100 Open Source Projects Every Developer Should Contribute To

Want to level up your skills, build your reputation, and make a real impact in the tech world? Contributing to open source is the fastest way to learn from the best, collaborate globally, and leave your mark on projects used by millions. Here are 100 open source projects every developer should consider contributing to no matter your background or expertise.

I’m Riten, founder of Fueler a platform where developers and creators showcase their work and get hired through real assignments. Over the years, I’ve seen how open source contributions accelerate learning, grow your network, and open doors to new opportunities. This curated list highlights projects across languages and domains, each with a description to help you find the perfect fit for your interests and goals.

1. Kubernetes

A cornerstone of cloud-native infrastructure, Kubernetes automates container deployment, scaling, and management. Its vast ecosystem and active community make it ideal for learning about distributed systems, DevOps, and cloud orchestration. Contributing here exposes you to real-world production challenges and best practices in modern infrastructure.

2. TensorFlow

Google’s machine learning library powers everything from research to production AI. With extensive documentation and modular components, TensorFlow welcomes contributions in code, documentation, and tutorials. It’s perfect for developers interested in artificial intelligence, deep learning, and large-scale data processing.

3. Supabase

An open source alternative to Firebase, Supabase offers instant APIs, authentication, real-time subscriptions, and storage—all built on PostgreSQL. Its rapid growth and focus on developer experience make it a rewarding project for those interested in backend, real-time apps, and serverless architectures.

4. Directus

Directus is a data platform that transforms SQL databases into API-driven applications with a user-friendly admin panel. It supports multiple databases and real-time collaboration, making it a great project for developers passionate about data management, APIs, and flexible content systems.

5. Mattermost

Mattermost is a self-hosted, open source messaging platform for teams and enterprises. With integrations for DevOps tools and a focus on security, it’s an excellent project for those interested in collaboration software, real-time communication, and enterprise-grade solutions.

6. Encore

Encore is a backend framework for Go and TypeScript that lets you define services, databases, and Pub/Sub as type-safe objects. Its multi-threaded event loop and seamless cloud infrastructure integration make it a top choice for developers looking to build high-performance, scalable backend systems.

7. Astro

Astro is a modern static site builder focused on performance and the “islands architecture.” It supports frameworks like React, Vue, and Svelte, and is perfect for developers passionate about frontend performance, web standards, and static site generation.

8. LangChain

LangChain empowers developers to build AI-driven apps using language models. Its modular architecture supports major LLMs and offers tools for chaining prompts and managing workflows. Contributing here is ideal for those excited about AI, natural language processing, and building the next generation of intelligent applications.

9. STORM

STORM is a collaborative AI system for knowledge exploration, blending web research and question-driven article generation. Developed by Stanford, it’s at the cutting edge of human-AI collaboration, making it a fascinating project for those interested in AI, knowledge management, and research tools.

10. OpenCV

A leading library for computer vision, OpenCV is used in robotics, AI, and image processing worldwide. It’s a great place to contribute if you’re interested in vision algorithms, real-time processing, or building tools that power everything from self-driving cars to medical imaging.

11. Exercism

Exercism is a platform for learning programming languages through mentorship and code reviews. By contributing, you help others improve their coding skills, review pull requests, and expand the platform’s language offerings—making it ideal for educators and those who love community-driven learning.

12. EsProc

EsProc is a high-efficiency data computing language for analyzing massive datasets, especially for Java enthusiasts. Contributing helps build scalable tools for structured and semi-structured data analysis, supporting middleware development and advanced analytics.

13. Forem

Forem is the open source platform behind DEV, empowering communities worldwide. Contributions here help enhance one of the largest developer communities, making it a great fit for those interested in social platforms, community tools, and developer advocacy.

14. Simple Icons

Simple Icons provides SVG icons for over 2,000 brands, making it essential for designers and developers who love crafting detailed visuals. Contribute by adding new icons or refining existing ones, supporting the design ecosystem.

15. Apache Kafka

Kafka is a real-time event streaming platform used for data integration, analytics, and large-scale messaging. Its robust architecture and widespread adoption mean contributors can learn about distributed systems, stream processing, and high-throughput data pipelines.

16. Prometheus

Prometheus is a powerful monitoring and alerting toolkit for cloud-native environments. Contributing here offers hands-on experience with observability, metrics collection, and building tools that keep modern infrastructure healthy.

