Open Source Startups
Open Source Startups is a free web directory for finding open-source startups and alternatives to popular tools.
What Open Source Startups is
Open Source Startups is a free web directory for finding open-source startups and alternatives to popular tools. It lists 856 projects across 12 categories, including AI & ML, Developer Tools, Database, DevOps, Auth & Security, and Analytics. Visitors can search descriptions or browse by language, category, and popularity. Project listings may show GitHub stars, forks, language, license, and topics, with details updated through automatic GitHub syncing. The site also presents hand-vetted editor’s picks, 16 themed collections, and 334 alternative guides. A separate directory covers 1,580 free public APIs across 52 categories, with filters for authentication, CORS, and HTTPS support. Makers can submit a project with a GitHub repository URL to autofill details; the form also requests a name, tagline, category, submitter name, and email. The form says email is used to manage the submission and is not displayed publicly. The site describes itself as free forever, with no paid placements, and names Tiny Startup Studio as its builder and Jaisal as its maker.
Good
- Search by description, language, category, or popularity
- Project details are refreshed through GitHub syncing
- Includes 1,580 free public APIs
- Submission form keeps submitter email off public listings
Watch out
- Web platform only
- No export access
Who it suits
It suits developers looking for open-source tools and alternatives, especially those concerned that projects they rely on could change licenses, become archived, or stop receiving updates. Makers can also use it to submit a project listing.
Verdict
Open Source Startups combines a searchable project directory with themed alternative guides and a substantial public API listing. Its stated free-forever model and project submission flow make it useful to both browsers and makers.
The facts
Each one read from Open Source Startups's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API directory
- The site also lists 1,580 free public APIs across 52 categories, with filters for authentication, CORS, and HTTPS support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- API integrations
- API listings identify authentication methods and whether HTTPS and CORS are supported where that information is available.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Business model
- The site's welcome article says it is free forever and has no paid placements.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Categories
- The site lists 12 categories, including AI & ML, Developer Tools, Database, DevOps, Auth & Security, and Analytics.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Collections
- The site groups open source alternatives into themed collections and says it includes 16 collections and 334 alternative guides.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Coverage
- The homepage lists 856 projects across 12 categories and describes them as 100% open source.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Directory size
- The homepage lists 856 curated projects across 12 categories.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Editorial curation
- The homepage describes featured projects as hand-vetted editor's picks and says the directory is rated and reviewed by developers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Featured projects
- The site presents editor’s picks described as hand-vetted.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended audience
- The site describes the directory as curated by developers for developers.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Project data
- Project listings include GitHub stars, forks, language, license, and topics, which the site says are kept fresh through automatic GitHub syncing.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Project submission
- Makers can paste a GitHub repository URL to autofill project details when submitting a listing.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Project submissions
- People can submit a project by providing a GitHub repository URL, which the form says can auto-fill project details.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Public APIs
- The homepage offers a directory of 1,580 free public APIs across 52 categories, filterable by authentication, CORS, and HTTPS support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Open Source Startups is a curated directory for discovering open-source startups and alternatives to popular tools.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Search
- The directory supports searching project descriptions and finding projects by language, category, or popularity.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Submission information
- The submission form asks for a project name, tagline, category, submitter name, and email; it says the email is used to manage the submission and is not displayed publicly.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Submission privacy
- The submission form says the submitter’s email is used to manage the submission and will not be displayed publicly.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Who it is for
- The welcome article says the site is for people concerned that open-source projects they depend on may change licenses, become archived, or stop releasing updates.checked 8 Oct 2026
The company
- Maker
- The site identifies Tiny Startup Studio as its builder and Jaisal as its maker.checked 8 Oct 2026
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