GitAlchemy on F-Droid: Install the Best GitLab Mobile Client Without Google Play
GitAlchemy is now available on F-Droid. If you manage GitLab projects from your Android device and prefer not to rely on Google Play, you can now install the full GitAlchemy experience directly from the F-Droid repository — no Google account required.
This makes GitAlchemy one of the few GitLab clients for Android that you can download, verify, and update entirely through open-source infrastructure.
Why F-Droid?
F-Droid is a free and open-source app repository for Android. It serves as a Google Play alternative for developers and privacy-conscious users who want to install apps without Google services on their device.
Choosing F-Droid means:
- No Google account needed to download or update the app
- Reproducible builds — the source code is publicly auditable
- No tracking or ads embedded by the distribution platform
- Works on de-Googled Android (GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, LineageOS, etc.)
For developers who self-host GitLab or work in environments where Google services are restricted, F-Droid is often the only viable path to getting apps onto their devices.
How to Install GitAlchemy on F-Droid
Getting GitAlchemy through F-Droid takes less than two minutes if you already have the F-Droid client installed.
- Install the F-Droid client on your Android device from f-droid.org if you haven't already
- Open the F-Droid app and tap the search icon
- Search for "GitAlchemy" in the search bar
- Tap Install on the GitAlchemy listing
- Open GitAlchemy and sign in with your gitlab.com account or your self-hosted GitLab instance URL
That's it. Updates will be delivered through F-Droid automatically, just like any other app in the repository.
What You Get
GitAlchemy on F-Droid is the full application — not a stripped-down build. Once installed, you have access to everything:
- Merge request management — review, comment, approve and merge from your phone (see our code review guide)
- Issue tracking — create, update and triage issues on the go
- CI/CD pipeline monitoring — watch builds run, check job logs, and catch failures before they escalate
- Notifications — get alerted on activity across your GitLab projects without polling the web interface
- Self-hosted GitLab support — connect to any GitLab instance, not just gitlab.com
The app is a native Android client, not a web wrapper. Interactions feel fast because they are — everything is rendered natively, not through a browser view.
GitAlchemy vs Lab+ for GitLab on F-Droid
Lab+ is currently the most visible GitLab client on F-Droid. Here is how GitAlchemy compares:
| Feature | GitAlchemy | Lab+ |
|---|---|---|
| Merge requests | Full management (review, approve, merge) | View only |
| Issues | Create, edit, comment | Edit only |
| CI/CD pipelines | Monitor jobs and logs | Status only |
| Code review | Inline diff comments | Not available |
| Notifications | Yes | Project notifications |
| Self-hosted GitLab | Yes | Not documented |
| iOS availability | Yes (App Store) | No |
| Active development | Yes (2026) | Limited |
Lab+ covers the basics for casual repository browsing. GitAlchemy is built for developers who need to act on their GitLab projects from a mobile device, not just view them.
Available on Google Play and App Store Too
F-Droid is one of three ways to get GitAlchemy on your devices. If you are on Google Play or iOS, GitAlchemy is available there as well:
- F-Droid — for Android without Google services
- Google Play — for standard Android devices
- App Store — for iPhone and iPad
Whichever platform you use, you get the same application. No features are locked behind a specific store.
If you have been waiting for a GitLab client you can install through F-Droid, GitAlchemy is now ready. Search for it in the F-Droid app today.