Tools that are
actually free.
Not "free tier with limits" free. Not "free until we raise a Series B" free. Genuinely free, fully open-source, local-first desktop apps — bookmark managers, finance trackers, focus timers, color workbenches, flashcard notebooks, and PDF toolkits anyone can use, fork, and improve. Your data never leaves your device.
Stash
Local-first desktop app for bookmarks, read-later, and RSS
Raindrop.io is paid. Pocket is dead. Feedly wants your money. Stash gives you all three — bookmarks, read-later, and RSS — in one free, open-source, local-first desktop app. Auto-fetched metadata, tag & collection organisation, RSS reader with Atom/RSS 2.0 support, distraction-free reader mode, OPML import/export, browser extension for one-click saving, and full-text fuzzy search. Zero data leaves your machine.
Bookmarks & Collections
Save any URL with auto-fetched metadata. Tag, favorite, archive, bulk actions, duplicate detection, and drag & drop reordering between collections.
RSS Reader & Reader Mode
Subscribe to RSS 2.0/Atom feeds with configurable auto-refresh. Clean distraction-free reader mode with reading progress, cached for offline. OPML import/export.
Browser Extension & Import
Companion Chrome/Firefox extension (Manifest V3) for one-click save. Import from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge. Export as JSON or Netscape HTML. Command palette via Ctrl+K.
Bean
A clean, local-first personal finance tracker for your desktop
Most finance apps require an account, charge a subscription, or sync your data to the cloud. Bean gives you full control — a free, open-source, local-first desktop app that stores everything on your machine. Track transactions, manage multiple accounts, set monthly budgets with live progress, and view spending reports and net worth charts. All storage handled locally via Tauri's plugin-store.
Transactions & Accounts
Add, edit, and delete transactions with category, account, notes, and date. Split transactions across categories. Track multiple accounts with running balances and inter-account transfers.
Budgets & Alerts
Set monthly budgets per category with live progress bars showing spend vs. budget. Over-budget alerts keep you on track without surprises.
Reports & Recurring
Spending breakdown by category, monthly trend charts, and net worth over time. Define recurring income/expenses (weekly, monthly) — auto-generated on app startup.
Tempo
A clean, local-first Pomodoro focus timer for your desktop
Most focus timer apps are web-based, subscription-gated, or bloated with features you'll never use. Tempo is a free, open-source, local-first desktop app — fast, private, and distraction-free. Classic Pomodoro timers with fully customisable durations, task tracking tied to sessions, session analytics with heatmaps and streaks, and a built-in ambient sound mixer.
🍅 Focus — 24:37
Session 3 of 4 · 2h 15m focused today · 🔥 5-day streak
Pomodoro Timer
Classic 25/5/15 min cycles with fully customisable durations. Visual and audio notifications at session end. Mode toggle: focus, short break, long break.
Task Tracking
Create and manage tasks tied to your focus sessions. Mark tasks complete, track time spent per task, and drag-and-drop reorder your list.
Analytics & Ambient Sounds
Session heatmaps, daily patterns, streak tracking, and focus vs break distribution charts. Built-in ambient sound mixer — rain, café, forest, white noise — with custom volumes.
Palette
Local-first color and design-system workbench
Create cohesive, accessible color palettes and export them to Tailwind CSS, CSS custom properties, and JSON — all without leaving your machine. Generate perceptual 11-step scales in LCH, LAB, HSL, or RGB. Map semantic roles, check WCAG contrast ratios, simulate color blindness, preview your palette in realistic UIs, and export directly to your codebase.
WCAG AA ✓ · Contrast 4.8:1 · deuteranopia ✓
Scale Generation & Harmonies
Generate 11-step perceptual scales in LCH, LAB, HSL, or RGB. Interactive color wheel with complementary, triadic, analogous, split-complementary, tetradic, and square harmony modes.
Semantic Roles & Accessibility
Map scale colors to 13 semantic tokens (background, surface, text, border, primary, success, warning, danger, and more). WCAG 2.1 AA/AAA contrast checker. Color blindness simulation (protanopia, deuteranopia, tritanopia, achromatopsia).
Live Preview & Export
Preview your palette in Dashboard, Marketing, or Component library mockups. Export as Tailwind @theme blocks, CSS :root variables, OKLCH CSS, or raw JSON. Zero network calls.
Index
Local-first spaced repetition notebook
Write Markdown notes, create flashcards inline, and review them with a real SM-2 spaced repetition algorithm — all without leaving your machine. Basic cards via text selection, cloze deletion cards with {{c1::answer}} syntax, keyboard-driven review, card browser with tag filters, and full JSON export/import. All data stored in IndexedDB.
🃏 Review — 8 cards due
Notebook: CS Fundamentals · 47 cards · 🔥 12-day streak
Markdown Notes & Flashcards
Live Markdown preview with headings, bold, italic, code, lists, and blockquotes. Select any text to create a basic card, or write {{c1::answer}} for cloze deletion cards directly in your notes.
SM-2 Spaced Repetition
Real SM-2 algorithm with Again / Hard / Good / Easy ratings and interval scheduling. Keyboard-driven review — Space to reveal, 1–4 to rate. Card browser with search, tag filters, and sort.
Notebooks & Local Storage
Organise notes and cards into notebooks with inline rename and delete. Command palette (Ctrl+K). Full JSON export and import for backup. All data in IndexedDB — no accounts, no cloud, no tracking.
Paperforge
Local-first PDF toolkit
A desktop app built with Tauri + Rust + React that provides core PDF tools entirely offline. Merge, split, compress, reorder, delete pages, convert images to PDF, export PDF pages as images, and compare PDFs. No data ever leaves your machine.
Merge & Split
Combine multiple PDFs into one with drag-to-reorder. Split PDFs by extracting page ranges into separate files.
Compress & Reorder
Reduce file size with Light, Balanced, or Strong compression. Rearrange or remove individual pages from any PDF.
Convert & Compare
Convert images (PNG/JPG) into a single PDF. Export PDF pages as PNG or JPG. Compare two PDFs for differences.
Pick the right tool
Each project solves a different problem. Here's a quick comparison.
| Tool | Type | Built With | License | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stash | Desktop App | Tauri + Rust | MIT | Bookmarks, read-later & RSS |
| Bean | Desktop App | Tauri + Rust + Recharts | MIT | Personal finance tracking |
| Tempo | Desktop App | Tauri + Rust | MIT | Pomodoro & focus sessions |
| Palette | Desktop App | Tauri + chroma-js | MIT | Color palettes & design systems |
| Index | Desktop App | Tauri + IndexedDB | MIT | Spaced repetition & flashcards |
| Paperforge | Desktop App | Tauri + Rust (lopdf) | MIT | PDF tools (merge, split, compress) |
These projects are
yours too.
Every project is community-driven. Bug fixes, features, documentation improvements — every contribution makes these tools better for everyone. We review PRs quickly and help first-time contributors get started.
All repos have good first issue labels and comprehensive contributing guides.
Fork & Clone
Pick a project, fork it, and set up your local environment. Each repo has a quick-start guide.
Make Changes
Work on an open issue or propose something new. We use conventional commits and CI on every push.
Submit a PR
Open a pull request. We'll review it, give feedback, and get your code merged.
Built in the open. Free forever.
Use our tools. Fork them. Improve them. Ship something great.