Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Open Collective VS Anvil.works

Compare Open Collective VS Anvil.works and see what are their differences

Open Collective logo Open Collective

Recurring funding for groups.

Anvil.works logo Anvil.works

Build seriously powerful web apps with all the flexibility of Python. No web development experience required.
  • Open Collective Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-25
  • Anvil.works Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-23

Anvil is a powerful online platform that lets you build web applications with nothing but Python. It comes with two-click deployment, built-in user authentication, easy-to-use databases and loads more!

Learn all about Anvil in 80 seconds: https://youtu.be/3V-3g1mQ5GY

Open Collective features and specs

  • Transparency
    Open Collective offers transparent accounting and financial reporting, allowing everyone to see how funds are being used.
  • Community Engagement
    It allows communities to come together and support projects they care about with funding, facilitating strong community involvement.
  • Easy Fundraising
    The platform simplifies the process of raising funds for open source projects, non-profits, and other community-driven initiatives.
  • Global Reach
    Open Collective supports contributions from around the world, which can significantly expand the pool of potential donors and supporters.
  • Managed Fiscal Hosting
    It provides fiscal hosting services that handle various financial and administrative tasks, reducing the workload for project maintainers.

Possible disadvantages of Open Collective

  • Fees
    Open Collective charges fees for its services, which can be a downside for projects with limited budgets.
  • Complexity for Small Projects
    For very small projects or initiatives, the platform might be overly complex and offer more features than needed.
  • Dependence on Platform
    Relying solely on Open Collective for funding and financial management might create dependency, limiting flexibility to switch strategies.
  • Geographical Limitations
    While it has global reach, there may be certain countries where donors or users face restrictions or limitations in using the platform.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might find the platform's features and options overwhelming at the start, requiring time to learn and navigate effectively.

Anvil.works features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Anvil.works simplifies web development through its drag-and-drop interface and Python-based backend, making it accessible for developers who may not have extensive front-end skills.
  • Integrated Development
    It provides an all-in-one platform, including database management, authentication, and server-side logic, which reduces the need for multiple third-party services.
  • Rapid Prototyping
    The platform allows for quick iteration and development of prototypes, enabling faster testing and validation of ideas.
  • Python Support
    For developers familiar with Python, Anvil.works allows them to leverage their existing knowledge without having to learn JavaScript, HTML, or CSS.
  • Deployment Simplicity
    Deploying an application is straightforward and seamless, as it removes much of the overhead involved in traditional web app deployment.

Possible disadvantages of Anvil.works

  • Limited Flexibility
    Because it's an all-in-one solution, customization might be limited compared to traditional development stacks where you have complete control over all layers of the application.
  • Performance Constraints
    Applications built on Anvil.works might not be as performant as those built with more specialized frameworks or stacks, particularly for very large or complex applications.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Reliance on Anvil.works means that your application is dependent on their platform. Migrating away can be challenging if their pricing model changes or if the service discontinues.
  • Learning Curve
    While it reduces the need to learn multiple web technologies, there is still a learning curve for mastering the Anvil-specific ways of doing things.
  • Cost
    While there is a free tier, advanced features and higher tiers can become costly, particularly if the platform scales with usage.

Analysis of Anvil.works

Overall verdict

  • Anvil.works is considered a good platform for web development, especially for those who prefer a simplified, drag-and-drop interface.

Why this product is good

  • It provides an easy-to-use, visual interface that allows developers to design web apps quickly without needing to handle the complexities of frontend/backend integration manually.
  • Anvil uses Python, a popular and beginner-friendly programming language, allowing developers to write both frontend and backend code.
  • The platform includes built-in components for common web functionalities, such as user authentication, data tables, API management, and email services, enhancing productivity.
  • It is particularly useful for rapid prototyping and creating small to mid-scale applications, thanks to its all-in-one nature.
  • Anvil simplifies the deployment process, allowing for seamless app sharing and scaling without deep DevOps knowledge.

Recommended for

  • Beginners who want to learn web development using Python.
  • Developers interested in rapid application development and prototyping.
  • Small teams or individuals who need to deploy applications quickly without extensive setup.
  • Educators and students looking for a practical, accessible way to build and deploy applications.

Open Collective videos

What is Open Collective?

