SourceHut — A JavaScript-free, fully open-source software forge with git/Mercurial hosting, CI, mailing lists, and bug tracking, from $4/month with no ads, trackers, or AI features.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
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SourceHut in 20 seconds
Best for: developers and open-source maintainers who want a JavaScript-free, self-hostable forge with email-based patch review
Pricing: Pay-what-you-can subscriptions at $4, $8, or $12/month for full access; most services usable without payment during public alpha.
- SourceHut offers three self-selected subscription tiers at $4, $8, or $12 per month, all with identical full access to every service.
- The platform is 100% free and open-source software, licensed primarily under AGPL and BSD, and can be self-hosted.
- Only builds.sr.ht (CI) and chat.sr.ht (IRC bouncer/web chat) require a paid subscription; other services like git hosting and mailing lists are usable without payment.
- SourceHut works entirely without JavaScript and includes no ads, tracking, or AI features.
- Contributors can submit patches and interact with hosted projects without creating a SourceHut account.
Limitations: Email-based patch review instead of a pull-request UI is a steep learning curve for developers used to GitHub or GitLab.; Remains in public alpha with a more minimal feature set than mainstream forges.; No free tier for the CI or chat services specifically.
Top alternatives: GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, Gitea, Bitbucket — full list
What is SourceHut?
SourceHut (sr.ht) is an open-source software forge built by Drew DeVault as a lightweight, hackable alternative to GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. It bundles git and Mercurial repository hosting, builds.sr.ht for virtualized CI across Linux distributions and BSDs, lists.sr.ht for mailing-list-based patch review, todo.sr.ht for minimal ticket tracking, hut.sr.ht for data export via a CLI tool, and hosted IRC/web chat.
The platform deliberately avoids JavaScript, ads, tracking, and AI-generated code review, positioning itself for developers who want a fast, text-first workflow. Most services are optional and usable without payment during the ongoing public alpha; only builds.sr.ht and chat.sr.ht currently require a paid subscription, and SourceHut states it never asks for payment from anyone whose finances would not comfortably support it, with financial aid available on request. The entire platform is open source and self-hostable, and SourceHut has no venture funding, running instead on subscriber revenue.
SourceHut is an open-source software development platform combining git and Mercurial hosting, virtualized continuous integration, email-based patch review and mailing lists, ticket tracking, wikis, and IRC/web chat into one self-hostable forge. It targets developers and open-source communities who want a fast, privacy-respecting alternative to GitHub or GitLab that works entirely without JavaScript and carries no ads, tracking, or AI features. Paid subscriptions run $4, $8, or $12 per month depending on the tier a user chooses to pay, all of which unlock identical access to every service; contributors interacting with hosted projects never need an account or payment. SourceHut is itself 100% free and open-source software, licensed primarily under AGPL and BSD, and can be self-hosted from source.
Standout feature: Every service (git hosting, CI, mailing lists, tickets, chat) works without JavaScript and without an account for contributors, and the entire platform is open source and self-hostable.
Biggest weakness: The email-based patch review workflow (rather than a pull-request UI) and text-first, JavaScript-free interface are a steep departure from GitHub/GitLab conventions that many developers new to the platform find unfamiliar and slower to adopt; the platform also remains in public alpha with fewer polished collaboration features than mainstream forges.
Pros
- Fully open source and self-hostable under AGPL/BSD licenses, avoiding vendor lock-in.
- No ads, tracking, or AI features; every service works without JavaScript.
- Contributors can submit patches and interact with projects without creating an account.
- Flat pay-what-you-can pricing tiers unlock identical full access to every service.
Cons
- Email-based patch review instead of a pull-request UI is unfamiliar to developers coming from GitHub or GitLab.
- Remains in public alpha, with a smaller, more minimal feature set than mainstream forges.
- No free tier for the CI (builds.sr.ht) or chat (chat.sr.ht) services; these require a paid subscription.
- Smaller ecosystem of third-party integrations and marketplace apps compared to GitHub.
SourceHut pricing
Free tier · paid from $4/mo · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amateur hackers | $4/mo | Full access to all SourceHut services (git/Mercurial hosting, CI, mailing lists, tickets, chat); pricing tier is self-selected, not feature-gated. |
| Typical hackers | $8/mo | Same full access to all services as the Amateur tier; a higher price point for users who can afford to pay more to support the project. |
| Professional hackers | $12/mo | Same full access to all services as the other tiers; the highest self-selected price point. |
What reviewers say
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