Getting Started

OpenLib is a curated open-source app library for finding free, transparent, and community-friendly alternatives to popular software.

How OpenLib works #

OpenLib has three simple parts:

1. A public library where visitors discover open-source apps.
2. A contribution workflow where people submit apps and suggest improvements.
3. A moderation workflow where maintainers review submissions, reports, metadata, and documentation.

The website is optimized for browsing first. Users can search by app name, proprietary alternative, category, tag, platform, license, or project description. Each public page is designed to be shareable, indexable, and understandable without requiring a user account.

How the docs work #

The documentation you are reading is stored as Markdown in docs/content/. During the build step, OpenLib turns each Markdown file into a static page under /docs/.

npm run docs:build

That command generates:

• Static HTML pages in public/docs/.
• A documentation manifest.
• A documentation search index.
• Clean page URLs such as /docs/submit-app.
• Previous and next links based on each page's order value.

The source Markdown remains the canonical place to edit docs. The generated public/docs/ files are what Firebase Hosting serves.

What you can do #

• Browse open-source apps by category, tag, platform, and alternatives.
• Read metadata such as license, source link, platforms, and project status.
• Submit new apps for review.
• Suggest corrections through edit requests.
• Rate and review apps you use.

Good first workflows #

1. Search for an app or category from the OpenLib home page.
2. Open an app detail page and review the source, license, and install links.
3. Use Submit App when a useful open-source project is missing.
4. Use edit requests when an existing app needs better metadata.

How to use the library #

Use OpenLib like a map. Start with what you want to replace or what task you need to complete.

What makes a useful listing #

A good OpenLib listing answers practical questions quickly:

• What does this app do?
• What closed or proprietary tools can it replace?
• Where is the source code?
• What license does it use?
• Which platforms does it support?
• Is the project maintained?
• How can a user install or try it?

Documentation map #

Example app metadata #

{
  "name": "Example Notes",
  "category": "Productivity",
  "license": "MPL-2.0",
  "source": "https://github.com/example/example-notes",
  "platforms": ["Linux", "Windows", "macOS"]
}

Next step #

Start with Submit an App if you want to add a project, or read App Guidelines if you want to understand OpenLib's quality bar.