OpenStore is a curated directory for discovering well-made open-source alternatives to proprietary software. Live at openstore.site.
Every listing is reviewed by hand and shows what a project replaces, where it runs, how active it is on GitHub, its license, official links, screenshots, and related projects.
- Browse 64 curated projects across 14 categories, from AI and developer tools to design, video, privacy, finance, home and network, and games.
- Search by app name, category, description, or the proprietary tool a project replaces, or jump anywhere with the ⌘K command menu.
- Filter by category, platform, GitHub stars, weekly trending, self-hosting, and user reviews. Every filter lives in the URL, so results are shareable.
- Follow GitHub momentum on the Trending page and see recently created projects on New.
- Suggest a project, vote on community finds, and request alternatives that don’t exist yet; editors review everything before it joins the catalog.
- Use it comfortably on any device, in light or dark mode.
Next.js App Router, React 19, and TypeScript, styled with Tailwind CSS v4 and shadcn/Radix primitives. App pages are statically generated; community features run on SQLite with GitHub OAuth.
OpenStore requires a current Node.js LTS release.
npm install
npm run devOpen http://localhost:3000.
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
npm run dev |
Start the local development server. |
npm test |
Validate catalog data, metadata, assets, and filtering behavior. |
npm run build |
Create and validate the production build. |
npm start |
Serve a completed production build. |
npm run typecheck |
Type-check the application with TypeScript. |
Guest app submissions use a public GitHub repository URL and do not require sign-in. Voting, private feedback for editors, wanted alternatives, and moderation use GitHub OAuth and SQLite. To enable those account features, copy .env.example to .env.local, create a GitHub OAuth app, and configure its callback as http://localhost:3000/api/auth/github/callback for local development. Set ADMIN_GITHUB_LOGINS to the comma-separated GitHub logins that may review submissions.
The default database is .data/openstore.sqlite. Set OPENSTORE_DB_PATH to a file on persistent storage in production; ephemeral serverless filesystems will not retain community data. The schema is initialized from db/schema.sql. A local admin sign-in is shown only during development so the full moderation flow can be used without an OAuth app.
The community pipeline keeps editorial ownership explicit:
- Anyone submits a public GitHub repository. OpenStore fetches its public metadata and prevents duplicate catalog entries or submissions.
- The project appears in recent Community Finds as pending, where signed-in users can vote once, see whether they voted, and leave one editable feedback note for editors.
- An editor sees every submission, its vote count and voters, feedback notes, and repository details in the admin panel, then edits, accepts for later consideration, or rejects it.
- Acceptance does not publish a catalog listing. An editor adds selected apps to the hand-maintained curated source catalogs separately.
- Wanted requests consolidate duplicate product names into votes and accept either an existing OpenStore app or a public GitHub repository as a suggested solution.
app/ Next.js App Router pages (server-rendered, one route per page)
app/api/ Community, auth, GitHub metadata, and moderation endpoints
components/ React components; components/ui holds shadcn/Radix primitives
db/ SQLite schema for users, submissions, votes, and requests
lib/catalog/ Typed catalog loading, enrichment, filtering, and sorting
lib/community/ Persistence, GitHub OAuth, validation, and API helpers
styles.css Design tokens and component styles, layered beneath Tailwind utilities
catalog.js Core curated projects
open-catalog.js Open-prefixed projects
trending-catalog.js Projects observed in weekly GitHub trending data
public/assets/ App icons, screenshots, and the snapshot data the site serves
assets/ Repository snapshots, official icons, and asset sources used by tests and research
research/ Catalog audit and research notes
tests/ Catalog integrity tests
OpenStore stores repository metadata, trending observations, verified review snapshots, and icon provenance in the repository so the directory can browse quickly without calling third-party APIs at runtime.
- GitHub metadata:
assets/github-snapshot.json - Trending observations:
assets/trending-snapshot.json - Official icon provenance:
assets/official-icons.json - Image and screenshot sources:
assets/asset-sources.json - Editorial and research audit:
research/catalog-audit.md
Star counts and trending positions are point-in-time snapshots. Alternatives describe overlapping use cases, not guaranteed feature parity.
Issues and pull requests are welcome. When adding or updating a project, keep the catalog useful and verifiable:
- Use the project’s official repository and website.
- Add a concise use case, proprietary alternatives, supported platforms, and an honest consideration.
- Use the official project icon and record its source plus checksum in the asset manifests.
- Run
npm test,npm run typecheck, andnpm run buildbefore opening a pull request.
The data refresh script, python3 scripts/research.py --refresh-metadata --refresh-trending, updates repository metadata, official assets, and observed weekly trending data. Customer-review evidence is intentionally rechecked manually.
OpenStore’s source code is available under the MIT License. App names, trademarks, icons, screenshots, and other third-party project material remain subject to their respective owners’ terms.