I Built a Free Directory of 450+ Open-Source SaaS Alternatives (with Docker Configs)

AltStack — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:10:13 +0000

The Problem

Every month, startups and developers burn thousands on SaaS subscriptions for
tools that have excellent open-source alternatives. The problem isn't that
alternatives don't exist — it's that finding, comparing, and deploying them
takes hours of research.

The Solution

I built The AltStack — a curated directory of 450+ open-source alternatives
to proprietary SaaS, organized by 28 categories.

What makes it different:

1. Docker Deployment Configs
56+ tools include ready-to-use Docker Compose configurations. No more spending
an afternoon figuring out volumes, environment variables, and reverse proxy setup.

2. Side-by-Side Comparisons
Compare any two tools head-to-head: features, GitHub activity, pros/cons,
deployment options.

3. AI Model Matrix
A dedicated section for open-source AI models — LLMs, image generators,
video generators, coding assistants — filterable by provider, license,
and parameter count.

4. Savings Calculator
Enter your current SaaS stack, see exactly how much you'd save switching
to open-source.

Tech Stack

Next.js (App Router)
Deployed on Vercel
All data in JSON (no database needed for the directory)
ISR for dynamic pages

Open Source

The entire tool database, deployment configs, and comparison data are open source
under Apache 2.0:

GitHub: https://github.com/altstackHQ/altstack-data

Check it out

Live: https://thealtstack.com

I'd love feedback — what tools are missing? What categories should we add?
Drop a comment or open an issue on GitHub.