Useful then. Useful again.
Open source software, thoughtful design resources, and practical code. Familiar topics, revisited with fresh explanations and links to the source.
Open source alternatives
The best open source video editors in 2026
Kdenlive, Shotcut, OpenShot and Blender compared by the kind of video you make, with a note on Olive and a short test plan before you commit to one.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source password managers you can trust (and self-host)
Bitwarden, Vaultwarden, KeePassXC and Passbolt compared, with an honest look at what self-hosting a password vault really involves.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Trello alternatives for self-hosted Kanban boards
Wekan and Kanboard are maintained, openly licensed Kanban boards you can run yourself. We also explain where Planka and Focalboard stand in 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Jira alternatives for issue tracking and agile planning
Plane, Taiga, OpenProject and Redmine compared by team type, with what each one asks of you when you self-host it.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source note-taking apps, including Obsidian alternatives
Joplin, Logseq, Trilium, SiYuan, Zettlr and AppFlowy compared by how you like to think, with what happens to your notes if you ever leave.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source ChatGPT alternatives you can run yourself
Ollama, Jan, LibreChat and Open WebUI explained: which runs models on your own computer, which gives a team one chat interface, and which licenses to read closely.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesGoogle Drive alternatives you can self-host: Nextcloud, Seafile, oCIS and Syncthing
Nextcloud, Seafile, ownCloud Infinite Scale and Syncthing compared: which replaces the whole Drive experience, which is fastest at sync, and which needs no server at all.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesSelf-hosted photo gallery apps compared
Immich, PhotoPrism, LibrePhotos and Lychee compared: which replaces Google Photos backup, which indexes an existing archive, and which is a gallery for sharing.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Calendly alternatives after Cal.com went closed source
Cal.com moved to closed source in April 2026. Here is where that leaves Cal.diy, its MIT-licensed community edition, and Easy!Appointments for self-hosted booking.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesPostman alternatives: 4 open source API clients worth switching to
Hoppscotch, Bruno, Yaak and Insomnia compared: licenses, offline use, Git-friendly collections and what each one costs, checked October 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesFigma alternatives: open source design and prototyping tools for 2026
Penpot is the only full open source Figma replacement. Here is how it compares with Quant UX, Excalidraw and newer projects for design, prototyping and wireframes.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Firebase alternatives: Supabase, Appwrite and PocketBase
Three open source backends that replace Firebase's database, auth, storage and realtime features, compared by license, database and how hard each is to self-host.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesDatadog alternatives: 6 open source observability platforms you can self-host
SigNoz, Grafana, OpenObserve, HyperDX, Coroot and Prometheus compared as Datadog alternatives: licenses, storage engines, what each one covers and how hard it is to run, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Slack alternatives: Mattermost, Rocket.Chat, Zulip and Element
Four self-hosted team chat apps compared as Slack alternatives: licenses, how conversations are organized, mobile apps, and what the free editions leave out, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesPastebin alternatives: 4 open source paste tools you can host yourself
PrivateBin, Opengist, MicroBin and wastebin compared as Pastebin alternatives: encryption, Git support, file uploads, licenses and how little each one needs to run, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesDiscord alternatives: 5 open source community chat apps
Stoat (formerly Revolt), Matrix with Element, Spacebar, Mumble and Rocket.Chat compared as Discord alternatives: voice, servers and channels, self-hosting and licenses, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Loom alternatives: Cap, OBS Studio, ShareX, Screenity and Kap
Five open source screen recorders compared as Loom alternatives: instant share links, editing, platforms, licenses and where your recordings are stored, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Mailchimp alternatives: listmonk, Mautic, Keila and SendPortal
Four self-hosted newsletter and email marketing tools compared as Mailchimp alternatives: licenses, sending providers, automation and what each one costs to run, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source DocuSign alternatives: Documenso, DocuSeal, OpenSign and LibreSign
Four self-hosted e-signature tools compared as DocuSign alternatives: licenses, signing workflows, APIs, certificates and which paid features each one keeps back, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Zapier alternatives: Activepieces, Windmill, Node-RED, Huginn and n8n
Self-hosted workflow automation tools compared as Zapier alternatives: who each one is for, integrations, licenses (including n8n's fair-code terms) and running costs, checked November 2026.
Read the roundup Open source alternativesOpen source Typeform alternatives: Formbricks, OpnForm, HeyForm and LimeSurvey
Four open source form and survey builders compared as Typeform alternatives: conversational forms, logic, integrations, licenses and what each one keeps for paid plans, checked November 2026.
Read the roundupGuides & resources
208 free RSS buttons, plus a better subscribe link
Download a new set of 208 lightweight SVG RSS buttons and learn how to connect them to a real, discoverable feed.
Read guide Design resources22 open source icon collections for your next interface
A practical map of general-purpose, brand, weather, and developer icon libraries, with advice for keeping an interface visually consistent.
Read guide Development26 useful jQuery tips, with modern JavaScript equivalents
Maintain an existing jQuery site with clearer event handling, safer DOM updates, and small patterns you can gradually replace with browser APIs.
