Best Open Source Directories
Verified directories that accept open-source projects, from language registries to curated catalogues.
Introduction
Open-source projects have more listing options than commercial products, and most of them are free. The trade-off is that free and open submission usually means little or no curation, so visibility depends on what the project itself publishes rather than on any editorial gatekeeping.
A handful of entries here are genuinely curated. F-Droid restricts inclusion to free software and builds from source; the Drupal and WordPress directories apply review before publication. Those are worth more effort than the open registries.
Evidence base
Evidence base: 26 of 64 verified directories in the PetroHrys dataset accept open-source projects. Every figure and table on this page is generated from those records at build time. Fields that were never established are shown as Unknown rather than filled in.
Who should use these
Maintainers of open-source libraries, applications and plugins, and foundations distributing software to a wider audience.
Comparison
| Directory | Country | Category | Scope | Submission | Verification required | Review system | PetroHrys Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Python Package Index (PyPI) | global | developer | global | Free | Yes | No | 88 |
| WordPress Plugin Directory | global | developer | global | Free | Yes | Yes | 87 |
| crates.io | global | developer | global | Free | Yes | No | 86 |
| GitHub Marketplace | global | developer | global | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | 86 |
| NuGet Gallery | global | developer | global | Free | Yes | No | 85 |
| Packagist.org | global | developer | global | Free | Yes | No | 85 |
| RubyGems.org | global | developer | global | Unknown | Yes | No | 85 |
| Hugging Face | global | developer | global | Freemium | Yes | No | 84 |
| Maven Central | global | developer | global | Free | Yes | No | 84 |
| Add-ons for Firefox | global | app-directories | global | Unknown | Yes | Yes | 83 |
| Flathub | global | app-directories | global | Free | Yes | Unknown | 83 |
| Visual Studio Marketplace | global | developer | global | Unknown | Yes | Unknown | 83 |
How to read this list
Prefer registries native to the project's ecosystem before general catalogues. A Rust crate belongs on crates.io first; a listing on a general software-alternatives site adds little until the project already has users.
Frequently asked questions
Is a licence required to be listed?
Some entries require it and some do not. This dataset does not record per-directory licence requirements, so that field is not published rather than guessed at. Check the directory’s own submission documentation.
Related reading
Editorial references
Every directory named on this page has its own page recording what was verified, when, by whom, and from which source. Scoring is documented in How the PetroHrys Score Works, and the verification standard in How Directories Are Verified.