[058]Worth borrowing fromOpen source · Developer toolsOpen-source core + hosting / licensingData as of 2026-11-08
Use open-source developer tools to acquire users, then sell hosting and license keys to developers and companies.
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Doable, with conditions. Use open source for lead generation, and collect money through hosting and licensing sold to developers and companies. Don't treat taking over a free desktop tool as a businessThe open-source projects on TrustMRR that actually take in money sell "we run it for you": managed cloud, license keys that self-hosters also need, and finished code that saves time. Star count and when they started charging don't matter much. Capgo started charging in month 8, EmailEngine in month 20, and textbee in month 35, and all of them are charging nowMaybe · Grade and title based on the full article · Next review 12-01
| Background | Ice stopped updating. Toni Förster in Germany forked it as Thaw, reaching 12,502 stars in nine months. Monthly sponsorships estimated under $250. |
|---|---|
| Upside | Open source trades for trust and traffic; the money is in hosting, commercial licenses, and team features. Buyers are developers and companies who will build it into their own products. |
| Demand | Thaw's users want "it still works when the new system ships." The ones who pay are companies that don't want to run it themselves, can't run it, or must self-host for compliance. |
| Competition | Desktop tool slots don't make money (the paid ClearBar earned $177 in 30 days). Industry-specific AI phone receptionists number over a dozen, the top one charging $2,847 and the open-source one $82. |
| Revenue | Capgo: $39,923 in 30 days (883 stars). EmailEngine: $28,878. Rybbit: $9,184. textbee: $5,167. Thaw and Caveman have no public revenue. |
| Growth | No ads show up in the Meta, Google, or TikTok ad libraries. Look instead at the issue sections of the original projects, 'open-source alternatives to X', Reddit, HN, and the docs of your own open-source libraries. |
| Window | The approach isn't a trend and has no window. Paid tiers bring in money morning and night. What matters is that it's required, not optional. |
| Who it's for | Developers with 1–2 years maintaining server-side projects who use the product themselves. Not for people relying on desktop tools plus donations. |
Latest
- 11-06HextaUI (a component library on top of shadcn/ui) has only 147 stars on GitHub and 3 votes on Product Hunt, yet it earned its first revenue 10-06, brought in $1,058 total over 26 days, with a best single day of $160. But the last 7 days brought only $417, and it started slowing down after the first month. Paid blocks can get off the ground without GitHub buzz, but the ceiling isn't clear yet.
- 11-05HextaUI sells premium blocks on top of shadcn/ui. In 26 days it has taken in $1,058 cumulative, with a best day of $160, while GitHub shows only 147 stars and Product Hunt 3 votes on launch day. But in the last 7 days it has brought in only $417, with MRR at 0, and it has clearly slowed since the first payment. Small component libraries like this can open a shop, but they can't yet support a steady monthly fee.
- 11-04HextaUI is a shadcn/ui-based component library: free components plus paid premium blocks. It has 147 GitHub stars and only 3 Product Hunt votes, received its first payment on 10-06, and has taken in $1,058 cumulative in 26 days, with a best day of $160. But it has made only $417 in the last 7 days and has clearly slowed since the first month. This route can take payments without GitHub hype, but whether it lasts is unproven.
- 11-03New sample HextaUI (a shadcn/ui component library: free components plus paid premium blocks): first revenue 10-06, $1,058 cumulative in 26 days, best day $160, MRR 0. Only 147 GitHub stars and 3 Product Hunt votes. An open-source component library with paid blocks can start charging money even with a small star count.