GitHub Sponsors lets developers receive recurring financial support directly on GitHub. The list below gathers 20 free‑for‑open‑source platforms that can be used as alternatives for funding open‑source projects, libraries, and tools hosted in any code‑repository service.
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Transparent fiscal host that lets open‑source projects create collectives, receive donations, and spend funds with full public accounting.
Recurring, fee‑free (except payment processor fees) donations platform focused on sustainable funding for free software.
Membership platform where creators can receive monthly pledges; free to set up, only takes a percentage of earnings.
Simple “buy me a coffee” style donations; creators can accept one‑off tips or monthly memberships at no upfront cost.
Another tip‑based platform that supports one‑time and recurring contributions without a subscription fee.
Bounty‑driven funding platform that lets developers place bounties on GitHub issues; funds are held in escrow until the issue is resolved.
Open‑source bounty platform where backers fund issues and feature requests; integrates directly with GitHub and GitLab.
Ad‑revenue sharing network that places privacy‑respectful ads on open‑source project sites, paying a share of revenue to maintainers.
All‑in‑one sponsorship platform offering recurring donations, one‑off contributions, and a marketplace for paid features.
Built‑in funding feature that lets GitLab users add sponsorship buttons to projects and receive recurring contributions.
Minimalist, open‑source hosting service that includes a simple sponsorship button linking to external payment providers.
Self‑hosted Git service; community‑built plugins enable donation buttons (e.g., PayPal, Liberapay) directly on repository pages.
Bitbucket Cloud supports third‑party integrations (e.g., Open Collective, PayPal) that add funding widgets to repositories.
Standard PayPal “Donate” button that can be embedded in README files or project sites; no platform fee beyond PayPal’s transaction cost.
Customizable checkout page for one‑time or recurring payments; developers can embed a link or button without a marketplace fee.
Crowdfunding platform that allows open‑source projects to launch campaigns; free tier available with platform fees only on successful pledges.
A lightweight version of Open Collective focused on quick, fee‑free donations for small projects.
Hardware‑focused crowdfunding that also supports open‑source software projects; no upfront cost, only a percentage of funds raised.
General crowdfunding platform with a dedicated category for open‑source initiatives; creators keep all funds after platform fees.
Free donation plugin for WordPress sites; can be used on project websites to collect contributions via multiple payment gateways.