About us
We are building the map of open source
GitHub hosts the code. OpenSourceLabs is the map: a curated, categorized catalog that helps developers, students, and teams find the right project and understand it before they clone.
Our mission
Make every great open-source project easy to find, easy to understand, and easy to start with.
Our story
Why OpenSourceLabs exists
It started with a simple frustration that every developer knows.
- The problem
Great projects are hard to find
Searching by keyword works when you already know a repository’s name. When you only know the kind of project you need, you end up with dozens of tabs and no clear answer.
- The idea
A map, not another search box
We wanted a catalog that files repositories by category, the way a good library shelves books, so you can browse from broad topics down to exactly what you need.
- The product
A reading room for repositories
OpenSourceLabs pairs that taxonomy with readable repository pages: README, languages, license, branch, and install steps, with the code one click away.
- What’s next
Growing the catalog with the community
We keep adding categories and repositories and improving how projects are described, so the map keeps getting more useful.
Principles
What we believe in
These principles shape every product decision we make.
Respect the creators
Code stays on GitHub under its own license. We link back, credit owners, and never re-host source.
Structure over noise
A clear taxonomy beats an algorithmic feed. You should always know where you are.
Privacy by default
Essential cookies only, tokens kept out of web storage, and no advertising trackers.
Links that last
Every category, page, and filter has a stable address you can share.
Accessible to all
Keyboard navigation, screen-reader labels, and readable contrast in light and dark modes.
Fast everywhere
Server-rendered pages and small bundles so the catalog feels instant on any connection.
How the index works
From GitHub to your screen, safely
OpenSourceLabs keeps its own copy of the metadata you browse. GitHub remains the source of the code.
A maintained taxonomy
Categories and sub-categories are curated with the catalog. Each repository belongs to one place in the tree, and parent pages include everything beneath them.
A sync on the server
Our ASP.NET Core backend reads public GitHub metadata and sanitized README HTML into SQL Server. Tokens for that sync never leave the server.
The web application
The Angular app reads only our /api. Marketing pages are prerendered, catalog pages render on the server, and your dashboard renders in your browser.
Security commitments
What your browser never has to do
We designed the app so the risky work happens on our servers, where it can be controlled and audited.
- Call the GitHub API or hold a GitHub token
- Store your access token in localStorage or sessionStorage
- Trust README HTML without sanitizing it again
- Assume a repository’s default branch is called main
- Load advertising or cross-site tracking scripts
Contact
Talk to the team
Suggest a repository, report a problem, or ask about the catalog.
Join us
Be part of a better way to discover open source.
Create your OpenSourceLabs account and go straight to your dashboard: categories, search, and README pages in one place.
Free to use · No GitHub token needed · Takes under a minute