# Best source-available self-hosted apps

> The most popular source-available self-hosted apps are n8n, Dify.ai and Open-WebUI. n8n leads with 206,738 GitHub stars. Candidates: the 46 apps whose license appsgit classifies as source-available (public code, but not an OSI-approved license).

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Question | What are the best source-available self-hosted apps? |
| Picks | 12 |
| Top pick | n8n (206,738 stars) |
| Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 |
| Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/source-available-apps |

Source-available apps publish their code but use a license that is not OSI-approved, usually to stop others selling the software as a hosted service or to limit production use. They are often free to self-host for your own use; read each license first.

## Ranked picks

- [n8n](https://appsgit.com/apps/n8n) (206,738 stars, Sustainable Use License, source-available, TypeScript, Docker): n8n has 206,738 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 9,029 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT.
- [Dify.ai](https://appsgit.com/apps/dify-ai) (157,921 stars, Dify Open Source License, source-available, TypeScript, Docker, AI features): Dify.ai has 157,921 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Dify Open Source License (modified Apache 2.0) (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 6,112 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT and Lovable.
- [Open-WebUI](https://appsgit.com/apps/open-webui) (154,037 stars, Open WebUI License, source-available, Python, Docker, AI features): Open-WebUI has 154,037 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Open WebUI License (BSD-3-Clause plus branding clause) (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 4,746 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT and Lovable.
- [LobeHub](https://appsgit.com/apps/lobehub) (83,008 stars, LobeHub Community License, source-available, TypeScript, Docker, AI features): LobeHub has 83,008 GitHub stars, is source-available under the LobeHub Community License (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 7,488 commits in the last year; it replaces ChatGPT and Lovable.
- [AFFiNE](https://appsgit.com/apps/affine) (73,246 stars, MIT / AFFiNE EE License, source-available, TypeScript, Docker): AFFiNE has 73,246 GitHub stars, is source-available under the MIT (client) and AFFiNE Enterprise Edition licence (server) (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 752 commits in the last year; it replaces Notion and Dropbox Paper.
- [NocoDB](https://appsgit.com/apps/nocodb) (65,197 stars, SUL-1.0, source-available, TypeScript, Docker): NocoDB has 65,197 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Sustainable Use License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 6,636 commits in the last year; it replaces Supabase and Airtable.
- [tldraw](https://appsgit.com/apps/tldraw) (50,773 stars, tldraw license, source-available, TypeScript): tldraw has 50,773 GitHub stars, is source-available under the tldraw license (not an open-source license) and had 1,958 commits in the last year; it replaces Figma and Lucidchart.
- [Sentry Self-Hosted](https://appsgit.com/apps/sentry-self-hosted) (45,479 stars, FSL-1.1-Apache-2.0, source-available, Python): Sentry Self-Hosted has 45,479 GitHub stars, is source-available under the FSL 1.1 (Apache 2.0 future licence) (not an open-source license) and had 17,926 commits in the last year; it replaces Sentry.
- [Outline](https://appsgit.com/apps/outline) (40,818 stars, BUSL-1.1, source-available, TypeScript, Docker): Outline has 40,818 GitHub stars, is source-available under the BSL 1.1 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 2,031 commits in the last year; it replaces Notion and Dropbox Paper.
- [Directus](https://appsgit.com/apps/directus) (38,026 stars, MSCL-1.0-GPL, source-available, TypeScript, Docker): Directus has 38,026 GitHub stars, is source-available under the Monospace Sustainable Core License 1.0 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 736 commits in the last year; it replaces Firebase and Supabase.
- [NocoBase](https://appsgit.com/apps/nocobase) (24,463 stars, NocoBase License, source-available, TypeScript, Docker): NocoBase has 24,463 GitHub stars, is source-available under the NocoBase License Agreement (Apache 2.0 with added terms) (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 6,347 commits in the last year.
- [Thingsboard](https://appsgit.com/apps/thingsboard) (22,512 stars, BUSL-1.1, source-available, Java, Docker): Thingsboard has 22,512 GitHub stars, is source-available under the BSL 1.1 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 3,539 commits in the last year.

## How this list was made

- Candidates: the 46 apps whose license appsgit classifies as source-available (public code, but not an OSI-approved license).
- Sorted by GitHub stars.
- Archived projects and projects with no commit in the last two years are left out.

## FAQ

### Is n8n free?

Not by the OSI definition. n8n is source-available rather than open source: its code is public under the Sustainable Use License 1.0, which is not an OSI-approved open-source license. The Sustainable Use License allows use and changes for your own internal business or personal purposes, but not reselling the software or offering it as a paid hosted service. Check the license in the repository before using it commercially.

### Can I self-host these apps with Docker?

Yes, 10 of the 12 picks. n8n, Dify.ai and Open-WebUI publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide.

### Are all of these apps open source?

No. None of the 12 apps on this list is open source by the OSI definition: their code is public under source-available licenses that add conditions, such as limits on hosted, competing or commercial use. Many are still free to self-host for your own use; read each license before you deploy.

### Which of these apps is the most actively developed?

Sentry Self-Hosted, with 17,926 commits in the last 12 months and a latest release, 26.9.0, from September 2026. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.

## Related questions

- [What are the trending GitHub projects right now?](https://appsgit.com/best/trending-github-projects)
- [What is the best open source PDF editor you can self-host?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-pdf-tools)
- [What is the best open source YouTube downloader?](https://appsgit.com/best/youtube-downloaders)
- [What is the best free, open source invoice generator?](https://appsgit.com/best/invoice-generators)
- [What is the best open source alternative to AnyDesk and TeamViewer?](https://appsgit.com/best/remote-desktop)
- [What is the best open source alternative to Microsoft Visio?](https://appsgit.com/best/diagram-and-flowchart-tools)
- [What is the best open source alternative to Excel and Access?](https://appsgit.com/best/spreadsheet-and-database-apps)
- [What is the best open source OCR software?](https://appsgit.com/best/ocr-tools)

## See also

- [Open-source alternatives to Zapier](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/zapier)
- [Open-source alternatives to IFTTT](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/ifttt)
- [Open-source alternatives to Buffer / Hootsuite](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/hootsuite)
- [Open-source alternatives to ChatGPT](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/chatgpt)
- [Open-source alternatives to Lovable](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/lovable)
- [Open-source alternatives to Notion](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/notion)
- [n8n vs Activepieces](https://appsgit.com/compare/n8n-vs-activepieces)
- [n8n vs Node-RED](https://appsgit.com/compare/n8n-vs-node-red)
- [n8n vs Huginn](https://appsgit.com/compare/n8n-vs-huginn)
- [Open WebUI vs LibreChat](https://appsgit.com/compare/open-webui-vs-librechat)
- [AppFlowy vs AFFiNE](https://appsgit.com/compare/appflowy-vs-affine)
- [NocoDB vs Teable](https://appsgit.com/compare/nocodb-vs-teable)
- [How to self-host n8n with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/n8n)
- [How to self-host Open WebUI with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/open-webui)
- [How to self-host Outline with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/outline)

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/source-available-apps
Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly.
Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.