 8 reasons why competitors do it better than WhatsApp

Signal is becoming more and more popular. / © NextPit Signal Private Messenger

Best free grocery shopping app: Bring!

Bring! Is basically a digital shopping list with an appealing design and assistance with searching for individual products. Recipes will help you with research and add the ingredients you need to the list all in one go. The brochures including special offers at your supermarkets will help you to save money, and you can set up several different lists and invite your friends or family to your individual shopping list.

Best free music player: Phonograph

For a long time, the go-to music player on Android has been Winamp, for its huge range of features and different options. That, however, makes it a little overly complicated to use for a casual listener, and it looks a bit retro too.

Phonograph is the opposite in terms of design, and brings a simple flat Material Design approach to your music. There aren’t endless pages of options to scroll your way through but there’s enough for most users and, more importantly, it’s really simple to use.

If simple isn’t what you want, then Winamp is the one to check out.

Phonograph is a simple to use music player that looks darn good. / © NextPit Phonograph Music Player

Best free file manager: Amaze

Open source fans should be happy with Amaze File Manager: The file manager is free and provides full access to local files on your phone or tablet. Of course, you can manage your memory card with Amaze. There is an additional App Manager, with which you can manage, save or uninstall your applications.

• The top file managers for organizing and exploring on your smartphone

Amaze file manager interface. / © NextPit Amaze File Manager

Best free antivirus app: Sophos Free Antivirus and Security

When it comes to security for your precious device, you can get top-notch protection without spending a penny. Sophos has a great record from independent watchdogs such as AV-Test. There aren’t even any ads to annoy you, because Sophos makes money from B2B sales instead. Malware protection is based on an online database that also checks the reputation of individual apps and recommends alternatives.

• How to monitor system performance on your device
• Antivirus and mobile security to keep your Android safe

Sophos offers a range of features but doesn’t overload your device. / © NextPit

Sophos has a varied feature set, incorporating child protection filters, call blockers and device encryption and more. It also includes anti-theft features that allow you to remotely control your smartphone via SMS from other phone numbers you’ve previously specified.

Best free calendar app: DigiCal Calendar Agenda

For many people, Google Calendar probably offers enough functionality and convenience that you’ll never need to look around for an alternative. If, however, you fancy a change of scenery and a few additional features, and all still for free, then DigiCal is well worth checking out.

Good for a busy schedule. / © Digical

The free version of DigiCal has a decent range of features, widgets, and calendar views to organize your schedule in a way that makes sense to you. You can view by day, week, or month and set widgets to make information available without the need to start the app. In-app purchases exist for extras like weather forecasts, or the DigiCal+ that adds extra view modes such as year view, even more widgets and themes, and also removes ads.

Best free navigation app: Waze

Waze is the best free navigation app because in addition to searching for the best route based on distance, it also takes into account the current traffic congestion along your route. It does this by crowdsourcing real-time congestion information from its users, allowing you to save time by avoiding construction and traffic accident delays in the busiest parts of the city.

It also has the option to change the voice to several funny alternatives, and it can warn you when you’re speeding. Another great feature is that it can sync with your calendar so you don’t have to type in addresses.

• Need to use maps offline? Here are the best apps for doing that

Waze helps you to find the quickest route. / © NextPit Waze — GPS, Maps, Traffic Alerts & Live Navigation

Best free photo editing app: Snapseed

It’s a tough call between two experienced apps for best free photo editor, but Snapseed (now owned by Google) just beats VSCO Cam.

As well as long-standing Android app pedigree, 25 different filters, support for JPG and RAW DNG files, image tuning controls and a bunch of other tools (like Bokeh blurs, glow effects, etc.) that are really easy to use, it’s also entirely free, which is where it beat VSCO, as that app charges for some filters.

• Create social media-ready snaps with these Android apps

Snapseed might not be the newest app on the block, but it’s picked up a lot of skills over the years. / © Google Snapseed

Best free video editing app: Kinemaster

Video editing is a tricky category if you’re looking for a fully-featured app with a whole bunch of different options, but still don’t want to spend any money. Kinemaster is a good compromise for this, if not the one with the most features.

