My Experience
OpenAlternative is built for one job: quickly finding open-source replacements for proprietary tools. The browsing experience is straight forward—search by the proprietary product (e.g., “X alternatives”), or explore by categories and tech stacks. Most listings surface the practical signals people care about when evaluating open source: project popularity and whether it’s still being maintained.
If you’re building or launching an open-source product, OpenAlternative can be a strong “context backlink” because your listing sits next to the proprietary tool you replace.
Submission Process
- Open the submission page: https://openalternative.co/submit
- Fill in the basics:
- Your name + email
- Project name
- Website URL
- Repository URL (GitHub, etc.)
- “Suggest an alternative” (the proprietary product you replace)
- Make sure your project matches the review criteria:
- Open source
- Actively maintained
- Available in English
- A clear alternative to proprietary software
- Submit the form (submission doesn’t guarantee a feature/placement).
Tips for Success
- Be explicit about what you replace. Use “Open source alternative to: X” wording on your landing page and README so reviewers/users instantly understand the positioning.
- Show maintenance signals. Recent commits, clear changelog, and a short “Getting Started” section matter a lot.
- Make self-hosting easy. If applicable, include Docker/one-command setup instructions and a basic deployment guide.
- Add proof quickly. Screenshots, demo links, and a short feature list help your listing convert.
- Pick the right category tags. If your project fits multiple categories, align with the category where users are actively searching.
