7 Free GitHub Repos That Replace Paid Software

Most people pay every month for software that a free, open source GitHub repo already does just as well. This is the short list: 7 repos that together replace over $2,000 a year in paid tools, from Adobe and Photoshop to Cursor and Miro. Start with the two or three you already pay for, that is where the savings are instant.

What You'll Learn

• What each repo does and the paid tool it replaces
• A quick setup and main uses guide for all 7
• The direct GitHub link for each, plus the one PewDiePie built

A few of these are self hosted, meaning they run on your own machine, so nothing leaves your computer.

1. Stirling PDF

82k+ stars, MIT. Your entire PDF toolkit, self hosted. Merge, split, sign, redact, OCR, convert, and compress with 50+ tools, all on your own machine.

Setup and main uses:

• Fastest start: use it free in your browser at stirlingpdf.io, or self host with one Docker command for full privacy
• Merge, split, and reorder pages by drag and drop
• Sign documents and redact sensitive info before sending
• OCR scanned pages into searchable text, then compress or convert to/from Word and images

Replaces: Adobe Acrobat Pro, $23/mo. Repo: https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF

2. PhotoGIMP

12k+ stars. A patch that turns the free editor GIMP into Photoshop. It installs the Photoshop shortcuts, layout, and splash screen on top of GIMP 3+, so your muscle memory carries straight over.

Setup and main uses:

• Install GIMP 3+ first (free), then apply the PhotoGIMP patch from the repo's instructions
• You get Photoshop's keyboard shortcuts, panel layout, and tool names
• Use it for photo retouching, background removal, and layer based editing
• Great for product photos, thumbnails, and social graphics; exports to PSD, PNG, and JPG

Replaces: Adobe Photoshop, $23/mo. Repo: https://github.com/Diolinux/PhotoGIMP

3. Recordly

18k+ stars. The free screen studio. Auto zoom, smooth cursor motion, webcam overlay, and styled backgrounds, so you get polished demo videos without ever opening an editor. Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Setup and main uses:

• Download the app for your OS from the repo's releases page and open it
• Hit record; it auto zooms to your cursor and smooths the motion for you
• Add a webcam overlay and a styled background for a clean, premium look
• Use it for product demos, tutorials, course lessons, and bug reports, then export a finished MP4

Replaces: Screen Studio, $20/mo. Repo: https://github.com/webadderallorg/Recordly

4. Odysseus (The PewDiePie One)

75k+ stars, MIT. A full self hosted AI workspace: chat, agents, deep research, docs, email, and memory, all local first on your own hardware with your own data. This is the one PewDiePie put together and gave away for free.

Setup and main uses:

• This one is self hosted and a bit more technical: follow the repo's install guide to run it on your own machine
• Bring your own model or API key (or run a local model) so your data stays yours
• Use the chat and deep research tools as a private ChatGPT and Perplexity
• Feed it your docs and let its memory recall context across sessions, or run agents for multi step tasks

Replaces: ChatGPT Plus + Perplexity Pro, $40/mo. Repo: https://github.com/pewdiepie-archdaemon/odysseus

5. Hyperframes

29k+ stars, Apache 2.0. Write HTML, render video. HeyGen's engine turns HTML/CSS plus animations into deterministic MP4s, built for AI agents to drive.

Setup and main uses:

• Install it from the repo; it is built to be driven by an AI agent like Claude
• Describe the video and let the AI write the HTML, CSS, and animations
• It renders a deterministic MP4, so the same input always produces the same output
• Use it for faceless videos, explainers, social clips, and B roll

Replaces: HeyGen / CapCut Pro, $29/mo. Repo: https://github.com/heygen-com/hyperframes

6. Cline

63k+ stars, Apache 2.0. A free, autonomous AI coding agent that lives right inside your editor. Describe what you want in plain English and it builds and edits whole apps for you, runs the commands, and fixes its own errors, using any model you choose.

Setup and main uses:

• Install the free Cline extension inside VS Code from the marketplace
• Plug in any model (Claude, GPT, or a local one) with your own API key
• Describe what you want in plain English; it writes and edits the files for you
• It runs terminal commands and fixes its own errors, so you can build small apps and automations without knowing how to code

Replaces: Cursor / GitHub Copilot, $20/mo. Repo: https://github.com/cline/cline

7. Excalidraw

126k+ stars, MIT. The infinite whiteboard that replaces three paid tools at once. Hand drawn style diagrams, wireframes, real time collaboration, and end to end encryption.

Setup and main uses:

• Use it free in your browser at excalidraw.com, no signup required
• Draw diagrams, flowcharts, and wireframes in the signature hand drawn style
• Share a live link for real time, end to end encrypted collaboration
• Export to PNG, SVG, or a copy paste link for docs, decks, and notes

Replaces: Miro + FigJam + Lucidchart, $30/mo. Repo: https://github.com/excalidraw/excalidraw

The Running Total

Add it up: Acrobat $23, Photoshop $23, Screen Studio $20, ChatGPT + Perplexity $40, HeyGen $29, Cursor $20, Miro stack $30. That is roughly $185 a month, over $2,000 a year, replaced by seven free repos. Pick the ones you already pay for and cancel those first.

Go Deeper

Prefer a printable version? Grab the PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nlTMYmOQpcpqzylgEydaIwa5Y2nlWsZe/view?usp=drivesdk

Want the whole system installed live, with Cooper on the call? Build Your Own AI, the two week sprint runs the first two weeks of August.

Or get a new working tool every Monday inside The AI Operator community on Whop.