When comparing Uber vs F-Droid, the Slant community recommends F-Droid for most people. In the question“What are the most useful Android phone apps?” F-Droid is ranked 1st while Uber is ranked 40th. The most important reason people chose F-Droid is:
Free and open source applications that are not for profit
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Choice of 5 basic services
UberX and UberXL are the cheapest services where driver's use their own cars. Can seat 4 or 6 people respectively.
UberBlack and UberSUV are premium services with licensed drivers and cars. Can seat 4 or 6 people respectively.
UberTaxi is a service that requests a taxi via the app.
Pro Good user interface
First time starting the app requires creating an account, confirming phone number, and adding billing info.
Each time the app is started a map is presented that allows setting a pickup location. Choice of service at the bottom. Estimated pickup time. Once that's done the app asks to confirm billing information.
Pro Carpooling service can save up to 40%
Pro Drivers are vetted rigorously
Pro Can play music in any music-enabled Uber via Spotify
Pro Insured under required commercial livery/taxi license
Pro Generally professional drivers
Uber drivers have excellent street knowledge and well dressed (there's suggested attire for drivers).
Pro Non-profit
Free and open source applications that are not for profit
Pro All titles are free and open source
All apps and games on F-Droid are open source (FOSS), making for a complete store resource for users who want to use only open source software on their device.
Pro All apps have no ads nor tracking
This alone can be a great reason to use the apps available on F-Droid, but there is also the fact that this can increase battery life due to tracking and ads never requiring a data connection, since they are not present.
Pro Multiple repository sources
You have more than one source of apps and updates and local repository too
Pro Highlights 'anti features'
Features that are often considered undesirable by users and the open source community are highlighted. This could be advertising or connecting to non-free services
Pro Previous versions of apps remain available after updates
If you don't like to an app after an update, you can download the previous version again. This is not possible on GooglePlay.
Pro File sizes are shown
For those running out of room, the size of the APK is always shown.
Pro F-Droid compiles all packages
F-Droid compiles all the packages themselves ensuring a high level of security. Other stores just allow the developer to upload the app already compiled, meaning anything malicious could be in the app.
Cons
Con Highly questionable business practices
Uber often takes part in ethically questionable business practices such as purposefully sabotaging competitors by ordering and canceling rides in bulk, pushing questionable auto loans to drivers, selectively spying on customers and ignoring regulations.
Con High surge pricing
During busy hours, Uber raises prices drastically. On holidays, it isn't uncommon for 10 minute rides to cost around $150 USD. An increase of up to 800%. Also, Uber doesn't pro-actively notify users of surge pricing.
Con No ratings/comments/number of downloads
All apps are presented equally. It is difficult to judge an app's quality/popularity before trying it. On the upside, descriptions are fair (written by the F-Droid maintainers, not by the app authors).
Con Not all apps have screenshots
It can be difficult to tell what an app is like without installing it.
Con Small selection
F-Droid has a small selection of apps when compared to other major Android markets. This is due to every app being open source and given away for free, something not many people are willing to do with their time and creations.
Con It doesn't have all the open source apps
There are many open source apps that aren't available on F-Droid due to their authors not making it available on that particular app store. One example is Omni Noted, which is on the Play Store but not F-Droid.
Con Descriptions are only available in English
Though the store app is multilingual, the app descriptions are only in English, meaning you must know English to find an app, even if the app is supposed to be multilingual.
Con A lot of apps lack polish
Since every app on F-Droid is FOSS and released for free, many of them aren't as polished compared to other markets and their paid app selections.
Con F-Droid bans Gab for being a “free speech zone” that will “tolerate all opinions”
F-Droid is just another liberal marxist echo chamber. It silences, bans, any opinion that deviates from their "progressive" marxist narrative.
Con It's not a good alternative for Google Play
Most useful softwares are not available on this platform so we can't call it an adequate alternative.
Con Updates are not automatic for non root users
You have to click the updates one-by-one in order to make them happen. If user has rooted their device automatic updates are possible, the app needs to be converted to a system app.
Con Most applications are outdated/deprecated
Most applications (80% of them) haven't been updated for more than 4 years.