Open source operating-system projects
Every project in the registry tagged operating-system, ranked by real GitHub adoption.
A full desktop environment that runs in your browser
The Serenity Operating System 🐞
Open-Source Personal Cloud OS for Always-On Agents
Frequently asked questions
How many open source operating-system projects are there?
This registry tracks 3 projects tagged operating-system, with 82,673 GitHub stars between them. The most-adopted is Puter at 43,557 stars.
Are these operating-system projects free to use?
Yes — 3 of the 3 carry an explicit open-source licence across 2 distinct licences, so there is no licence fee. Where a project also sells a hosted or enterprise version, the self-hosted path remains free.
Which operating-system project should I choose?
The list above is ranked by GitHub stars, but stars measure attention rather than fit. Check three things on each card: the licence (permissive versus copyleft), the language it is written in, and the last-push date — a high-star project that has not been pushed in a year is a liability.
Are these operating-system projects still maintained?
3 of the 3 were pushed in the last 90 days, and every card shows its exact last-push date so you can see the rest. Sort your shortlist by that date before committing to a migration.