Open Source
Free software forms the foundation of our digital world. But that foundation is crumbling — because the people who build it can't make a living from it.
Closed beta
This is the model we're building toward for obacht's public launch: a fixed amount per installed template, forwarded in full to the developers. We're still in closed beta, so exact amounts and live transparency figures aren't published yet.
The problem
44% cite burnout as the reason they've quit or considered quitting. In November 2025, Kubernetes retired Ingress NGINX maintenance — not because the software was outdated, but because the two people maintaining it in their spare time couldn't go on.
This isn't an isolated case. It's a systemic problem. Billion-dollar companies build their products on code maintained by volunteers on weekends. The value chain works in one direction: upward. Almost nothing flows back.
We've built great tools for contributing to the digital commons — open source, free software, Creative Commons. But we never thought about how to defend those commons against appropriation. The pipelines for giving exist. The pipelines for giving back are missing.
The self-hosting dilemma
Many open source projects have found a pragmatic way to fund themselves: they offer hosted versions of their software as a service. Nextcloud, GitLab, Plausible, Cal.com — SaaS revenue funds the development of free software.
At the same time, we believe self-hosting matters. That people should have control over their data and their digital infrastructure. That decentralization contributes to digital emancipation — away from dependence on individual platforms.
But if everyone self-hosts and nobody pays for the service, the funding source for these projects dries up. More self-hosting must not mean less funding.
That's the dilemma. And obacht is our attempt to resolve it.
Our answer
With obacht, every installed template carries a small fixed monthly fee. This amount goes 100% to the developers of that software — minus payment provider fees. obacht earns nothing from it.
This isn't a donation appeal. It's a mechanism. When you run open source software on your own hardware, you automatically fund the people who build it. Not voluntarily, not optionally — but as part of using it.
This turns self-hosting from a problem into a solution: every device running through obacht generates a small, reliable, recurring contribution. Not as a one-time donation that gets forgotten, but as a monthly stream — for as long as the software is used.
Mechanism
You install a template (e.g. Uptime Kuma)
After a free trial period, a small fixed monthly fee is collected
Obacht forwards 100% to the project
Payout
Quarterly via Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors, or direct transfer. Transparent and verifiable.
For Maintainers
We build the template — you get the revenue.
We build the template. You get the revenue. No contracts, no exclusivity. Your software, your license, your money.
How payouts scale
A fixed amount per installation is forwarded to your project every month — so payouts grow directly with the number of people running your template. The more installs, the more recurring revenue. Exact figures will be published when obacht goes public.
100% forwarded. After a free trial period per installation.
Licensing
Yes. GPL, AGPL, MIT and all common open source licenses explicitly allow charging for distribution. The template fee is not a license fee — it's a structured contribution to the developers. obacht does not modify the software and ensures source code access.
Start hosting open-source software on your own hardware. Templates fund their developers automatically.