Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Hacker News VS Opensource.com

Compare Hacker News VS Opensource.com and see what are their differences

Hacker News logo Hacker News

Hacker News is a social news website focusing on computer science and entrepreneurship. It is run by Paul Graham's investment fund and startup incubator, Y Combinator.

Opensource.com logo Opensource.com

Welcome! From the first moment you visit Opensource.com, you become a member of the community.
  • Hacker News Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-23
  • Opensource.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-01

Hacker News features and specs

  • Quality Content
    Hacker News focuses on high-quality, tech-centric content which is often insightful and valuable for those in the tech industry.
  • Community
    The community consists largely of professionals and enthusiasts in tech, providing a knowledgeable and skilled user base for discussions.
  • Upvote System
    The upvote system helps in promoting the most relevant and useful posts, ensuring users see content that is often vetted by the community.
  • Minimalist Design
    The simple, text-based design minimizes distractions and focuses on content and discussions without unnecessary clutter.
  • Diverse Topics
    While mainly focused on technology, Hacker News also covers a variety of subjects including entrepreneurship, science, and more.

Possible disadvantages of Hacker News

  • Echo Chamber Effect
    Given its focused and like-minded community, there is a risk of homogeneous opinions and lack of diverse viewpoints.
  • Moderation Issues
    The manual moderation can sometimes be inconsistent, leading to frustrations around which posts or comments get removed or promoted.
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio
    Despite the upvote system, some low-quality or irrelevant content can still surface, diluting the overall information quality.
  • Niche Audience
    Its strong focus on tech topics can alienate those who are not as tech-savvy or interested, limiting broader appeal.
  • Limited Features
    The platform offers very basic functionality compared to other modern forums, which might deter users who prefer more advanced features.

Opensource.com features and specs

  • Resourceful Content
    Opensource.com provides a plethora of articles, tutorials, and insights on a wide array of open source topics, which can be beneficial for both beginners and seasoned professionals.
  • Community Engagement
    The platform fosters an active community where users can share information, participate in discussions, and contribute content, which enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing.
  • Diverse Topics
    Covers a broad spectrum of subjects related to open source, including development, business, cloud computing, and more, which ensures that readers can find information on varied interests.
  • Author Contributions
    Encourages contributions from a diverse set of authors, providing multiple perspectives and insights into the open source ecosystem.

Possible disadvantages of Opensource.com

  • Content Overload
    The vast amount of content can be overwhelming for new visitors, making it difficult to find specific information quickly.
  • Variable Quality
    Since the platform features contributions from a wide range of authors, the quality and depth of articles can be inconsistent.
  • Limited Editorial Control
    With community-driven content, there may be less editorial control over articles, leading to potential inaccuracies or biases.
  • Focus on Open Source
    While beneficial for open source enthusiasts, the focus on open source software may not cater to users seeking information on proprietary or mixed-source solutions.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hacker News and Opensource.com)
Social Networks
100 100%
0% 0
Software Marketplace
0 0%
100% 100
Social News
100 100%
0% 0
Software Recommendations
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Hacker News and Opensource.com

Hacker News Reviews

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
Hacker News is a great place to learn how to code. You'll find many interesting articles about new projects in the open-source community. You can also see what's happening with your favorite programming language or framework daily.
Source: www.notchup.com
Make sure to list your SaaS on these marketplaces to get users
I would highly recommend if you have a SaaS, try to list it here as news this will surely get a good amount of traffic to your SaaS. Hacker News is simple and is maintained by Ycombinator which is a gold mine for startups to get started.
Source: medium.com
15 Best Reddit Alternatives in 2024: Find Your New Online Community
Hacker News, run by Y Combinator, is a popular platform for technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs.
Great Products for Finding Startup Jobs
Hacker News—Not a job board, per se, but the HN Who’s Hiring post at the start of every month has dozens of engineering-focused job posts. HN also regularly pushes select YC jobs to the front page.
Source: medium.com
18 Best Sites for Finding a Startup Job
Hacker News has a job board that lists jobs exclusively at various startups. Obviously, as Hackers News is associated with Y Combinator, most of the listed startup jobs are at companies that have gone through the accelerator’s program.
Source: tech.co

Opensource.com Reviews

We have no reviews of Opensource.com yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Hacker News seems to be a lot more popular than Opensource.com. While we know about 611 links to Hacker News, we've tracked only 17 mentions of Opensource.com. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Hacker News mentions (611)

