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Awesome open-source alternatives to SaaS

A curated list of open-source startups that offer alternatives to well-known paid SaaS products.RunaCapital/awesome-oss-alternatives

GitHub Download source
Stars
19.8k
Forks
1.1k
Licence
MIT
Language
Python
Last update
1.2 years ago
Type
Curated list

No commits in over a year — check for forks or alternatives before adopting.

What it is

This is a list, maintained by Runa Capital, of companies whose products are built on open-source code and that compete with closed-source SaaS tools. The entries are organized by category, such as API platforms and authentication, and each one links to the company's GitHub repository and the proprietary product it is meant to replace. People use it to find self-hostable or open-source options when they want an alternative to a commercial tool.

  • Browse the Auth & SSO category to find open-source alternatives to Okta or Auth0
  • Look up API platform options as alternatives to Postman and similar tools
  • Use the linked GitHub repositories to check each project's activity and star counts

Great for

  • Developers looking for open-source replacements for paid SaaS tools in a specific category
  • Founders or technical leads comparing vendors before choosing an authentication or API tool
  • Researchers tracking open-source startups in a given market

Not ideal for

  • People who need a complete or up-to-date vendor review, since the README says the list is neither fully complete nor fully current
  • Readers wanting independent evaluation of product quality or security, because the list only states inclusion criteria and does not assess products
Step-by-step guide: how to use Awesome open-source alternatives to SaaSInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Read it online

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/RunaCapital/awesome-oss-alternatives
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Open the README on GitHub
    • Scroll to the Startup List table or use the categories
    • Pick a category that matches a SaaS tool you use
    • Open the linked repository to check its activity and license
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the GitHub Stars column to gauge community size for each project
    • Follow the 'Alternative to' column to find the paid product each startup targets
    • Check the ROSS index linked in the README for fastest-growing open-source startups
    • Read CONTRIBUTING.md if you want to suggest new startups

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubOfficial website & docsrunacap.com

Strengths

  • Inclusion criteria are stated openly: open-source core, a closed-source competitor, a private for-profit company founded within 10 years, and 100+ GitHub stars
  • Entries link directly to repositories and the proprietary products they compete with
  • Licensed under MIT and accepts community contributions

Trade-offs

  • The README says the list is not fully complete or fully up to date
  • Inclusion is limited to startups that meet Runa Capital's criteria, so many open-source projects are excluded by design
  • Entries are short descriptions and do not compare features or quality

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
awesome-oss-alternatives (this)19.8kCurated listbeginner1.2 years agoDevelopers looking for open-source replacements for paid SaaS tools in a specific category
public-apis495kCurated listbeginner4 days agoDevelopers looking for a third-party API to add to a side project
awesome-cpp74.2kCurated listbeginner6 days agoC++ developers looking for a library for a specific task
awesome-shadcn-ui20.7kCurated listbeginner4 days agoDevelopers looking for ready-made shadcn/ui components such as calendars, date pickers, forms or dialogs
stack-on-a-budget12.5kCurated listbeginner8 days agoDevelopers building side projects on a budget
the-book-of-secret-knowledge255kCurated listbeginner2.0 years agoSystem and network administrators looking for a reference of tools and howtos

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.