Anvil.works videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Open Collective and Anvil.works)
Crowdfunding
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Fundraising And Donation Management
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Open Collective should be more popular than Anvil.works. It has been mentiond 159 times since March 2021. 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.

Open Collective mentions (159)

  • Funding in Open Source: A Conversation with Chad Whitacre
    Chad has been leading the Open Source Pledge, a simple framework to get companies to fund the projects they rely on. The idea is straightforward: for every developer your company employs, allocate $2,000 per year to open source. Distribute those funds however you want—GitHub Sponsors, Open Collective, Thanks.dev, direct payments, etc. The only other ask is to publish a blog post showing what you did. - Source: dev.to / 21 days ago
  • None of the top 10 projects in GitHub is actually a software project 🤯
    We see some projects that can financially survive (via sponsor or external infrastructure such as open collective or patreon), favoring the long-term sustainability. Thus, we keep our stand on promoting a transparent governance model to state where the investment will be managed and who can benefit from it, especially when knowing that non-technical users have an increasing key role in these communities. - Source: dev.to / 21 days ago
  • Sustainable Funding for Open Source: Navigating Challenges and Emerging Innovations
    Leverage multiple platforms: Utilize GitHub Sponsors along with OpenCollective to broaden funding sources. - Source: dev.to / 21 days ago
  • Exploring Open Source Project Sponsorship Opportunities: Enhancing Innovation with Blockchain and NFTs
    Traditionally, open source projects were sustained by volunteer contributions and modest donations. However, as digital infrastructure came to rely on open source software, the need for reliable, scalable funding became evident. Enter corporate sponsorship—a model where companies invest in open source initiatives to secure their technology stacks, attract top talent, and foster innovation. This has spurred the... - Source: dev.to / 23 days ago
  • Innovative Strategies for Open Source Project Funding: A Comprehensive Guide
    Abstract: This post explores various open source project funding strategies and examines their evolution, core concepts, applications, challenges, and future trends. We discuss methods such as sponsorship and donations, crowdfunding, dual licensing, paid services, foundations and grants, and the freemium model. Through real-world examples and a technical yet accessible approach, this guide offers insight into... - Source: dev.to / 23 days ago
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Anvil.works mentions (97)

  • Delphi Is 30
    I've often compared Anvil (it's web-IDE for web-apps in Python https://anvil.works) to Delphi. I'm curious how you'd rate it on those qualities (off the bat it ticks a lot of those boxes. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Everything I built with Claude Artifacts this week
    I am a bit frustrated that I don't have a great "tool" environment to build out this stuff, because of having to futz with the I/O. Like most of that stuff is "well I know how to write the Python to do the last step, but wrapping it all up in a simple web UI is Too Much Work". That effort might be small, but it's still orders of magnitude larger than the snippet! Lots of TUI interfaces try to approximate this, but... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (July 2024)
    Anvil (https://anvil.works) | Developer Advocate | Cambridge, UK | ONSITE, VISA | Full-time/part-time/flexible We make an open-source web framework, an online code editor, a GUI builder, and a PaaS hosting platform. Together, you can build and host a full-stack web application - and all you need is a little Python. (Yes, even the client-side code - we compile Python to JS and provide a GUI framework!) We’re... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • A list of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings that have free tiers of interest to devops and infradev
    Anvil.works - Web app development with nothing but Python. Free tier with unlimited apps and 30-second timeouts. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (February 2024)
    Anvil (https://anvil.works) | Senior Developer | Cambridge, UK | ONSITE, VISA | Full-time/part-time/flexible We make an open-source web framework, an online code editor, a GUI builder, and a PaaS hosting platform. Together, you can build and host a full-stack web application - and all you need is a little Python. (Yes, even the client-side code - we compile Python to JS and provide our own GUI framework!) We’re... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Open Collective and Anvil.works, you can also consider the following products

GitHub Sponsors - Get paid to build what you love on GitHub

Unity - The multiplatform game creation tools for everyone.

Liberapay - Liberapay is a recurrent donations platform.

Blender - Blender is the open source, cross platform suite of tools for 3D creation.

Patreon - Patreon enables fans to give ongoing support to their favorite creators.

Unreal Engine - Unreal Engine 4 is a suite of integrated tools for game developers to design and build games, simulations, and visualizations.