For free, you get a super-easy video editor that supports images, clips, music tracks, screenshots and other types of content. Quickly throwing together a video is a quick task, along with editing it and setting it to one of the pre-installed themes. The downside, however, is that you’ll have a small watermark unless you choose to pay for a subscription to the service.

For anyone willing to pay a little money to get a lot more manual control over the resulting videos, PowerDirector is worth checking out, or if you want an even simpler video maker, there’s Quik, which is free to use for short videos.

Kinemaster is a good balance of simplicity and functionality, as long as you can tolerate the watermark — or can pay to remove it. / © NextPit KineMaster – Pro Video Editor

Best free camera app: Open Camera

If you want a massive amount of options for capturing your pictures, and a whole lot of manual control over the settings, AND you want all that without ever paying any money, then Open Camera is well worth a look.

Is it the best designed UI? Nope. Is it the easiest to use? Not even close (it’s not hard either, though). But what it does is offer most of the common tools you could want when taking snaps on your phone, including things like time and location stamps, a burst mode, and a really handy widget for the home screen that opens the app and captures a picture with a single press.

There are other camera apps with more features available, but you’ll have to pay for many of them, whereas Open Camera is totally free. There’s a donation version of the app if you want to show your appreciation to the developer though.

• 10 useful tools to make your photos stunning

Open Camera offers the most common camera features you could want, and a handy home screen widget. / © NextPit Open Camera

Best free e-reader: ReadEra

ReadEra is a fast and versatile document reader that’s great for ebook fans. It can open and read EPUB, PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, DJVU, FB2, MOBI and CHM file formats. The app automatically recognizes these types of files on your device and saves your place so it’s easy to pick up where you left off the next time you open the app.

A clean and ad-free interface. / © NextPit

Overall we found the presentation to be easy on the eyes, and best of all, there aren’t even any ads to get in the way of your reading!

Best free game: Pixel Dungeon

Ok, there are a lot of good free games for Android that we really love, but if you only have space or time for just one, then Pixel Dungeon stands out for bringing potentially hours of fun for free. Totally free, without even any ads, although there is an option to donate to the developer to show your appreciation.

A great game that isn’t out to take your money. / © NextPit

The gameplay itself is rather straightforward fantasy-themed dungeon exploring in the ‘Roguelike’ genre, where the death of your character is permanent and randomly generated paths and enemies abound. Despite the difficulty, there are enough options and surprises to keep you trying again and again.

Get paid apps gone free with Apphoarder

Sometimes a developer will offer their premium (paid) app for free on the Play Store for a brief time. Great, but the Play Store is such a crowded marketplace that you’re not likely to notice. That’s where AppHoarder comes in. Essentially, this apps keeps a list of paid apps that are temporarily free on Google Play.

Keep with the latest deals on apps. / © NextPit (screenshot)

The app doesn’t control for quality, and while you’re not likely to find something you want every day, occasionally a real steal will turn up and you’ll be glad AppHoarder brought it to your attention.

Get it on the Play Store

Finding the best free apps

Free should be free

Free apps can definitely be good. Developers can genuinely make a good source of income through affiliate links or banner ads, and other apps may come from developers who don’t rely on any profit from the app. These are both positive examples.

However, what we don’t want to see in a free app is content that encourages the deliberate or accidental opening of an advertisement, things that may monitor your market or user behavior or apps that may otherwise disrupt the smooth running of your device.

Tips from Google

It may not seem like it, but the Play Store is actually monitored and maintained. Individual apps can be categorized into Android Excellence apps. The list is constantly updated and includes mostly mainstream apps, but there will be the occasional one you’ve never heard of.

Give us your recommendations!

What were your favorite apps of the year? Do you agree with our choices, or do you have some favorites of your own? Let us know in the comments below!

The contents of this article have changed since it was originally published. The comments below may have been left in response to a previous version.

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