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Free alternatives to the usual startup SaaS stack

Open-source and free-tier replacements for the subscriptions a small team usually signs up for, from chat to CRM.

Replacing all 15 paid apps saves up to $2,663 USD a year

Last verified

Each paid app, its best free pick and what switching saves
Paid appBest free pickYou stop paying
SlackZulipTop pickLicense: Open source$87 a year
ZoomJitsi MeetTop pickLicense: Open source$170 a year
NotionAppFlowyStrongLicense: Open source$120 a year
JiraOpenProjectTop pickLicense: Open source$90 a year
ZapierActivepiecesTop pickLicense: Open source$240 a year
DocuSignDocuSealTop pickLicense: Open source$120 a year
DropboxNextcloudTop pickLicense: Open source$120 a year
1PasswordBitwardenTop pickLicense: Open source$48 a year
MailchimpMauticStrongLicense: Open source$156 a year
TypeformTallyTop pickLicense: Free tier$336 a year
CalendlyEasy!AppointmentsStrongLicense: Open source$120 a year
HubSpotMauticStrongLicense: Open source$240 a year
IntercomChatwootTop pickLicense: Open source$348 a year
ZendeskZammadTop pickLicense: Open source$228 a year
VercelCloudflare PagesStrongLicense: Free tier$240 a year
Total for all 15 apps$2,663 USD a year

Savings are list prices for each app on its own plan, checked on the dates shown on each app’s page. Apps sold in the same subscription are counted once in the total, and a bundle can cost less than the sum.

  1. Instead of Slack

    All 4 alternatives to Slack

    Swap for Zulip, or Mattermost for self-hosted team chat.

    Zulip

    Best for teams that want open-source chat with threads

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $87 USD a year vs Slack (≈$124 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Mattermost, Element, Rocket.Chat.

  2. Instead of Zoom

    All 3 alternatives to Zoom

    Swap for Jitsi Meet, free in the browser or self-hosted.

    Jitsi Meet

    Best for quick open-source video calls with no account

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $170 USD a year vs Zoom (≈$242 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Google Meet, BigBlueButton.

  3. Instead of Notion

    All 5 alternatives to Notion

    Swap for AppFlowy or AFFiNE.

    AppFlowy

    Best for a self-hostable Notion-style workspace

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown
    • MD: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Documents import and export one page at a time; Notion exports import as Markdown
    • HTML: saves only, partial fidelity. Export only
    • CSV: opens and saves, full fidelity. Databases import and export as CSV

    Saves $120 USD a year vs Notion (≈$171 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: AFFiNE, Anytype, Obsidian.

  4. Instead of Jira

    All 3 alternatives to Jira

    Swap for OpenProject, or Plane for a lighter tracker with issues, cycles and modules.

    OpenProject

    Best for teams that want a full tracker on their own server

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $90 USD a year vs Jira (≈$128 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Plane, Taiga.

  5. Instead of Zapier

    All 4 alternatives to Zapier

    Swap for Activepieces or n8n, self-hosted.

    Activepieces

    Best for an MIT-licensed no-code Zapier replacement

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $240 USD a year vs Zapier (≈$342 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: n8n, Windmill, Node-RED.

  6. Instead of DocuSign

    All 3 alternatives to DocuSign

    Swap for DocuSeal or Documenso.

    DocuSeal

    Best for self-hosted signing with templates and an API

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $120 USD a year vs DocuSign ($156 CAD)

    Also good: Documenso, OpenSign.

  7. Instead of Dropbox

    All 3 alternatives to Dropbox

    Swap for Nextcloud on your own server, or Syncthing between devices.

    Nextcloud

    Best for a self-hosted Dropbox with apps on every platform

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $120 USD a year vs Dropbox ($156 CAD)

    Also good: Seafile, Syncthing.

  8. Instead of 1Password

    All 3 alternatives to 1Password

    Swap for Bitwarden, open source with a free plan for unlimited devices.

    Bitwarden

    Best for open-source sync across every device

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Self-hosted
    • Command line
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $48 USD a year vs 1Password (≈$68 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Proton Pass, KeePassXC.

  9. Instead of Mailchimp

    All 3 alternatives to Mailchimp

    Swap for Mautic or listmonk, both self-hosted.

    Mautic

    Best for open-source marketing automation you host

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $156 USD a year vs Mailchimp ($224 CAD)

    Also good: listmonk, Brevo.

  10. Instead of Typeform

    All 4 alternatives to Typeform

    Swap for Tally's free plan, or Formbricks for open source.

    Tally

    Best for free forms with logic, payments and webhooks

    License: Free tier
    • Web
    Status: Verified

    Saves $336 USD a year vs Typeform (≈$479 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Formbricks, Google Forms, LimeSurvey.

  11. Instead of Calendly

    All 2 alternatives to Calendly

    Swap for Easy!Appointments, self-hosted.

    Easy!Appointments

    Best for a self-hosted booking system for a business

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $120 USD a year vs Calendly (≈$171 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Cal.diy.

  12. Instead of HubSpot

    All 2 alternatives to HubSpot

    Swap for Mautic for marketing email, or Twenty, an open-source CRM.

    Mautic

    Best for open-source marketing automation

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $240 USD a year vs HubSpot ($312 CAD)

    Also good: Twenty.

  13. Instead of Intercom

    All 2 alternatives to Intercom

    Swap for Chatwoot, open-source live chat.

    Chatwoot

    Best for open-source live chat and a shared inbox

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $348 USD a year vs Intercom (≈$496 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Tiledesk.

  14. Instead of Zendesk

    All 3 alternatives to Zendesk

    Swap for Zammad or FreeScout.

    Zammad

    Best for a full-featured open-source help desk

    License: Open source
    • Web
    • Self-hosted
    Status: Unknown

    Saves $228 USD a year vs Zendesk (≈$325 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: FreeScout, osTicket.

  15. Instead of Vercel

    All 5 alternatives to Vercel

    Swap for the free plan of Cloudflare Pages, or Coolify or Dokploy on your own server.

    Cloudflare Pages

    Best for static sites and edge functions on a big free plan

    License: Free tier
    • Web
    • Command line
    Status: Verified

    Saves $240 USD a year vs Vercel (≈$342 CAD, estimated)

    Also good: Netlify, Coolify, Dokploy.