OSSEAN
OSSEAN is a web directory of open-source startups for engineers and founders looking for alternatives to tools they already pay for.
What OSSEAN is
OSSEAN is a web directory of open-source startups for engineers and founders looking for alternatives to tools they already pay for. Visitors can search by project name, organization, language, or topic, and browse by category. The directory tracks whether projects are still shipping, slowed, or gone silent, using time since a repository’s latest push or whether it is archived. OSSEAN says its data is updated daily from GitHub and that it uses the GitHub API to check repository activity. Its Jev classifier reads a repository’s name, description, and homepage to assign product categories. The homepage reported 728 open-source startups on October 9, 2026. Sponsored tiles are marked, and OSSEAN says payment cannot change a project’s ship status, score, leaderboard position, or inclusion on its silent list. Sponsorship is invoiced monthly in advance and may be cancelled before the next month without a notice period. A paid month is refunded pro rata if the site is down for more than a few days that month.
Good
- Search by name, organization, language, or topic
- Browse projects by category
- Tracks shipping, slowed, and silent projects
- Data updated daily from GitHub
- Free directory access
Watch out
- Directory is focused on open-source startups
- Sponsorship placements cost $100 to $500 per month
- Homepage count is dated October 9, 2026
Who it suits
OSSEAN suits engineers and founders seeking open-source alternatives to paid tools. It may also help sponsors seeking a clearly labeled homepage placement.
Verdict
OSSEAN combines project discovery with repository activity labels and category browsing. Its free directory is distinct from paid sponsorship placements, which are labeled and do not affect project status or placement claims.
Plans and prices
From OSSEAN's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| tide-06–tide-10 | $100 a month | Homepage grid tile · 130 × 130 at 1280px+ · Monthly, invoiced in advance |
| tide-01–tide-05 | $150 a month | Homepage grid tile · 130 × 130 at 1280px+ · Monthly, invoiced in advance |
| beacon | $350 a month | Homepage featured tile · 180 × 180 at 1280px+ · Monthly, invoiced in advance |
| lighthouse | $500 a month | Homepage featured tile · 264 × 264 at 1280px+ · Monthly, invoiced in advance |
The facts
Each one read from OSSEAN's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- OSSEAN describes its audience as engineers and founders looking for open-source alternatives to tools they already pay for.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Classification
- OSSEAN says its Jev classifier reads a repository’s name, description, and homepage to assign product categories.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Data source
- The site says its data is updated daily from GitHub.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Directory scale
- The homepage reported 728 open-source startups on October 9, 2026.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Integration
- OSSEAN says it uses the GitHub API to check repository activity.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Listing independence
- OSSEAN says payment cannot change a project’s ship status, ship score, leaderboard position, or presence on the silent list.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Project discovery
- The directory lets visitors search by name, organization, language, or topic and browse by category.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Service refund
- OSSEAN says it refunds a paid month pro rata if the site is down for more than a few days during that month.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Ship status
- OSSEAN groups projects as still shipping, slowed, or gone silent based on how long it has been since a push or whether a repository is archived.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Sponsorship
- Sponsors can buy one of twelve homepage tiles, and the displayed monthly prices range from $100 to $500.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Sponsorship disclosure
- Sponsored tiles carry a visible Sponsor tag, and their links use rel="sponsored noopener noreferrer".checked 9 Oct 2026
- What it is
- OSSEAN is a directory of open-source startups that tracks whether each project is still shipping.checked 9 Oct 2026
Money
- Billing and cancellation
- Sponsorship is invoiced monthly in advance and can be cancelled before the next month with no notice period.checked 9 Oct 2026
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