Acode is a free, MIT-licensed code editor for Android, distributed by the Acode Foundation under the package name com.foxdebug.acodefree on Google Play and com.foxdebug.acode on F-Droid, and it is aimed at developers who want to read, edit, and preview source files directly on an Android phone or tablet.

What it is

Acode is an Android application for writing and editing code, built on Apache Cordova and written primarily in JavaScript. The repository keeps core source and language files under src/, public documents, compiled files, and HTML templates under www/, and CLI tools for building and string manipulation under utils/. The project carries the topics android-application, code-editor, and cordova, has 7,033 stars, 1,561 forks, and 94 open issues, and its last push was on 18 September 2026. Distribution happens through two Android app stores rather than a desktop installer, and the project's website lives at https://acode.app.

The concrete problem it solves is that editing source on a phone normally means one tool for files, another for a remote connection, and no way to preview a page. Acode collapses that into a single Android app: it edits and creates websites and previews them instantly in a browser, modifies source files for languages such as Python, Java, and JavaScript, and pairs that editing surface with S/FTP access, an SSH terminal, and a built-in Alpine terminal. For an Android user, that replaces the usual combination of a file editor plus separate FTP and SSH clients needed to touch code on a remote server or on the device itself.

Key capabilities

• Edit and create websites and preview them instantly in a browser.
• Modify source files for languages including Python, Java, and JavaScript.
• Built-in JavaScript console for evaluating code inside the editor.
• S/FTP and SSH terminal integration for reaching remote files and shells.
• Built-in terminal based on Alpine.
• Community plugin system, with plugin development documented at docs.acode.app and the plugin repository hosted as Acode-Foundation/acode-plugin.
• Multi-language interface support: a translator adds a file named for the language code, such as en-us, under src/lang/, registers it in src/lib/lang.js, and manages strings with pnpm run lang add, pnpm run lang remove, pnpm run lang search, and pnpm run lang update.

Who uses it and how

• Android developers who need to edit code without a laptop, using the editor’s on-device file and source editing.
• Web developers who write HTML, CSS, or JavaScript on a phone or tablet and want the result rendered in a browser immediately.
• Developers working against remote machines, who combine the S/FTP support and the SSH terminal to move between local edits and a server.
• Plugin authors who extend the editor’s interface, following the plugin documentation and the separate plugin repository.
• Translators and contributors, who add or update language files under src/lang/ and coordinate through the project’s Telegram and Discord channels.

Getting started

Install Acode from Google Play under com.foxdebug.acodefree or from F-Droid under com.foxdebug.acode. Building the application from source uses the documented pnpm workflow, with detailed instructions deferred to CONTRIBUTING.md.

How it compares

The facts for this entry name no paid products that Acode replaces, and they name no comparable editors in the same registry. On the evidence provided, Acode stands alone here.

When to use it — and when not to

Choose Acode when the editing device is an Android phone or tablet and the work involves source files, a browser preview, or a remote connection over S/FTP or SSH. Anyone building or maintaining the project rather than using it must operate the Cordova and pnpm build toolchain described in CONTRIBUTING.md, and the README itself is sparse, giving no minimum Android version, no hardware requirements, and no troubleshooting guidance, with 94 open issues carried at the time of writing. It is not a fit for developers who need a desktop-class IDE or who require detailed platform requirements stated up front.

Acode/
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|- src/   - Core code and language files
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|- www/   - Public documents, compiled files, and HTML templates
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|- utils/ - CLI tools for building, string manipulation, and more

pnpm run lang add
pnpm run lang remove
pnpm run lang search
pnpm run lang update