Powering the Digital Commons.
Open infrastructure for autonomy, collaboration, and human-centered technology.
CommonsEngine is an open initiative to build the software foundations of the digital commons — systems that protect privacy, foster cooperation, and preserve human agency in the networked age.
We create technologies that serve as alternatives to centralized platforms, empowering individuals and communities to own their data, host their tools, and govern their digital spaces collectively.
- Privacy-first infrastructure for collaboration and publishing
- Federated identity & access systems that respect user agency
- Open frameworks for autonomy and community governance
- Developer toolkits for self-hosted and interoperable software
| Project | Description |
|---|---|
| Sovereign | A self-hostable, privacy-first workspace suite — the foundation of personal cloud autonomy. |
| PaperTrail | Research and evidence graph for open investigations. |
- Freedom through design — software should expand human choice, not limit it.
- Transparency by default — open code, open governance, open documentation.
- Privacy as agency — control over data equals control over destiny.
- Interoperability — protocols before platforms.
- Cooperation over competition — we build together, not against.
CommonsEngine is an independent, open collective of developers, designers, and researchers dedicated to building the infrastructure for digital self-determination. While inspired by the vision of the Sovereign Manifesto, CommonsEngine operates autonomously — guided by shared principles, not institutional ties.
All projects are community-governed, open-source, and developed in the spirit of the digital commons.
We welcome contributors who share our values.
Start with our Contributors Guide and sign the Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO).
All projects under CommonsEngine are released under the AGPL-3.0 license unless otherwise stated.