7 Open Source Programs Every Developer Should Know About

If you are a developer or a student like me, you have probably heard the phrase "open source contribution" many times. I used to think open source was simply about finding a GitHub repository, changing some code, and creating a pull request. It is much bigger than that.

Open source can help you learn how real software is built, understand large codebases, work with experienced developers, improve your Git and GitHub skills, and build something that you can actually show to recruiters.

The best part?

You don't always need to wait for a company to give you an internship to get this experience.

There are several open source programs and initiatives where you can work with real projects, experienced maintainers, and developers from around the world. Some of them are paid, while others are unpaid, but even the unpaid ones can be extremely valuable if you use them properly.

So, I collected some of the programs that I think every developer interested in open source should know about.

1. Google Summer of Code (GSoC)

Let's start with the one most developers have probably heard about — Google Summer of Code. GSoC is a global program where contributors work with open source organisations under the guidance of experienced mentors. The interesting thing about GSoC is that you aren't just solving random coding questions or building another portfolio project.

You are working on an actual open source project. Projects can cover almost anything — AI/ML, cloud, operating systems, security, programming languages, robotics, graphics, scientific computing and much more.

In 2026, Google lists small, medium and large project sizes, roughly corresponding to 90, 175 and 350 hours of work.

One thing I particularly like about GSoC is that it forces you to learn something that college projects usually don't teach you: How to work inside someone else's codebase.

You have to understand existing architecture, follow contribution guidelines, communicate with maintainers, write good commits, respond to reviews and actually get your work merged.

That's real software engineering.

2. Outreachy

Outreachy is another excellent open source internship program, but it has a different focus from GSoC. The program aims to support people who face underrepresentation, systemic bias or discrimination in the technology industry.

The internships are remote and paid, and projects aren't limited to programming. You can find projects involving: Software development, Documentation, UX, Graphic design, Data science, Research, Community work, Marketing, User advocacy

I think this is important because many developers assume that open source = writing code.

It doesn't.

Documentation, testing, design, community management and bug fixing can be just as important to an open source project.

Outreachy is particularly interesting if you are looking for a structured way to make your first contributions with mentorship.

3. Hacktoberfest

If you are completely new to open source, Hacktoberfest is probably one of the easiest places to start. Hacktoberfest is an annual global celebration of open source that happens during October. Unlike programs such as GSoC, you don't have to spend months preparing a proposal for one specific organisation. Instead, you can explore participating projects and contribute through pull requests or merge requests.

And your contribution doesn't necessarily have to be some huge feature.

You can work on: Documentation Tests Bug fixes Features Refactoring Accessibility Examples Other project improvements

This makes Hacktoberfest a nice introduction to the actual open source workflow.

You fork a repository -> You clone it -> You create a branch -> You understand the issue -> You make your changes -> You test them -> You create a pull request -> Then someone reviews your work

That entire process teaches you much more than simply watching another Git tutorial. But don't fall into the contribution-count trap

This is important.

Don't contribute meaningless changes just to increase your GitHub contribution graph. The goal should be learning and helping the project, not collecting random PRs. A good PR that solves a real problem is worth much more than ten useless ones.

4. 24 Pull Requests

I really like the idea behind 24 Pull Requests.

The concept is simple: Make open source contributions during the 24 days leading up to Christmas. The original idea is to send 24 pull requests between December 1 and December 24.

The platform also highlights projects and issues that can be suitable for new contributors.

It can be documentation, bug fixes, tests, design improvements or code.

5. Season of KDE

If you use Linux or have ever explored KDE Plasma, this one is worth checking.

Season of KDE (SoK) is a KDE mentorship initiative where contributors work on real KDE-related projects. And this is another example of why I don't think open source is only about GSoC. KDE has a huge ecosystem of applications and technologies, and contributors can work on things ranging from development to documentation, design and community-related work.

Why KDE is interesting

Working on a large project like KDE can teach you about:

Large codebases Linux development Git workflows Code review Community-driven development Working with maintainers Software architecture

If you are interested in Linux or desktop software, I'd definitely keep KDE on my list.

6. Djangonaut Space

Type: Free mentorship program Duration: 8 weeks Focus: Django / Python open source Best for: Python and Django developers

If you are a Python developer, especially someone working with Django, Djangonaut Space is one of the programs I would personally keep bookmarked.

It is an 8-week group mentoring program designed to help contributors improve their Django contributions and potentially move towards leadership roles in the Django community.

I like this model because it is not trying to turn everything into an internship. Instead, it focuses on community, mentorship and contribution.

Participants work in a semi-structured environment and learn how to contribute to Django and related projects. And there is already a nice track record.

According to the program, previous participants have gone on to become maintainers, Django Foundation board members and members of different Django teams. So if you're already comfortable with Python and want to go deeper into Django, this is a much more focused opportunity than randomly looking for a repository.

7. Linux Foundation Mentorship / LFX Mentorship

Last but definitely not least: Linux Foundation Mentorship, commonly encountered through the LFX Mentorship platform.

This one is particularly interesting if you want to move towards backend, cloud, infrastructure or systems engineering. The Linux Foundation ecosystem includes mentorship opportunities across projects such as: Linux Kernel, CNCF, RISC-V, Open Mainframe Project, OpenHPC, LF Networking, GraphQL, LF Decentralized Trust

This is where things get serious.

You may find yourself working with technologies and communities around Linux, Kubernetes, cloud-native infrastructure, networking, distributed systems and other large open source ecosystems.

The Linux Foundation describes its mentorship program as a way for developers — including first-time contributors — to learn the skills and resources needed to contribute effectively to open source. And that is exactly what makes these programs valuable.

One More Thing: Don't Ignore Unpaid Programs

As students, we naturally look at the word "stipend" first.

I get it.

But I wouldn't completely ignore unpaid programs.

A good open source contribution can give you things that a random certificate or another basic college project cannot:

Real code review Experience with production repositories Collaboration with developers outside your college Understanding of Git workflows Publicly visible engineering work Communication with maintainers Experience reading unfamiliar code A contribution history you can actually show

And perhaps most importantly, it teaches you how software is built when nobody is giving you the exact solution.

That's a very different skill from solving a LeetCode problem.

This list is not meant to be a ranking.

I put these programs together because when I was looking for ways to get into open source, it was easy to find individual programs but harder to understand which ones actually exist, what they are about, and where a beginner should start.

Hopefully this makes that process a little easier for someone else.