I switched to SwiftKey after years of using Gboard as my default keyboard on Android. SwiftKey is my current favorite because it offers excellent predictions, better multilingual capability and supports glide-to-space typing. However, since you need to sign in to your Microsoft account to use some features like clipboard sharing, data collection is a real concern, though you do have the option to adjust privacy settings.
For privacy-conscious individuals looking for an alternative to Gboard who don’t like SwiftKey, there are plenty of open-source alternatives that closely match the capabilities of Google’s keyboard while keeping your keystrokes private. I tried four of the best open-source Gboard alternatives for Android, and they are surprisingly better than I expected them to be.
AnySoftKeyboard
The most feature-rich open-source option
If you use the two-thumb typing method (yes, there are multiple ways to type on Android), AnySoftKeyboard is an excellent open-source alternative to Gboard. It supports multiple keyboard layouts, including QWERTY, DVORAK, Colemak, and even specialized layouts that you can switch between with a swipe up on the spacebar to reveal the utility keyboard.
While it has support for multiple languages, you’ll need to download language packages separately from the Google Play Store. This may be done to keep the base app lightweight while letting you add only the languages you actually use. Additionally, you can customize the keyboard size for both portrait and landscape orientations, add or remove different emoji sets based on your preferences, and dive deep into configuration options that rival premium keyboards.
AnySoftKeyboard supports both voice typing and gesture typing. While it captures voice inputs accurately using Android’s built-in speech recognition, gesture typing leaves a lot to be desired. It’s neither as smooth as Gboard’s implementation nor is the predictive text and autocorrect strong enough to compensate for the substandard gesture performance. The clipboard feature is unnecessarily convoluted, as you need to press and hold the clipboard icon to view the history and then paste.
One standout feature is contact-based typing suggestions. When enabled, the keyboard can suggest names and email addresses from your contacts list as you type, making it much faster to compose messages or emails to people in your address book. However, for privacy reasons, the feature is disabled by default.
- OS
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Android
- Price model
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Free
AnySoftKeyboard is a free, open-source Android keyboard app offering extensive language support, rich customization, themes, gesture typing, privacy-friendly features, and efficient text input without relying on cloud or proprietary servers.
HeliBoard
Lightweight and privacy-first
If you don’t care about glide typing but need a more lightweight and capable open-source keyboard with good clipboard management, HeliBoard might just fit the bill. Based on OpenBoard, it’s a privacy-conscious keyboard that doesn’t need internet access to work.
It comes equipped with basic features like multilingual and multi-layout keyboard support with an adjustable interface that you can customize to your liking. It lets you to add a permanent number row to the top of the keyboard (a highly underrated feature if you ask me) and the smoothest gesture delete I’ve tested on any keyboard. Simply swipe left from the delete key to remove entire words at once.
However, the small footprint also means it misses out on many creature comfort features from top keyboards like Gboard. For instance, predictive text and autocorrect are almost non-existent, and there’s no built-in spell checker either. You can manually add a dictionary and even a glide typing library through additional downloads. Still, this process becomes a bit too complicated for most people who just want something that works out of the box.
The app is currently in active development and available to download from GitHub and the F-Droid repository.
- OS
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Android
- Price model
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Free
HeliBoard is a Android keyboard app that combines customizable themes, advanced gesture controls, clipboard management, and powerful shortcuts, enabling users to enhance typing speed, efficiency, and personalization on mobile devices
Simple Keyboard
Just a keyboard — nothing more, nothing less
Simple Keyboard lives up to its name — it’s a minimal keyboard with very few customization options. You can choose from the preset themes (though there aren’t many), set custom keyboard colors to match your device’s aesthetic, and enjoy the always-welcome adjustable keyboard height feature.
Beyond these basics, Simple Keyboard doesn’t have much to offer. It doesn’t even support swipe-to-delete unless you specifically enable it in the settings first. However, that’s entirely the point. It’s a simple, lightweight, privacy-focused keyboard that just works without any bells and whistles.
While it lacks a dictionary, predictive text, or autocorrect support, it does come with multilingual capabilities. You can add almost any language with a simple tap right from the app settings, making it surprisingly versatile for such a minimalist application. The keyboard switches seamlessly between languages without any performance hiccups, which is impressive given its tiny footprint.
- OS
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Android
- Price model
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Free
Simple Keyboard is a lightweight Android keyboard app focused on minimalism, privacy, and speed. It offers essential typing features without ads, unnecessary permissions, or advanced customization, ensuring a straightforward experience.
FlorisBoard
Promising but still in development
FlorisBoard is an open-source Android keyboard that has the potential to become a full-fledged alternative to Gboard, except many of the advanced features like glide typing and predictive text are still works in progress.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s a barebones keyboard. The SwiftKey and Gboard-like top row (Smartbar) gives you quick access to the clipboard, has a cleverly implemented undo-redo buttons, voice input, and an incognito mode that prevents the app from learning from your typing patterns. Switch to the more menu (three-dots) and you can enable one-handed mode, turn on autocorrect, use arrow keys to navigate text, and access a full emoji panel.
FlorisBoard can be customized with different themes and layouts, and even supports extensions for added functionality. It also includes multiple language support with on-the-fly switching.
Weirdly enough, text suggestions didn’t work at all during my testing, which can be a deal-breaker if you heavily rely on suggestions to type faster. The developers are reportedly working on implementing a proper suggestion engine, but until then, you’re essentially typing blind.
- OS
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Android
- Price model
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Free
FlorisBoard is a privacy-focused, open-source keyboard app for Android, featuring modular layouts, rich customization, multilingual support, clipboard management, and gesture controls, prioritizing user data security without ads or trackers.
Solid open-source alternatives to Gboard
AnySoftKeyboard is the closest open-source alternative you’ll find to Google’s venerable keyboard, offering the most complete feature set of the bunch. However, if you don’t need extensive customization options, Simple Keyboard and HeliBoard work just as well as any other keyboards I’ve tested for basic typing needs.
That said, if you’re willing to compromise on the open-source aspect, FUTO Keyboard is an excellent option worth considering. It offers smooth glide typing, voice input, and autocorrect without ever connecting to the internet.
Even then, these keyboards aren’t without compromises — gesture typing might feel clunky, predictions may be limited, or certain features you’re used to might be missing entirely. But that’s the trade-off you must be ready to make to achieve better privacy.