Launching soon
OtterSource – the first agency for open source projects
OtterSource is a marketplace that helps fund open source work by letting users post time-limited rewards on public issues.
Our mission is to keep open source thriving, fair rewards for developers and project maintainers, faster fixes for users, and stronger projects for everyone.
Open Source is critical infrastructure, but the incentives are broken
Open source powers the world, yet there’s no clear marketplace connecting people who need changes, people who maintain the projects, and people who can build the changes. OtterSource aims to close that gap.
Maintainers are overloaded and underfunded: Maintainers drown in issues and pull requests, often from companies that make real money using their work. They’re expected to give “enterprise-level support” for free, with no structured way for users to fund specific priorities.
Companies depend on OSS but can’t easily pay for what they need: Companies run on open source (frameworks, databases, libs), but when they hit a bug or need a feature, there’s no clear, fast, and transparent way to pay for that work. Instead, they resort to workarounds, forks, or tech debt instead of clean upstream fixes.
Existing options fall short: Sponsorship platforms support the ecosystem but don’t solve specific problems. Bounty systems exist, but maintainers often aren’t fairly included in the reward.
Trust and coordination are missing:
- Companies don’t want to send money to random devs and hope the fix gets accepted upstream.
- Maintainers often need help – new contributors to help them keep up.
- Developers don’t want to do work on vague promises of payment.
- Without a neutral, transparent layer in the middle, everyone hesitates.
Why choose OtterSource?
Rewards on issues
Post a reward and a deadline on any public issue (GitHub, GitLab etc).
Pay only on success
If the reward expires without a solution, you get a full refund in credits to use on another issue.
80/20 split
Developers earn 80% of the total reward, 20% goes to the project maintainers.
Rewards stack
Multiple users can add rewards on the same issue, increasing the total reward.
Flexible payouts
Rewards are set in USD, but payouts can be made in other major currencies on request.
Low fees
A simple 10% fee applies only on withdrawal, no hidden costs.
The Solution
OtterSource fixes the broken incentives in open source by:
- Turning issues into time-bound, money-backed bounties.
- Releasing payment only when the fix or feature is merged – results, no promises.
- Splitting rewards between developers (80%) and the project (20%), so maintainers are included, not bypassed.
- Allowing multiple users to pool rewards on the same issue, funding what matters most.
- Giving companies a plug-and-play way to fund fixes or features in open source without extra hiring or legal overhead.
1. Link a public issue
Need a bug fixed or feature built? Just link the public issue, for example from GitHub or GitLab that you or someone else created. OtterSource automatically creates a reward listing for it.
2. Put a reward on it
Add your reward and choose an expiration date. If the issue isn’t resolved before the deadline, your reward is refunded in credits — ready to use on another issue.
3. OtterSource as your agency
OtterSource notifies the project about the reward and helps find a developer to take it on.
When the issue is successfully resolved and merged, the developer earns 80% and the project receives 20%.
If the issue is closed as “Won’t fix” or “Not a bug,” those outcomes don’t count, and all rewards are refunded.
4. Use your rewards
Developers can reuse rewards to fund other issues or withdraw the money to a bank account.
Projects can reinvest their share into new rewards or cash it out for maintenance, merchandise, or anything else.
Withdrawals include a 10% fee. Reinvesting rewards to fund other issues is free.
Join the waitlist – don’t miss the launch!
Be the first to know when OtterSource goes live, help us shape the future of open source funding, and get early‑access perks for joining us from day one.
Our latest posts
Looking for more info? Check out the posts below.
FAQ
How do I know my work won’t get ripped off – do I get paid only if merged?
Yes, payout triggers only when the issue is successfully resolved. No merge, no pay. We escrow your reward, you claim post-merge via a simple button.
What if multiple devs submit PRs? The first one wins?
Anyone can compete, but only the merged/closing commit wins the full reward. Maintainers decide what meets their standards – it’s their repo.
How fast do payouts hit my bank account? Any hidden fees?
Payouts are in USD via Stripe (1-2 days typical). No extra payout fees, only the 10% platform cut.
Does this spam maintainers or bypass them?
Nope – 20% automatically goes to the project to reward review effort. Maintainers stay fully in control. We just notify them when new rewards appear on their issues.
Taxes?
You are responsible for your own tax reporting. We issue tax forms if required (e.g. for U.S. paybouts over $600). Payouts reported as contractor income.
Do I get spammed with junk PRs from reward hunters?
No – rewards only highlight issues you already have. Maintainers approve or reject everything as usual. No auto-approvals, no spam. We notify you politely when a reward lands on your issue.
How much money actually comes to my project?
A clean 20% of the total reward goes to your project’s OtterSource wallet. Cash out anytime (10% withdrawal fee applies).
Can I reject a reward or reward-driven PR if it sucks?
100% your call. You decide what closes the issue. Bad PR? Close it, no payout. We trust maintainers – you’re the gatekeeper.
What if users post rewards on useless/old issues?
Every reward has a deadline. If it expires, funds are refunded to credits.
Fees or lock-in for my project?
Free to list. You earn 20% of the total reward (minus our 10% withdrawal fee). No subs. Payouts in USD via Stripe or Revolut.
What if the fix breaks something or doesn’t meet standards?
No worries — payout happens only after maintainer approval. You can leave comments on the issue (e.g. test requirements) to guide submissions. Rejected PRs don’t get paid.
What if nobody takes the bounty or it expires?
You get a full refund in credits to fund another issue. No sunk cost.
Billing and contracts, how does payment work?
Payments run through Stripe or Revolut, in USD, invoice-ready. Clean expenses for your books.
IP rights, who owns the code?
All work stays under the project’s open‑source license (MIT, GPL, etc.). You get fixes committed upstream, no proprietary lock‑ins.