Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

GrapheneOS VS postmarketOS

Compare GrapheneOS VS postmarketOS and see what are their differences

GrapheneOS logo GrapheneOS

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

postmarketOS logo postmarketOS

A real Linux distribution on the phone
  • GrapheneOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-21
  • postmarketOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-29

GrapheneOS features and specs

  • Enhanced Privacy
    GrapheneOS provides robust privacy features by limiting app permissions and extensive endpoint isolation, which significantly reduces data mining capabilities.
  • Security Focus
    Designed with a strong emphasis on security, GrapheneOS incorporates advanced defensive technologies, including hardened memory allocators and enhanced sandboxing.
  • Regular Updates
    GrapheneOS frequently receives security patches and updates to ensure your device is protected against the latest threats.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, GrapheneOS allows for transparency and verification by the community, ensuring no hidden backdoors or malicious code.
  • Improved Performance
    With a streamlined and optimized operating system, users often experience improved performance and battery life compared to stock Android.

Possible disadvantages of GrapheneOS

  • Limited App Compatibility
    Due to its strong focus on security and privacy, some apps that rely on Google Play Services may not work properly or require additional setup.
  • Technical Expertise Required
    Installing and configuring GrapheneOS can be challenging for non-technical users, as it often requires knowledge of advanced topics like flashing custom ROMs and using ADB.
  • Reduced Features
    Some features found in stock Android, particularly those provided by Google, may be missing or need to be manually installed and configured.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    GrapheneOS supports a limited range of devices, primarily focused on Google's Pixel line, which may restrict its use for users with other hardware.
  • Community Support
    While the open-source community is active, users may find that support is less comprehensive compared to larger commercial offerings like those directly from Google or Apple.

postmarketOS features and specs

  • Long-Term Support
    postmarketOS aims to provide a 10-year lifecycle for devices, extending the usability of hardware far beyond typical support windows.
  • Privacy and Security
    Built on top of Alpine Linux, postmarketOS prioritizes security and privacy, reducing bloatware and potential vulnerabilities.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, postmarketOS allows users and developers to inspect, modify, and improve the software according to their needs.
  • Wide Hardware Support
    postmarketOS is designed to support a large variety of devices, increasing the chances of older or less common hardware being compatible.
  • Customization
    The OS offers extensive customization options, allowing for a high degree of user and developer flexibility.

Possible disadvantages of postmarketOS

  • Compatibility Issues
    Not all features of the supported hardware may be fully functional, leading to potential usability issues for some devices.
  • Limited App Ecosystem
    Compared to mainstream operating systems, the app ecosystem for postmarketOS is relatively limited, which might affect user experience.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Being highly customizable and somewhat developer-focused, postmarketOS can be challenging for those who are not tech-savvy.
  • Performance Variability
    Performance may vary significantly depending on the device and the specific configuration, leading to potential instability.
  • Community Support Dependent
    Development and support largely depend on community contributions, which can lead to slower updates and inconsistent support for certain features.

GrapheneOS videos

GrapheneOS Review: Your BEST Secure & Private Mobile OS!

More videos:

  • Tutorial - THIS is the most private and secure phone on the planet - GrapheneOS review and how to install
  • Review - First GrapheneOS Review

postmarketOS videos

Pinephone + postmarketOS + Phosh + Firefox: Walkthrough [ #linuxsmartphone ]

More videos:

  • Review - PinePhone OSes: postmarketOS
  • Review - PinePhone Community Edition preview - postmarketOS

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GrapheneOS and postmarketOS)
Mobile OS
82 82%
18% 18
Mobile SDK
82 82%
18% 18
Roms
91 91%
9% 9
Operating Systems
62 62%
38% 38

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GrapheneOS and postmarketOS

GrapheneOS Reviews

Top 5 Secure Operating Systems for Privacy and Anonymity
GrapheneOS is a modern and sleek mobile operating system with a strong focus on privacy and robust security features. Developed as an open-source project, it builds upon the foundations of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) to deliver a secure, Google-free Android experience without sacrificing usability. Leveraging Android's existing security model, GrapheneOS...
Android Alternative: Top 12 Mobile Operating Systems
If security and privacy are your main reasons behind your search for an Android alternative, GrapheneOS fits the bill perfectly. It’s a security-hardened operating system, built with top-notch privacy protection in mind. GrapheneOS, earlier known as CopperheadOS, is also developed on Android, but the main developer, Daniel Micay has worked extensively to make GrapheneOS a...
Source: beebom.com
Open Source Mobile OS Alternatives To Android
GrapheneOS in an open source privacy-focused mobile operating system. It is focused on the research and development of privacy and security technology.
Source: itsfoss.com

postmarketOS Reviews

Open Source Mobile OS Alternatives To Android
Don’t get too excited. PostmarketOS is in very early phases of development, and it is most likely that you won’t be able to use it like a regular smartphone yet. However, you may keep an eye on the postmarketOS community edition of the PinePhone.
Source: itsfoss.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GrapheneOS should be more popular than postmarketOS. It has been mentiond 390 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.

