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Operating systems, compared

Every question you'd actually ask, answered for the five systems a normal person can daily-drive. Updated September 2026.

You own (or will buy) a Pixel GrapheneOS The most private option is also the easiest to live with. Twenty minutes in a browser. See the install guide
You want it ready out of the box /e/OS or iodéOS Murena and iodé sell phones with the OS already on them. Nothing to flash, ever. See preinstalled phones
You're keeping the phone you have Whatever fits it Your phone decides for you — check which systems it can run before comparing them. Open the directory
GrapheneOS Maximum privacy
CalyxOS Privacy on autopilot
/e/OS The gentle one
iodéOS The ad-blocker one
LineageOS The hardware rescuer
How private is it?
10 / 10 The hardening benchmark — nothing else is close.
8.5 / 10 Excellent defaults, firewall included.
7.5 / 10 Very good, tuned for comfort over maximums.
7.5 / 10 Very good, plus a built-in tracker blocker.
7 / 10 Good base — depends on what you add.
What happens to Google?
Gone — or caged Zero Google, and if you need it, real Play runs locked in a sandbox with no privileges.
Replaced microG, an open-source stand-in, feeds Google as little as possible.
Replaced microG plus Murena's own cloud instead of Google's.
Replaced + blocked microG, and an OS-level blocker stops trackers in your apps.
Removed No Google shipped — but nothing stops you (or a store) adding it back.
Will my banking apps work?
Almost all Sandboxed Play passes most bank checks — the best compatibility here.
Most microG fools most apps; the strictest banks refuse.
Most Same microG story — most work, test yours first.
Most Same microG story — most work, test yours first.
Hit or miss Unlocked bootloader trips some banks' checks.
Do notifications still arrive?
Yes Via sandboxed Play, or apps' own push like Signal's.
Yes microG carries Google push, anonymously registered.
Yes Same — microG handles push.
Yes Same — microG handles push.
Only without Google Apps with their own push work; Google-push apps stay silent unless you add services.
Can I tap-to-pay?
Yes, in Europe Not with Google Wallet — that one stays blocked. Curve Pay is the proven route and people pay with it daily.
Yes, in Europe Contactless is a standard Android feature; Curve Pay or your bank's own app drives it.
Yes, in Europe Same route — Curve Pay, PayPal, or a bank app that does its own NFC.
Yes, in Europe Same route — Curve Pay, PayPal, or a bank app that does its own NFC.
Least likely Same apps, but an unlocked bootloader trips more of their security checks.
How hard is the install?
Easy Web installer in a browser tab, ~20 minutes, hard to brick.
Moderate Official flasher tool — more steps, well documented.
Easy Point-and-click installer app for common phones.
Easy Official installer app for Windows and Linux.
Advanced Command-line fastboot, varies per phone. A weekend skill.
Which phones run it?
Pixels only Pixel 6 through 10 series, including the Fold.
13 phones Pixels, Fairphones, budget Motorolas, SHIFTphone 8.
Hundreds The widest list — Pixels, OnePlus, Xperias, Samsungs, more.
60+ Pixels 5–8, Fairphones, Xperias, some Galaxys and Motos.
Hundreds The rescue squad for phones everyone else dropped.
Can I buy it preinstalled?
Yes NitroPhone and Above Phone ship Pixels ready to go.
No Flash it yourself — or start from a phone that ships private.
Yes Murena sells Fairphones and its own phones with /e/OS on board.
Yes iodé sells new and refurbished phones preinstalled.
No Community project — DIY only.
Who is it for?
Most people, honestly If a Pixel is an option, stop comparing and take this.
Set-and-forget types Great defaults on cheap new hardware.
Switchers from iPhone Familiar feel, own cloud, gentlest landing.
Ad-haters The blocker alone sells it; France's favorite.
Tinkerers & rescuers Old phone in a drawer? This is its second life.

And then there's real Linux

These three are not Android at all — they run real Linux. Braver territory: fewer apps, more freedom, best on hardware built for them.

Ubuntu Touch A phone version of the famous desktop Linux — touch-friendly and volunteer-built. For: Curious switchers with a supported phone (Volla, Fairphone 4/5, Nothing Phone (1)).
Sailfish OS A polished European OS from Finland with an optional Android app layer. For: Buyers of the Jolla C2 — or Xperia 10 owners via Sailfish X.
Nura (postmarketOS) A true Linux distribution aiming to keep phones alive for ten years, renamed from postmarketOS in September 2026. For: Developers and hobbyists — PinePhone and Librem 5 territory.

The phone picks first

An OS is only an option if your phone can run it. Check yours, or browse every phone-OS pairing we track.

Browse every supported phone

How we compared them

The table answers the questions a first-time switcher actually asks, for the five Android-based systems most people can live with every day: GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, /e/OS, iodéOS and LineageOS. Each answer is cross-checked with our device database and with each project’s official documentation. The privacy scores are the same ones used across the site, and you can read how each score is set.

Green means the system handles that question well, amber means it works with caveats, and red means it’s a weak spot. Neutral cells are plain facts, such as how many phones a system supports.

Three ideas that explain most of the table

How a system handles Google decides most of the other answers. GrapheneOS ships with no Google at all and lets you add sandboxed Google Play: the real Play apps, running as ordinary apps with no special access to the system. CalyxOS, /e/OS and iodéOS use microG instead, an open-source stand-in that gives apps notifications and location while sharing far less with Google. LineageOS ships with neither, so apps that rely on Google push notifications stay silent unless you add something.

The bootloader is the second idea. To install any of these systems, you unlock the phone’s bootloader. GrapheneOS and CalyxOS then have you lock it again, so verified boot keeps checking at every startup that nobody has changed the operating system. On many LineageOS phones the bootloader stays unlocked, and that is one reason some banking and payment apps refuse to run.

The third is hardware. A system is only an option if it supports your exact phone. GrapheneOS runs only on Pixels, CalyxOS on a short list of Pixels, Fairphones, budget Motorolas and the SHIFTphone 8, while /e/OS and LineageOS cover hundreds of devices.

Quick answers

Which one is the most private? GrapheneOS, at 10 out of 10. CalyxOS follows at 8.5, /e/OS and iodéOS at 7.5, and LineageOS at 7, because its privacy depends on what you install on top.

Which one is easiest to install? GrapheneOS, /e/OS and iodéOS all have official installers that do most of the work. CalyxOS uses an official flasher tool with a few more steps. LineageOS installs with command-line tools and steps that vary by phone.

Can I switch to another system later? Yes, but changing the operating system erases the phone, so back up first and plan to set everything up again.

Can I skip installing anything? Yes. Murena sells phones with /e/OS preinstalled, iodé sells phones with iodéOS, and NitroPhone and Above Phone ship Pixels with GrapheneOS already on them.

Before you choose

Start with your phone, not the system. Look up your exact model first, then come back to this table to pick between the systems it can run. If you’re choosing between the top three, our longer GrapheneOS, CalyxOS and /e/OS guide explains the trade-offs in more depth. And whichever you pick, you’ll need apps to replace Gmail, Maps and Chrome: private replacements for everyday Google apps lists them by category.