Pros of Anbox

• More mature project with longer development history
• Wider community support and documentation
• Better compatibility with older Android versions

Cons of Anbox

• Limited to LXC container technology
• Less frequent updates and slower development pace
• May have performance issues on some hardware configurations

Code Comparison

Anbox:

void AndroidContainerConfig::setup_rootfs_overlay() {
  const auto overlay_path = utils::string_format("%s/rootfs-overlay", data_path_);
  if (utils::is_directory(overlay_path))
    mounts_.push_back({overlay_path, "/", "", MS_BIND | MS_REC, nullptr});
}

Waydroid:

def get_vendor_files(self):
    vendor_files = []
    for root, _, files in os.walk(self.vendor_path):
        for file in files:
            vendor_files.append(os.path.join(root, file))
    return vendor_files

Anbox uses C++ for its core functionality, while Waydroid is primarily written in Python. Anbox's code focuses on container configuration and mounting, whereas Waydroid's example demonstrates file system operations for vendor files. This reflects their different approaches to Android containerization, with Anbox using LXC and Waydroid leveraging Linux namespaces and containerization features.

Pros of Termux

• Lightweight and runs directly on Android, requiring no additional VM or container
• Provides a full Linux terminal environment with package management
• Supports a wide range of programming languages and tools

Cons of Termux

• Limited to command-line interface, no GUI applications
• Restricted by Android's security model, limiting some system-level operations
• May have compatibility issues with certain hardware or Android versions

Code Comparison

Termux (shell script):

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash
pkg update
pkg install python
python -c "print('Hello from Termux!')"

Waydroid (Python script):

import subprocess

subprocess.run(["waydroid", "app", "install", "my_app.apk"])
subprocess.run(["waydroid", "app", "launch", "com.example.myapp"])

Key Differences

Termux is a terminal emulator and Linux environment for Android, focusing on providing a command-line interface for various development tasks. Waydroid, on the other hand, is a container-based approach to boot a full Android system in a Linux environment, allowing the use of Android apps and services.

While Termux excels in providing a lightweight Linux environment directly on Android devices, Waydroid offers a more complete Android experience, including GUI applications, at the cost of higher resource usage and complexity.

Pros of STF

• Supports remote device control and management for multiple Android devices
• Provides a web-based interface for easy access and collaboration
• Offers screen mirroring and real-time interaction with connected devices

Cons of STF

• Requires more complex setup and infrastructure compared to Waydroid
• May have higher resource requirements for hosting and managing multiple devices
• Limited to Android devices, while Waydroid supports running Android in a container

Code Comparison

STF (JavaScript):

adb.shell(serial, ['input', 'keyevent', code])
  .then(function() {
    return adb.shell(serial, ['input', 'keyevent', '4'])
  })
  .then(resolver.resolve, resolver.reject)

Waydroid (Python):

def start(self):
    self.container.start()
    self.container.run(["waydroid", "session", "start"])
    self.container.run(["waydroid", "show-full-ui"])

While STF focuses on device control and management through ADB commands, Waydroid's code demonstrates its container-based approach to running Android within Linux environments.

Pros of scrcpy

• Lightweight and fast, with minimal latency
• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• No need for root access on the Android device

Cons of scrcpy

• Limited to mirroring and controlling existing Android devices
• Doesn't provide a full Android environment on the host system
• Requires a physical Android device or emulator to be connected

Code comparison

scrcpy (C):

static void screen_init_render(struct screen *screen)
{
    SDL_RendererInfo renderer_info;
    if (SDL_GetRendererInfo(screen->renderer, &renderer_info)) {
        LOGW("Could not get renderer info");
        return;
    }
}

Waydroid (Python):

def get_container_state(self):
    if not self.container:
        return "STOPPED"
    return self.container.state

Summary

scrcpy is a lightweight tool for mirroring and controlling Android devices, offering cross-platform support and low latency. However, it's limited to existing devices and doesn't provide a full Android environment.

Waydroid, on the other hand, creates a complete Android container on Linux systems, allowing for a more integrated experience but with higher system requirements and limited to Linux hosts.