GrapheneOS mentions (390)

  • /e/OS: A complete "deGoogled" mobile ecosystem
    False marketing. They are one of the least "deGoogled" ROMs out there[1]. If you want the only real "deGoogled" OS that prioritizes security and privacy, use GrapheneOS https://grapheneos.org/. [1] https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • FTC Pushed to Crack Down on Companies That Ruin Hardware via Software Updates
    > Smartphones are a tragedy itself. Security theatre destroyed it. If you're willing to buy a new device, then I recommend getting a Pixel on sale and flashing it with GrapheneOS[0]. No rooting required. Read up on it when you have a chance. Also, if you install the sandboxed Google Play Services layer (which doesn't require any Google account logins and has very limited access to the device) you will be able to... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • WhatsApp forces Pegasus spyware maker to share its secret code
    Just so you know: https://grapheneos.org/ and https://signal.org/ do exist! - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • LineageOS is currently installed on 1.5M Android devices
    It might be worth to switch to GrapheneOS if you have Pixel phones: https://grapheneos.org/ It is a more serious project than LineageOS in the sense that they take security very seriously and they take their development more professionally too. There are no disadvantages to using GrapheneOS compared to LineageOS. You can see a comparison here: https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Recommendations for an Android repair shop?
    If it still powers up but just won't boot you could try installing https://grapheneos.org/. Source: about 1 year ago
View more

postmarketOS mentions (98)

  • The end of ChromeOS is a new dawn for cheap Android laptops
    I'm with you on the sunsetting of ChromeOS, but I'd like to offer a counterpoint to your experience of the Duet. I've been using the newer Lenovo Duet 5 with PostmarketOS[0] (linux for ARM) as a daily driver for more than a year and it is almost always great (minus no functioning webcam, which is abysmal anyways)! [0] https://postmarketos.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • How de-Googled is Lineage OS?
    I guess it depends a bit on your definition of "phone" and "realistic". I have a pine64 phone I mean to revisit - probably with a version of https://postmarketos.org/ . I think we might get there unless fuchsia and google abandon the Linux kernel completely - for a more apple like lockdown - but I don't think we're there yet. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Plasma Mobile joins the Plasma 6 megarelease with a new shell and apps
    The main OS supported by KDE Plasma Mobile is postmarketOS https://postmarketos.org/ So you have to have a phone that is supported by it ()or some other Linux distribution and then you can install it and run KDE Plasma Mobile More info is here https://plasma-mobile.org/get/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Which corporations in your opinion are the most evil for privacy, and the least evil for privacy?
    The privacy setting on IOS is mostly somkes and mirrors as most data is still phoned home, somone made a blocklist of services that „phone home” weirdly often (alltough some I understand, others are there for unknow reason to me). (here is what apple claims each of those send/do ), telemetry is way too closely tied with apple walled garden to fully disable it without loosing funcionality. OEM versions of android... Source: about 1 year ago
  • Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users
    I'm sure you did your research. I'm writing for other readers who are interested. There are a few alternatives, more can be found but this is a selection of the most prominent offerings. /e/OS: https://e.foundation/e-os/ GrapheneOS: https://grapheneos.org/ LineageOS: https://lineageos.org/ CalyxOS: https://calyxos.org/ PostmarketOS (based on Alpine Linux rather than Android): https://postmarketos.org/ (for some... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GrapheneOS and postmarketOS, you can also consider the following products

CalyxOS - Privacy-focused operating system for smartphones based on Android and microG

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

Ubuntu Touch - Read more about Ubuntu Touch. Our free and open source mobile OS is made and maintained by UBports! We care about your freedom and privacy.

Android - Android is an open source mobile operating system initially released by Google in 2008 and has since become of the most widely used operating systems on any platform.

CopperheadOS - Secure Android built for encrypted and secure phones by a privacy focused company. Available as security-centric and privacy focused Google-free Android for the latest devices. Fully integrated with the latest IDS and MDM enterprise technologies.

e.foundation /e/ - /e/ is a fork of LineageOS that aims to be completely free of everything Google.