Support & Services
Support and services are revenue models, not donation models. They work when maintainers or specialized teams can sell expertise, assurances, implementation help, SLAs, or commercial support around an open source project.
This category is strongest for projects with production users, business adoption, or technical complexity that customers will pay to reduce. It is harder to use early, but it can become one of the most durable income models once trust and usage are established.
Good references in this category include Tidelift, OpenTeams, and Codementor. Use support and services when the project can convert expertise into revenue; use Donations or Grants when the project still needs broader ecosystem backing.
Codementor
Codementor is an on-demand marketplace for software developers with live 1:1 help, long-term mentorship, freelance jobs and code reviews.
OpenTeams
OpenTeams is the services marketplace where open source software users can find, vet, and contract with service providers.
Otechie
Otechie is a professional chat widget and messenger designed to help you collaborate with your clients.
Fundabit
Monthly subscription platform supporting creative through blockchain technology that let’s creators get paid in crypto.
BackYourStack
Analyzes your open source software dependencies to find which projects you rely on, and then provides a way for you to easily support them all.
CodeBuddy
CodeBuddy plugs into your IDE, understands your problem’s context, and instantly matches you with subject matter experts.
Ellcrys
Decentralized censorship-resistant Git hosting service and monetization platform through paid feature branches and bug fixes.
GitFund
Open source project sponsorship platform for tiered support such as Gold, Silver, Bronze sponsors, etc.
Lyfevest
Connecting enterprise developers who are using open source with the contributors who are creating open source.
Tidelift
Professional assurances directly from the open source experts who know it best.