Guide

Best Funding Options for Solo Open Source Maintainers

A practical guide to low-friction funding options for individual open source maintainers, including GitHub Sponsors, Ko-fi, Liberapay, Open Collective, grants, and Tidelift.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-21 4 min read

Contents

Solo maintainers need funding options that do not create another job. The best starting point is usually GitHub Sponsors, followed by one lightweight backup option such as Ko-fi or Liberapay. If the project has team expenses, use Open Collective. If the project is widely used by companies, look at Tidelift or grants.

What makes funding hard for solo maintainers

A solo maintainer usually has three constraints: limited time, no separate legal entity, and no fundraising team. That changes the ranking. The best platform is not always the most powerful platform. It is the one you can set up, explain, and keep visible without adding ongoing admin work.

A good solo-maintainer funding setup should do four things:

  • Make support visible from the repository.
  • Accept one-time or recurring contributions.
  • Keep fees and payout rules understandable.
  • Avoid promises you do not want to manage.

Best starting options

OptionBest forAvoid if
GitHub SponsorsMaintainers with a GitHub audienceYou need shared project finances
Ko-fiSimple tips, memberships, and creator-style updatesYou want project-level governance
LiberapayRecurring donations with low platform overheadYou need strong discovery or campaign tooling
Open CollectiveTeams, fiscal hosts, invoices, and transparent budgetsYou only want a personal sponsor button
TideliftLibraries used by companies in productionYour package has little enterprise adoption
GrantsPublic-good, infrastructure, research, or security workYou need money quickly

Start with this stack:

  1. Enable GitHub Sponsors.
  2. Add .github/FUNDING.yml to your repositories.
  3. Add one short funding sentence to your README.
  4. Add Ko-fi or Liberapay only if you want a second lightweight option.
  5. Revisit Open Collective, grants, or Tidelift only when the project has a reason for more structure.

Do not add five donation links on day one. Too many choices can make the ask weaker. One primary option and one backup is enough.

What to write in your README

Use plain wording:

This project is maintained in my spare time. If it helps you or your company, consider sponsoring the maintenance work.

For company users:

If your company depends on this project, sponsorship helps fund issue triage, releases, documentation, and security maintenance.

Avoid guilt-based language. Keep the ask calm and specific.

When GitHub Sponsors is enough

GitHub Sponsors is enough when the money should support one maintainer directly. It works best when users already discover the project through GitHub and trust the maintainer profile.

It is not the best structure for shared project funds, reimbursements, contractor payments, or formal governance. Use Open Collective or a fiscal host when the money belongs to the project rather than one person.

When to add Open Collective

Add Open Collective when you need public budgets, invoices, team expenses, or a fiscal host. This usually happens after the project grows beyond one maintainer or starts receiving company sponsorship.

The tradeoff is admin. You get transparency and structure, but you also need expense rules and financial stewardship.

When to look at Tidelift or grants

Tidelift is worth checking when your package is used in production by companies and fits supported ecosystems. It is not just a donation surface. It is closer to an enterprise maintenance program.

Grants are worth checking when the work is larger than normal maintenance: security hardening, infrastructure reliability, documentation, accessibility, interoperability, or public-good improvements. Grants take more time than sponsorships, but they can fund work that donations rarely cover.

Common mistakes

  • Setting up too many platforms before making the first ask.
  • Offering sponsor perks that create ongoing work.
  • Hiding the funding link below the fold in the README.
  • Treating sponsorship as private charity instead of project maintenance funding.
  • Waiting for a perfect funding model instead of making support visible.

FAQ

What is the easiest funding option for a solo open source maintainer?

GitHub Sponsors is usually the easiest starting point because it is native to GitHub and can be linked from repositories with FUNDING.yml.

Should I use Open Collective as a solo maintainer?

Use Open Collective if you need project-level finances, expense reimbursement, invoices, or a fiscal host. If you only want direct personal support, start simpler.

Should I offer sponsor perks?

Only offer perks you are willing to maintain. Public thanks, sponsor updates, and roadmap notes are safer than private support promises.

Can a solo maintainer combine platforms?

Yes. A common setup is GitHub Sponsors as the primary option and Ko-fi or Liberapay as a backup. Add more only when there is a clear reason.

Need a recommendation for your exact situation? Try the Sustainability Finder.

Sources checked