17. OpenAI GPT

OpenAI’s GPT models are at the forefront of accessible artificial intelligence. The open source ecosystem around GPT includes tools, demos, and ethical frameworks, making it a great space for those passionate about language models and responsible AI.

18. RISC-V

RISC-V is revolutionizing open hardware with customizable processor architectures. Developers interested in hardware, embedded systems, and low-level programming will find plenty of opportunities to innovate and learn.

19. Rust

Rust is a systems programming language known for safety and performance. Its growing ecosystem and welcoming community make it an ideal project for those wanting to contribute to language development, tooling, or libraries.

20. WebAssembly

WebAssembly brings near-native performance to web applications and enables cross-platform compatibility. Contributing here means working on the future of web and cloud computing, with a focus on security and speed.

21. OpenTelemetry

OpenTelemetry standardizes observability, offering vendor-neutral tracing and performance insights. It’s a must for developers interested in monitoring, distributed systems, and improving the reliability of software at scale.

22. Edge Computing Frameworks

Edge computing projects enable distributed processing for IoT and real-time applications. By contributing, you’ll work on reducing latency, improving privacy, and building the infrastructure for the next wave of connected devices.

23. Superset

Superset is a modern data exploration and visualization platform. It’s perfect for those interested in analytics, dashboarding, and making data accessible to everyone in an organization.

24. Next.js

Next.js is a React framework for server-side rendering and static site generation. Its popularity and active community make it a great place to learn about full-stack JavaScript and modern web development best practices.

25. FreeCodeCamp

FreeCodeCamp offers free coding education and hands-on projects. Contributing helps expand educational resources, improve curriculum, and support millions of learners worldwide.

26. Vue.js

Vue.js is a progressive JavaScript framework for building user interfaces and single-page applications. Its approachable core and supportive ecosystem make it a favorite for frontend developers. Contributing to Vue.js or its plugins is a great way to learn about component-based architecture, reactivity, and modern web app development while engaging with a vibrant global community.

27. Django

Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. It powers many large-scale websites and is known for its security and scalability. By contributing to Django, you’ll deepen your understanding of web architecture, ORM, and best practices in backend development, while helping maintain a widely respected open source project.

28. Flutter

Flutter is Google’s UI toolkit for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. Its open source nature and active community make it ideal for developers interested in cross-platform app development, UI design, and performance optimization. Contributions can range from bug fixes to creating plugins and improving documentation.

29. Godot Engine

Godot is a feature-rich, cross-platform game engine used for 2D and 3D game development. Its open source model empowers contributors to shape the future of indie game creation. Whether you’re passionate about graphics, scripting, or engine architecture, Godot offers opportunities to learn and collaborate on real-world game projects.

30. Electron

Electron lets you build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Used by popular apps like VS Code and Slack, Electron is perfect for developers interested in bridging web and desktop environments. Contributing helps you understand desktop app packaging, system integration, and performance optimization.

31. Bootstrap

Bootstrap is the world’s most popular CSS framework for responsive web design. It simplifies building sleek, mobile-friendly sites and apps. Contributions can involve improving documentation, fixing bugs, or developing new components, making it a great entry point for frontend developers and designers.

32. Home Assistant

Home Assistant is an open source platform for smart home automation, supporting thousands of devices and integrations. By contributing, you’ll learn about IoT, automation scripting, and device communication, while helping users worldwide create smarter, more connected homes.

33. Jupyter Notebook

Jupyter Notebook is a web-based interactive computing platform, widely used for data science, research, and education. By contributing, you support tools that empower millions of scientists and students. Opportunities include code, documentation, extensions, and improving the user experience for data-driven workflows.

34. Pandas

Pandas is a powerful Python library for data analysis and manipulation. It’s essential for data scientists and analysts. Contributing to Pandas means working on performance improvements, bug fixes, and documentation, all while deepening your expertise in data processing and scientific computing.

35. Scikit-learn

Scikit-learn is a leading machine learning library for Python, offering simple and efficient tools for data mining and analysis. Contributions help expand algorithms, improve documentation, and support the community, making it a great fit for those passionate about AI and data science.

36. FastAPI

FastAPI is a modern, fast (high-performance) web framework for building APIs with Python. Its intuitive design and automatic documentation generation make it a favorite for backend developers. Contributing lets you dive into API design, async programming, and community-driven development.

37. React Native

React Native enables developers to build native mobile apps using React. It’s widely adopted for cross-platform app development. By contributing, you’ll learn about mobile APIs, performance tuning, and the challenges of bridging JavaScript with native code, all while supporting a large developer ecosystem.

