ثلاث تطبيقات مفتوحة المصدر بدل الاشتراك: كيف تثبتها على الأندرويد والآيفونThree Open Source Apps Instead of a Subscription: How to Install Them on Android and iPhone

Key terms

Open source

An app whose code is published for everyone. You can read it, build it yourself and sometimes change it.

GitHub

A site where code lives. Every project has a page with a description, releases and a license.

License

The terms that say what you may do with the code. MIT and GPL are well known open licenses.

Xcode

Apple's free Mac app for building iPhone apps and installing them on your phone.

The steps

1. 1

   Step 1

   Know what you actually use

   Before you cancel anything, write down what you use in the app every day. Most people use one or two features.

   If that feature exists in a free app, you save the subscription. If you need streaming or syncing with other people, these apps are not a replacement.

   PromptLet Claude sort your list

   Copy

   I pay for these subscriptions: [list the apps and what each costs]. For each one, ask me which feature I really use, then tell me which ones I could replace with a free open source app and which I can't, and why.

   Tip: An offline music player plays your own files. It won't find new songs for you.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Install Sono on Android

   Open Google Play and search for Sono: Local Music Player. It's free, needs no account, shows no ads and plays the music files saved on your phone.

   After installing, pick the folders with your music in settings and let it scan them.

   Tip: The code is at github.com/appsono/sono-new under GPL 3.0. Windows and Linux versions are on the way.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Get your Mac ready for iPhone apps

   FreeHabits and UpLift aren't on the App Store, so you build them yourself. You need a Mac, the free Xcode app from the Mac App Store, and your regular Apple Account.

   Open Xcode, go to Settings, then Accounts, and add your Apple Account. Xcode creates a Personal Team for you.

   PromptAsk Claude if you get stuck

   Copy

   This is my first time using Xcode. I have a [Mac model and macOS version] and an [iPhone model and iOS version]. Walk me through adding my Apple Account in Xcode and turning on Developer Mode on the iPhone so I can install an app from source.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Build and install FreeHabits

   Download the code from github.com/jonasgunklach/FreeHabits and open FreeHabits.xcodeproj in Xcode.

   Plug in your iPhone, select it at the top, pick your Personal Team under Signing and Capabilities, then press Run. The first time, your iPhone asks you to trust the developer in Settings.

   PromptTerminal commands

   Copy

   git clone https://github.com/jonasgunklach/FreeHabits.git
   cd FreeHabits
   open FreeHabits.xcodeproj

   Tip: FreeHabits needs iOS 17 or later, and its only stated license is personal use.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Build UpLift the same way

   Same steps with github.com/danielkuhlwein/strength-training. UpLift needs iOS 26.2 or later and uses HealthKit and iCloud.

   If Xcode complains about iCloud or HealthKit on a free account, remove that capability under Signing and Capabilities and the app runs locally on your phone.

   PromptTerminal commands

   Copy

   git clone https://github.com/danielkuhlwein/strength-training.git
   cd strength-training
   open strength-training.xcodeproj

   Tip: UpLift is MIT licensed, so you can change it and use it however you like.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Remember the seven day limit

   With a regular Apple Account, an app you build yourself expires after 7 days. Apple says so on its membership comparison page.

   When it expires, plug in your iPhone and build it again from Xcode. Your data stays. To keep it permanently you need the Apple Developer Program.

   Tip: Set a calendar reminder every 6 days so it never locks you out.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Check any open source app before you trust it

   Open source doesn't always mean safe. Before any install, check three things: you're downloading from the project's official page, when it was last updated, and what license and permissions it asks for.

   A project that hasn't been updated in years, or asks for permissions unrelated to its job, skip it.

   PromptLet Claude read the page with you

   Copy

   Here is an open source project: [paste the link]. Read its page and tell me when it was last updated, its license, which devices it runs on, what permissions or accounts it needs, and anything that should make me hesitate before installing it.

Ready prompts to copy

I pay for [app name] for [the feature I use]. Find free open source alternatives that run on [iPhone / Android / Mac]. For each one list the project link, license, last update, and whether it's in a store or I have to build it myself.