The global technology industry relies heavily on the unpaid efforts of millions of developers who work to maintain free open-source software (FOSS). Developers form the backbone of much of the world’s digital infrastructure, yet many receive no financial compensation for their work.
Despite their passion for contributing to the greater good, unpaid labor often leads to feelings of inequity and exploitation. Imbalance is widespread, with a large percentage of these developers continuing to shoulder the weight of maintaining critical systems without support.
According to the 2023 State of the Open Source Maintainer Report, a staggering 60% of open-source maintainers are unpaid volunteers, and only 13% earn enough from their work to make a living.
The uphill battle every open-source maintainer faces
With 60% of maintainers working as unpaid volunteers and only 13% managing to make a living from their contributions, the pressure on these individuals is immense. Demands placed on maintainers are relentless, as they are expected to update features, resolve bugs, and address security vulnerabilities.
A high-stress environment frequently leads to burnout, particularly in complex or widely used projects that struggle to attract new contributors. It’s a trend that threatens the health of individual maintainers and the sustainability of key open-source projects.
Geography plays a huge role in open source contributions
Maintainers in regions with fewer resources, both financial and technological, often find themselves at a disadvantage. They lack the time, internet infrastructure, or financial support needed to contribute effectively to open-source projects.
Global inequality limits the talent pool available for open-source development and further concentrates opportunities in more resource-rich parts of the world.
Contributions from skilled developers from less privileged areas are often underrepresented, limiting the diversity and innovation that global collaboration could bring to open source.
The struggle for attention in open source
As the number of open-source projects continues to grow, maintainers face a market saturated with initiatives, all vying for attention and financial support. Projects that meet commercial product standards, offering enterprise-level features, security, and usability, are the ones most likely to attract sponsorships and community contributions. This leaves smaller or more niche projects struggling to gain visibility, further deepening the divide between well-supported and underfunded initiatives.
Who’s really helping open source thrive?
Corporate initiatives like GitHub Sponsors are helping to inject much-needed financial support into the open-source ecosystem. Over $40 million has already been directed to open-source maintainers through this program, with 4,200 organizations, including major players like AWS, American Express, Shopify, and Mercedes Benz, actively investing in the open-source projects they rely on.
Creating a direct channel between companies and maintainers has meant that sponsorship programs are slowly reshaping the way open-source projects are funded, giving developers a more sustainable source of income.
Public funding is also emerging as a key new source of financial support for open-source projects. Germany’s Sovereign Tech Fund leads the charge, allocating €10 million per year to approximately 30 open-source projects.
It’s a model that is being watched closely by other nations, including the US and UK, both of which are exploring similar initiatives, such as the US Open Technology Fund. Government involvement signals a growing recognition that open-source software is a public good, essential to the global economy and worthy of state support.
Foundations are keeping open source afloat
Non-profit foundations, including the Linux Foundation, Apache Software Foundation, and CNCF, are key players in maintaining the open-source ecosystem. Organizations provide financial support as well as mentorship, recognition, and community resources.
Getting full-time staff to manage tasks like security, documentation, and governance, means foundations can help make sure that essential open-source projects remain viable, even as demands on maintainers continue to grow.
One-time payments won’t save open source
While corporate and government funding efforts are positive, they need to shift from short-term, one-off payments to continuous funding streams. Open-source maintainers require consistent financial support to avoid burnout and make sure of long-term project sustainability.
Companies and governments must recognize that sustaining the security, quality, and innovation of open-source projects requires ongoing investment.
New ideas to fund open source
Some maintainers are experimenting with creating revenue streams around their projects through premium consultation services, product add-ons, or direct sales. While these models offer potential, they often lead to pushback from the developer community, which values the free and open nature of these projects.
Monetization can also be difficult to sustain, as the majority of users and contributors expect free access, making it challenging to balance financial gain with community expectations.
Big tech needs to pay up
Companies that profit from open-source projects can help bridge the funding gap by providing direct financial contributions. Platforms like GitHub Sponsors and Open Collective offer mechanisms for this.
Some developers are calling for revenue-sharing models, where companies that generate income from open-source projects give a portion back to the maintainers.
Investment from large tech companies would create a more equitable system, making sure that those who keep open-source projects alive receive a fair share of the economic value they create.
Open source could be publicly funded like a utility
There is a growing consensus that open-source software should be treated as a public good and funded accordingly. Germany’s Sovereign Tech Fund is leading this effort, contributing €10 million annually to key projects, and many are calling for other governments to adopt similar models.
Proposals include a sales tax on closed-source software, with proceeds used to fund open-source development. A public financing model could provide long-term stability for the projects that underlie critical technological infrastructure.
The dangerous road of underfunding open source
Open-source maintainers are at risk of burnout, facing relentless pressure to update features, fix bugs, and maintain security. Without adequate financial compensation, many are left stressed, lonely, and unable to keep up with the demands of their projects.
Burnout not only harms the individuals involved but also poses a risk to the open-source ecosystem, leading to vulnerabilities like the XZ backdoor, which occurred when maintainers became overwhelmed by their workload.
Without sustained investment, the future of open-source software, and by extension, much of the digital infrastructure it supports, is at risk.
Open-source software is the foundation of many of the world’s most influential digital systems, yet its long-term viability is in jeopardy due to poor funding. A failure to adequately support these projects could lead to serious security risks, project stagnation, or even the collapse of essential software systems that the global economy depends on.
The public is clueless about open source and that needs to change. Despite its central role in global technology, most people are unaware of the importance of open-source software.
A lack of public awareness makes it easier for companies and governments to neglect the financial needs of the developers behind these projects. Raising awareness about the key nature of open-source software is invaluable when garnering the necessary support and funding to keep these projects alive.
What we need to do next
Until large-scale government funding programs for open-source software become a reality, a hybrid approach will be necessary. It’s a model that would combine public funding, corporate sponsorship, and support from non-profit foundations to provide the financial and institutional stability that open-source projects require.
Public awareness campaigns are also needed to make sure that the value of open-source software is recognized and that companies and governments are held accountable for supporting it.
Open-source software underpins everything from smartphones to cloud services to entertainment platforms like Netflix. Without it, the global economy would be disrupted, estimates suggest it would cost $8.8 trillion to rebuild open-source code from scratch.
Despite its immense value, the future of open source is uncertain without sustained investment. Time is running out, and unless changes are made to how open-source projects are funded, the world could face the collapse of its most important digital infrastructure.