38. Gatsby

Gatsby is a React-based framework for building fast, secure static websites and apps. Its plugin-driven architecture and focus on performance make it a favorite for JAMstack enthusiasts. Contributing helps you master static site generation, GraphQL, and the latest web technologies.

39. Leaflet

Leaflet is a leading open source JavaScript library for interactive maps. It’s lightweight, mobile-friendly, and powers mapping applications worldwide. Contributions can range from bug fixes to new features, helping you learn about geospatial data, visualization, and frontend mapping tools.

40. Zulip

Zulip is a powerful team chat platform that organizes conversations by topic. Its unique threading model and open source codebase make it ideal for those interested in real-time communication, backend systems, and user experience. Contributing to Zulip means joining a welcoming community and improving collaboration tools.

41. Blender

Blender is a professional-grade 3D creation suite for modeling, animation, rendering, and more. It’s used in film, gaming, and design industries. Contributing to Blender’s code, documentation, or add-ons offers a deep dive into graphics programming, UI/UX, and creative software development.

42. OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free, editable map of the world. Developers contribute by improving map data, building tools, and supporting the infrastructure. It’s perfect for those interested in geospatial data, mapping, and community-driven projects with real-world impact.

43. Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is a fast, privacy-focused web browser from Mozilla. Its open source codebase invites contributions in browser engine development, web standards, and privacy features. Working on Firefox exposes you to large-scale software engineering and the latest in web technology.

44. DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-first search engine with open source components. Contributing helps improve privacy tools, search algorithms, and browser extensions, making it ideal for developers passionate about user privacy and ethical tech.

45. Signal

Signal is an encrypted messaging app trusted for secure communication. Its open source nature allows developers to contribute to privacy, cryptography, and secure messaging protocols, making a real difference in global digital privacy.

46. VLC Media Player

VLC is a versatile, open source media player supporting nearly every audio and video format. Contributions span core code, codecs, UI, and translations. Working on VLC deepens your understanding of multimedia processing and cross-platform development.

47. Godot Asset Library

The Godot Asset Library is a repository of free resources for the Godot game engine. By contributing assets, scripts, or tools, you support the indie game community and expand your skills in graphics, scripting, and creative collaboration.

48. OpenMined

OpenMined is a community focused on privacy-preserving AI and federated learning. Contributions range from code to educational materials, making it a great fit for those interested in the intersection of security, AI, and data science.

49. OpenAI Gym

OpenAI Gym is a toolkit for developing and comparing reinforcement learning algorithms. It’s widely used in AI research and education. Contributing helps improve environments, documentation, and tools for the next generation of AI practitioners.

50. Node.js

Node.js is a JavaScript runtime for building scalable network applications. Its event-driven architecture powers countless web servers and APIs. By contributing, you’ll learn about asynchronous programming, performance optimization, and backend infrastructure.

51. Redis

Redis is a high-performance in-memory data store used for caching, real-time analytics, and messaging. Contributions can involve core development, modules, or documentation, providing insight into distributed systems and data management.

52. Elasticsearch

Elasticsearch is a distributed search and analytics engine powering search functionality in many apps. By contributing, you’ll work on scalable indexing, query optimization, and data visualization, gaining experience in big data and search technology.

53. Ansible

Ansible is an automation tool for IT tasks like configuration management and deployment. Its simple, agentless design makes it accessible for contributors interested in DevOps, infrastructure as code, and automation best practices.

54. Jenkins

Jenkins is a leading automation server for continuous integration and delivery. Contributing to Jenkins or its plugins provides hands-on experience with build pipelines, testing automation, and the backbone of modern software delivery.

55. GIMP

GIMP is a powerful open source image editor, often seen as an alternative to Photoshop. Contributions can include code, plugins, documentation, or tutorials, making it perfect for developers and designers passionate about creative tools.

56. LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free, open source office suite with word processing, spreadsheets, and more. By contributing, you help make productivity software accessible worldwide, while learning about cross-platform development and document standards.

57. Mastodon

Mastodon is a decentralized social network built on open protocols. Its federated design and focus on privacy make it a fascinating project for those interested in social media, distributed systems, and ethical tech.

58. OBS Studio

OBS Studio is a free, open source platform for video recording and live streaming. It’s widely used by gamers, educators, and creators. Contributions can involve core features, plugins, or documentation, offering experience in multimedia and broadcast technology.