Read guide Open source software9 open source ticket systems for a better support inbox
Compare nine helpdesk and service-management projects by the work they do best, then plan a self-hosted support setup you can actually maintain.
Read guide Design resourcesBuild a useful HTML vCard and personal profile page
A small personal website should make your work, contact details, and downloadable contact card easy to find on any device.
Read guide Design resourcesCreative business cards that still do their job
Make a memorable card through typography, material, and a clear hierarchy—then test the details that matter in print.
Read guide Design resourcesFree icon packs: a selection guide for product teams
Choose icons by coverage, size, accessibility, and delivery format instead of downloading dozens of unrelated collections.
Read guide Design resourcesFree textures: a practical guide to finding and using them
Choose texture sources carefully, preserve license information, and keep surface detail from overwhelming a design.
Read guide Design resourcesFree WordPress themes: choose a foundation, not just a demo
A practical shortlist of free WordPress themes, plus a repeatable way to evaluate editing, performance, accessibility, and long-term portability.
Read guide Design resourcesFunction icon set: what to use when a classic pack is unavailable
The original 128-icon download is not available here. Find a practical replacement and migrate old raster icons without losing clarity.
Read guide Design resourcesMake a texture tile cleanly: a repeatable editing workflow
Turn a suitable surface photograph into a restrained repeating texture, then test its seams, scale, and contrast in a real layout.
Read guide Design resourcesOpen source social icons without the visual clutter
Find brand icons from maintained repositories, keep their meaning clear, and build social navigation that works with a keyboard and screen reader.
Read guide Design resourcesPhotoshop text effects: six techniques you can build on
Learn a reusable workflow for dimensional, metallic, neon, cutout, textured, and print-inspired lettering without relying on fragile action downloads.
Read guide Design resourcesSocial buttons that respect the page and the reader
Build useful follow and share controls with clear labels, real links, and lightweight behavior instead of a wall of third-party widgets.
Read guide Development22 PHP and jQuery patterns for reliable small applications
Build interactive PHP pages with clear boundaries between browser behavior, server validation, authentication, and stored data.
Read guide DevelopmentA carousel without the dependency baggage
Replace an older MooTools carousel with a simple horizontal gallery, then add navigation only when it helps people reach the content.
Read guide Design resourcesA font viewer is useful when you test the right text
Compare typefaces using real interface content, troublesome characters, and practical rendering sizes instead of a perfect specimen alone.
Read guide DevelopmentA simple animated menu with progressive enhancement
Keep navigation usable first, then add restrained transitions without carrying an old MooTools animation dependency into a new site.
Read guide DevelopmentA tabbed search interface with clear scope
Use separate search scopes only when they change the results meaningfully, and keep each control's state understandable.
Read guide DevelopmentA two-image transition with a small amount of CSS
Create a restrained image crossfade while preserving image dimensions, text alternatives, and a usable motion-free state.
Read guide DevelopmentAn airport-style text effect without a noisy interface
Use a split-flap-inspired animation as a small visual accent while keeping the real text readable and available to assistive technology.
Read guide DevelopmentBuild a calendar around time zones and real workflows
Choose an open source calendar component by its interaction model, licensing, and treatment of dates—not only its month-grid appearance.
Read guide Archive notesCommunity news: an archive note and the current resource library
The old community-news announcement now points readers toward the rebuilt directory and explains how the current edition works.
Read guide DevelopmentCSS buttons without images, with states that make sense
Style a real button with modern CSS while preserving focus, contrast, disabled behavior, and a comfortable target size.
Read guide DevelopmentCustom scroll panes: start with native scrolling
Replace a jScrollPane-era widget with a scroll region that keeps wheel, touch, keyboard, and text-selection behavior intact.
Read guide DevelopmentFrom Facebox to a native, accessible dialog
Revisit the classic jQuery lightbox pattern using the browser's dialog element and explicit focus behavior.
Read guide Open source softwareHaxe: one language, several compilation targets
Understand what Haxe shares across platforms, where target-specific work remains, and how to evaluate the toolchain with a small project.
Read guide DevelopmentImage previews that do not hide the original link
Build a gallery where thumbnails, full-size images, and optional previews remain useful on touch screens and keyboards.
Read guide DevelopmentJavaScript lightboxes: choose by behavior, not by quantity
Compare a native dialog, a focused image viewer, and a full gallery before adding another dependency to your website.
Read guide DevelopmentMooTools plugins: how to maintain or replace an older collection
Inventory a legacy MooTools site, separate the widgets by purpose, and migrate them without losing the behaviors visitors depend on.
Read guide Design resourcesQuick tip: reduce visible bands in a gradient
Diagnose gradient banding before changing your artwork, and use restrained dithering when an export needs help.
Read guide DevelopmentTooltips: small hints, not hidden instructions
Replace a legacy Simpletip-style widget with predictable help text that works for keyboard, pointer, and touch users.
Read guide Open source softwareVanilla forums: legacy context and open source alternatives
Assess an older Vanilla installation carefully, then compare current community-platform options by moderation, migration, and operating requirements.
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