  • Tell HN: \/active and showdead might lead to a more informative HN experience
    If you go on https://news.ycombinator.com/active instead of the default https://news.ycombinator.com page, the results are very different. In my experience, much more interesting content. Here is a quick list of submissions that are currently on the top 10 of /active that are not on the default front page at all. [“Most promising signs yet” of alien life on a planet beyond our Solar... - Source: Hacker News / 19 days ago
  • Unveiling MongoDB SSPL 1.0: A Deep Dive into Open Source Fairness and Innovation
    In the coming years, expect more community-led projects to adopt innovative funding models that complement licenses like MongoDB SSPL 1.0. By harnessing platforms such as GitHub Sponsors and new initiatives discussed on Hacker News, the open source community may:. - Source: dev.to / 29 days ago
  • Elastic License: A Comprehensive Exploration of Fair Code Licensing and Open Source Sustainability
    This post offers an in-depth exploration of the Elastic License, an innovative model that bridges the gap between open collaboration and fair compensation for developers. We review its background, core concepts, real-world applications, challenges, and its future outlook in the evolving ecosystem of open source and fair code licenses. Drawing insights from the Original Article and other authoritative sources such... - Source: dev.to / 29 days ago
  • Unveiling Common Public Attribution License 1.0: A Comprehensive Overview and Future Trends
    Discussions on forums such as Stack Overflow Q&A and Hacker News provide ample examples where the lack of integrated compensation mechanisms has led to disputes or legal ambiguities. In such contexts, additional measures—like supplementary contributor license agreements (CLAs) or blockchain-based logging—are often recommended to address enforcement challenges. - Source: dev.to / 29 days ago
  • Save search results to a text file
    I open https://news.ycombinator.com/ in my android phone. On this page, at the bottom there is a text box for input search. How do I capy and paste the search result to a text file with URLs, because on the search result page, I can't select all as we can do on the PC or is there any way to save the result. - Source: Hacker News / 29 days ago
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Opensource.com mentions (17)

  • License-Token: A New Era for Open Source Licensing
    For additional insights and to keep abreast of open source innovations, visit opensource.com and explore further discussions on licensing models and blockchain applications in tech. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • License-Token: A New Paradigm for OSS Sustainability
    Open-source software (OSS) has been the bedrock of modern technology. Platforms such as Open Source Guide and opensource.com provide extensive resources on open-source values and practices. Yet, the traditional funding model—often dependent on donations, grants, or sponsorships—has struggled to keep pace with the rapid technological advancements and increasing project scopes. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Unveiling the X Consortium License: A New Era of Fair Code
    In summary, the X Consortium License represents a bold step forward in the open source licensing landscape. It is designed to protect developers from the perennial risk of commercial exploitation while still nurturing the free exchange of ideas inherent to open source culture. With robust compensation policies, transparency in terms, and a foundation built on community and legal expertise, this license provides a... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • License-Token: Revolutionizing Open Source Licensing
    License-Token is more than just an innovation—it’s a necessary evolution in a field that has grown increasingly complex. By addressing pain points such as regulatory burdens, compatibility challenges, and the lack of monetization opportunities, License-Token lays down a pathway for a more sustainable, secure, and rewarding open source ecosystem. Additionally, for developers and organizations curious about the... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Unlocking the Value in Open Source Contributions: The Receiver Benefits Model
    In the ever-evolving realm of open source software, the Receiver Benefits Model emerges as a pivotal framework for businesses and individuals aiming to harness the full potential of open source contributions. This model not only highlights the tangible benefits of engaging with open source communities but also underscores the strategic advantages that come with it. Let's delve into the core aspects of this model... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hacker News and Opensource.com, you can also consider the following products

Reddit - Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

GitHub - Originally founded as a project to simplify sharing code, GitHub has grown into an application used by over a million people to store over two million code repositories, making GitHub the largest code host in the world.

License-Token.com - Monetize your source code while still keeping it open.

privacytools.io - You are being watched.

Lobsters - Lobsters is a technology-focused link-aggregation site.

VPNRanks VPN Comparison - VPN Comparison Chart/Tool (2019) - Compare between more than 50 VPN services - Jurisdiction, logging policy, Netflix and other features.