59. Rocket.Chat

Rocket.Chat is an open source team communication platform with a focus on privacy and extensibility. By contributing, you’ll learn about real-time messaging, integrations, and secure collaboration tools.

60. Sentry

Sentry is an error tracking and performance monitoring platform for developers. Contributions help improve the reliability of software across languages and frameworks, deepening your understanding of debugging, monitoring, and developer experience.

61. Metabase

Metabase is an open source business intelligence tool for data visualization and analytics. By contributing, you help make data insights accessible to everyone, while learning about dashboards, databases, and user experience design.

62. Figma Plugins

Figma’s open plugin ecosystem lets developers create tools that enhance the design workflow. Contributing plugins helps designers worldwide and gives you experience in UI/UX, JavaScript, and creative problem-solving.

63. Apache Airflow

Airflow is a platform for programmatically authoring, scheduling, and monitoring workflows. Contributions involve workflow orchestration, scheduling, and data engineering, making it ideal for those interested in automation and big data.

64. Prettier

Prettier is an opinionated code formatter that enforces consistent style across codebases. By contributing, you help improve developer productivity and code quality, while learning about language parsing and tooling.

65. Storybook

Storybook is a UI development environment for building and testing components in isolation. It’s widely used in frontend development. Contributing helps you master component-driven development and modern design systems.

66. NGINX

NGINX is a high-performance web server and reverse proxy used by millions of websites. Contributions can involve core development, modules, or documentation, providing deep insights into networking, security, and web infrastructure.

67. Apache Spark

Spark is a fast, general-purpose cluster computing system for big data analytics. By contributing, you’ll work on distributed computation, data processing, and machine learning at scale.

68. OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot is a user-friendly, open source video editor. Contributions can include code, effects, documentation, or translations, making it a great project for those interested in creative software and multimedia.

69. OpenAI Whisper

Whisper is an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system from OpenAI. Contributing helps improve multilingual speech-to-text technology, making it accessible for developers and researchers worldwide.

70. Jitsi Meet

Jitsi Meet is a secure, open source video conferencing platform. Contributions can involve improving call quality, adding features, or enhancing privacy, making it ideal for those interested in real-time communication and remote collaboration.

71. OpenSSL

OpenSSL is a robust toolkit for SSL and TLS encryption. It’s foundational for secure communication on the internet. By contributing, you’ll learn about cryptography, security protocols, and the backbone of web security.

72. Caddy

Caddy is a powerful, easy-to-use web server with automatic HTTPS. Contributions help simplify web hosting and improve internet security, while deepening your knowledge of server management and encryption.

73. MinIO

MinIO is a high-performance, S3-compatible object storage system. It’s used for cloud-native storage solutions. Contributing lets you work on distributed storage, cloud infrastructure, and data durability.

74. Calibre

Calibre is an open source e-book management tool. Contributions can involve code, plugins, or UI improvements, supporting readers and authors in organizing and converting digital books.

75. Tauri

Tauri is a framework for building tiny, secure desktop apps using web technologies. It’s a lightweight alternative to Electron. Contributing helps you learn about desktop app security, cross-platform development, and performance optimization.

76. OpenRefine

OpenRefine is a powerful tool for working with messy data—cleaning, transforming, and linking datasets. Contributions support data scientists and journalists, and help you learn about data wrangling and open data standards.

77. SaltStack

SaltStack is a configuration management and automation tool for infrastructure. Contributions can involve improving modules, documentation, or integrations, making it ideal for DevOps and IT automation enthusiasts.

78. Grafana

Grafana is an open source analytics and monitoring platform for visualizing time series data. By contributing, you help users turn metrics into insights, while learning about dashboards, plugins, and observability.

79. OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot is a cross-platform video editor designed for simplicity and power. Contributing helps improve features, effects, and usability, giving you hands-on experience in multimedia software development.

80. Apache Cassandra

Cassandra is a distributed NoSQL database for handling large amounts of data across many servers. Contributions help improve scalability, reliability, and performance, making it a great fit for those interested in big data and database internals.

81. OpenAI CLIP

CLIP is a neural network for connecting vision and language, enabling powerful image and text understanding. Contributing helps advance AI research and build tools that bridge the gap between images and language.

82. Open Source Design

Open Source Design is a community promoting design in open source projects. Contribute by improving UX, creating assets, or mentoring developers, making open source more accessible and user-friendly.

83. FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a parametric 3D modeler for engineering and product design. Contributions can range from core code to plugins and documentation, supporting innovation in CAD and open engineering.

84. OpenAI Baselines

Baselines is a set of high-quality implementations of reinforcement learning algorithms. Contributing helps researchers and developers benchmark and compare new ideas, advancing the field of AI.

85. Open Library

Open Library is an open, editable catalog of books, aiming to create a web page for every book ever published. Contributions help improve book data, user experience, and accessibility for readers worldwide.

86. Open Source Ecology

Open Source Ecology develops open source industrial machines for sustainable living. Contributions can involve engineering, software, documentation, or community building, supporting innovation in open hardware and sustainability.

87. OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot is a powerful, open source video editor for creators and educators. By contributing, you help improve features, performance, and accessibility, supporting multimedia creation for all.

88. OpenWRT

OpenWRT is a Linux-based OS for routers and embedded devices. Contributions can involve core development, package maintenance, or documentation, making it a great project for those interested in networking and embedded systems.

89. OpenAI Triton

Triton is an open source programming language for GPU-accelerated deep learning. Contributions help optimize AI workloads and make high-performance computing more accessible to researchers and engineers.

90. Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF)

OSRF supports open source software for robotics research, including ROS (Robot Operating System). Contributing helps advance robotics, simulation, and automation, offering opportunities in one of tech’s most exciting frontiers.

91. Open Source Initiative (OSI)

OSI is the steward of the Open Source Definition and promotes open source software. Contributions can involve advocacy, policy, and community engagement, supporting the global open source movement.

92. Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA)

OSHWA promotes open source hardware standards and education. Contribute by supporting documentation, outreach, or project certification, helping grow the hardware side of open source innovation.

93. OpenAI Spinning Up

Spinning Up is an educational resource for learning deep reinforcement learning. Contributions help expand tutorials, improve code, and support new learners in AI research.

94. Open Source Guides

Open Source Guides provides best practices for open source communities. By contributing, you help maintain and expand resources that support healthy, inclusive, and sustainable project ecosystems.

95. Open Source Collective

Open Source Collective provides financial and legal support for open source projects. Contributions help build tools and resources for project sustainability, supporting maintainers and communities.

96. Open Source Diversity

Open Source Diversity is a community promoting diversity and inclusion in open source. Contribute by sharing resources, organizing events, or mentoring, making open source welcoming for everyone.

97. Open Source Firmware

Open Source Firmware projects like coreboot and Libreboot provide alternatives to proprietary BIOS/UEFI firmware. Contributions help improve security, transparency, and control over hardware.

98. OpenAI Safety Gym

Safety Gym is a suite of environments for developing AI agents that respect safety constraints. Contributing helps advance research in safe and ethical AI, supporting responsible technology development.

99. Open Source COVID-19 Response Projects

Many open source projects have emerged to address the COVID-19 pandemic, from data dashboards to contact tracing apps. Contributing supports global health, data transparency, and crisis response.

100. Open Source Accessibility Projects

Accessibility-focused projects like NVDA (screen reader) and AccessLint help make technology usable for everyone. Contributing improves digital inclusion, supporting users with disabilities and advancing the cause of universal design.

Final Thought

Contributing to open source is one of the most powerful ways to grow as a developer, build a meaningful network, and make a lasting impact on technology. Every project you join not only sharpens your skills but also helps solve real-world problems and supports communities worldwide. Whether you’re fixing bugs, writing documentation, or building new features, your efforts matter open source thrives on collaboration, curiosity, and the drive to improve together.

FAQs

1. Do I need to be an expert to contribute to open source?

No, open source projects welcome contributors at all skill levels. Many projects label beginner-friendly issues, and you can start with documentation, bug fixes, or testing before moving to more complex tasks.

2. How do I find the right open source project for me?

Look for projects that align with your interests, tech stack, and values. Check for active communities, clear contribution guidelines, and issues labeled for newcomers to ensure a supportive environment.

3. What are the benefits of contributing to open source?

You gain hands-on experience, learn from seasoned developers, expand your professional network, and build a public portfolio that can open doors to jobs and collaborations.

4. Can non-coders contribute to open source?

Absolutely. Open source needs documentation writers, designers, testers, translators, and community managers. Every skill is valuable in building and maintaining successful projects.

5. How do I get started with my first contribution?

Read the project’s contributing guidelines, join community forums or chats, and start with small, well-defined issues. Don’t hesitate to ask questions—open source communities are built on helping each other learn and grow.

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