The latest articles on DEV Community by LibreHub (@librehub). https://dev.to/librehub https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4148573%2F8cdc0b2e-c821-4cb1-837c-92b9b4667f94.png https://dev.to/librehub en LibreHub Tue, 29 Sep 2026 05:50:39 +0000 https://dev.to/librehub/every-app-in-our-directory-ships-with-a-prompt-to-rebuild-it-1p1m https://dev.to/librehub/every-app-in-our-directory-ships-with-a-prompt-to-rebuild-it-1p1m <p>Most "open-source alternative" lists stop at a link to a repo. You click, you find a half-finished README, and you're on your own.</p> <p>We built <a href="https://librehub.store/?utm_source=devto&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=lancement_devto" rel="noopener noreferrer">LibreHub</a> with a stricter rule: <strong>if you can't rebuild it, it isn't really free.</strong></p> <h2> What LibreHub is </h2> <p>LibreHub is a directory of free, open-source web apps and PWAs that replace paid software. You can browse by category, or start from the tool you're paying for today, e.g. <em>alternative to Yazio</em> or <em>alternative to Foodvisor</em>.</p> <p>Before an app is published, we check four things:</p> <ul> <li><strong>A libre license</strong></li> <li> <strong>A live app</strong> you can use right now, no "coming soon"</li> <li> <strong>A declared database</strong>, so you know what you'll be hosting</li> <li><strong>A regeneration prompt</strong></li> </ul> <h2> Why a regeneration prompt? </h2> <p>This is the part we care about most.</p> <p>Every listed app comes with a document that describes it end to end (intent, features, data model, screens, behaviours) <strong>without referencing its codebase</strong>. It's written so that you, or a coding agent, can rebuild a functionally equivalent app from scratch.</p> <p>That changes a few things:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>No dead repos.</strong> If the original project is abandoned, the app can still be recreated.</li> <li> <strong>Real self-hosting.</strong> You're not forced to adopt someone else's stack. Regenerate it with the one you already run.</li> <li> <strong>Forking by description.</strong> Want the same app with one feature changed? Edit the prompt, not 40 files.</li> </ul> <p>In other words, the prompt is the "source" that survives the code.</p> <h2> First app: Fourchette </h2> <p>The first listed app is <strong>Fourchette</strong>, a free, ad-free nutrition tracker that replaces the premium tiers of Yazio and Foodvisor:</p> <ul> <li>barcode scanning backed by OpenFoodFacts</li> <li>food journal and macro tracking</li> <li>calorie goals computed from your profile</li> <li>weight curve and a "craving alert"</li> </ul> <p>It's a PWA (React + NestJS + MongoDB), installable from the browser. Its listing shows the stack, the checks it passed and its full regeneration prompt.</p> <h2> Built something free? Put it in front of people </h2> <p>If you vibe code or hand-code apps that replace paid tools, LibreHub gives them:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>a dedicated page</strong>: demo, stack, repo link, regeneration prompt</li> <li> <strong>visitors who are actively searching</strong> for an alternative to the tool you replace</li> <li> <strong>businesses posting real needs</strong>, which can turn a side project into paid work</li> </ul> <p>One rule to get in: <strong>the app must be free.</strong></p> <p>👉 <a href="https://librehub.store/developer?utm_source=devto&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=lancement_devto" rel="noopener noreferrer">Submit your app</a></p> <p>No idea what to build next? The community <a href="https://librehub.store/ideas?utm_source=devto&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=lancement_devto" rel="noopener noreferrer">votes on which paid tools should get a free alternative</a>.</p> <p>We'd love feedback: what would make you trust (or distrust) a regeneration prompt as the "source of truth" for an app?</p> <p><em>This post was written with AI assistance.</em></p> showdev opensource webdev vibecoding