TL;DR
A blog post argues GitHub should add $1 per organization user per month to create an escrowed Open Source fund. The author suggests distributing proceeds based on how often projects are referenced in dependency manifests and proposes making the fee opt-out.
What happened
A Nov. 27, 2025 blog post proposed a simple funding mechanism for open-source software: add one dollar per user per month to GitHub bills for organizations and collect that money into an escrowed “Open Source Fund.” The idea is to allocate those pooled funds to projects proportionally, based on measurable usage—for example, every time a repository appears in a package.json or requirements.txt. The post frames this as a lightweight, Spotify-like distribution model for software, acknowledges many unanswered questions, and calls the suggestion deliberately half-baked. The author floated implementation details such as making the charge opt-out, offering visible incentives like profile badges or cosmetic profile features, and expanding the dependency scan to other files (for example, Dockerfile FROM lines). The post notes uncertainty about how to account for large projects such as Linux and invites others to refine the concept.
Why it matters
- Open-source projects underpin much of modern software; the proposal addresses ongoing concerns about sustainable funding for that work.
- A platform-level collection and distribution system could create a predictable revenue stream for maintainers who currently rely on donations or sponsorships.
- Design choices—what counts as usage and how funds are allocated—would shape which projects benefit and could change incentives across ecosystems.
- Even a small, platform-wide levy raises governance and implementation questions (measurement, fairness, opt-out mechanics) that affect feasibility and adoption.
Key facts
- Proposal date: Nov. 27, 2025 (published on blog.greg.technology).
- Suggests charging every organization an extra $1 per user per month on GitHub billing.
- Collected money would be held in escrow as an “Open Source Fund.”
- Distribution would be driven by usage signals, for example every mention in package.json or requirements.txt.
- The author compares the model to how streaming services distribute revenue to artists—imperfect but directional.
- The proposal recommends making the charge opt-out and suggests visible incentives like badges or profile styling.
- The post raises the idea of parsing additional files (e.g., Dockerfile FROM lines) to capture more dependencies.
- The author acknowledges the proposal is unfinished and flags unresolved issues such as how to include projects like Linux.
What to watch next
- not confirmed in the source: whether GitHub or other platforms will formally study or pilot a platform-level open-source funding mechanism.
- not confirmed in the source: technical proposals or proofs-of-concept for measuring dependency usage across languages and packaging systems.
- not confirmed in the source: responses from major open-source projects (for example, how large kernel projects would be handled) or reactions from enterprise customers about an added fee.
Quick glossary
- Open source: Software whose source code is made available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute, typically under a license that grants these rights.
- package.json: A metadata file used by Node.js and npm that lists a project’s dependencies and other configuration data.
- requirements.txt: A common plain-text file listing Python package dependencies, often used to recreate a project’s environment.
- Escrow: A financial arrangement where funds are held by a third party until specified conditions for distribution are met.
- Dockerfile FROM: A Dockerfile instruction specifying a base image; referenced by the post as a possible signal of dependency usage.
Reader FAQ
Who proposed this funding idea?
It was proposed in a Nov. 27, 2025 blog post on blog.greg.technology.
How would funds be collected and distributed?
The post suggests adding $1 per org user per month to GitHub bills, holding the money in escrow, and distributing it based on references in dependency manifests like package.json or requirements.txt.
Would the charge be mandatory?
The author recommends making the fee opt-out, but implementation details are not specified.
Will large projects such as Linux be included?
The author explicitly says how to handle projects like Linux is unclear and not confirmed in the source.
GitHub should charge everyone $1 more per month Nov 27, 2025 Listen to me. It is crazy, absolutely crazy to depend on open source to be free (as beer). It…
Sources
- GitHub should charge everyone $1 more per month to fund open source
- Sponsoring an open source contributor through GitHub
- I just crossed $1 million on GitHub Sponsors. 💰🎉
- The Ultimate Guide to Funding Open Source Projects
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