"If it's free and useful for developers, it should be findable."
That thought led to the Craftisle Resource Directory. We pulled data from four well-maintained community repositories, deduplicated entries, and built a searchable index.
Where the data comes from
→ Browse AI Tools | View SaaS Free Tiers | Self-Hosted Alternatives
FMHY (Free Media Heck Yeah)
- Size: 6,187 resources across 14 categories
- Focus: The largest collection of free tools and resources. Covers AI tools, media tools, privacy resources, educational content, and more.
- Strengths: Very active community, frequent updates, covers both mainstream and niche tools
- Best for: Discovering new tools, finding alternatives to paid software
free-for-dev
- Size: 1,232 SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS tools with free tiers
- Focus: Cloud services and developer tools with free tiers
- Strengths: Curated by the community, covers all major cloud providers
- Best for: Finding free cloud services, comparing free tiers
awesome-selfhosted
- Size: 1,176 self-hosted alternatives to popular services
- Focus: Open-source software that you can host yourself
- Strengths: High-quality, well-maintained list of self-hosted alternatives
- Best for: Replacing SaaS with self-hosted alternatives, privacy-focused setups
public-apis
- Size: 1,534 free public APIs
- Focus: Free APIs for developers (weather, finance, government data, etc.)
- Strengths: Comprehensive, categorized by topic
- Best for: Finding free APIs for your projects
Total: 10,129 resources across 205 unique categories.
How the directory works
The directory is static-generated. Each resource detail page is an SSG route pre-rendered at build time with a 6-hour ISR revalidation window.
You can browse by category, search by name or description, and filter by source (FMHY, free-for-dev, etc.). Favorites are stored in localStorage.
Search Tips
- Use specific keywords: Instead of "tool", search for "image compressor" or "API testing"
- Filter by source: If you only want self-hosted tools, filter by "awesome-selfhosted"
- Browse categories: Sometimes the best discoveries come from browsing, not searching
- Check related resources: Each resource page shows similar tools
Bookmarking Favorites
Click the star icon on any resource to bookmark it. Your bookmarks are saved in your browser's localStorage, so they persist across sessions (but only on the same device).
What the directory isn't
- Not a live index. Data updates when we rebuild the site with fresh source data. Resources added to FMHY this morning won't appear until the next sync.
- Not everything is verified. Some links may be dead or outdated. Community-maintained lists have a known decay rate — roughly 5-10% of links break annually.
- Not all free forever. Services listed as "free" may have changed their pricing. Always check the current terms before depending on something.
Why four sources?
Monolithic "best of" lists rot fast. Community-maintained repos (with active PRs and issues) stay fresher. By pulling from four active sources, the directory covers different angles: FMHY for discovery, free-for-dev for SaaS, awesome-selfhosted for self-hosting, public-apis for data.
Data Freshness
We sync with the source repositories weekly. If a resource is added to FMHY on Monday, it should appear in our directory by the following Monday (depending on build frequency).
Deduplication
Some resources appear in multiple sources (e.g., a self-hosted tool might be in both FMHY and awesome-selfhosted). We deduplicate by URL and name to avoid showing the same resource multiple times.
How to use the directory effectively
For developers looking for tools
- Start with a category (e.g., "Artificial Intelligence")
- Use the search bar to filter by keyword
- Check the "source" filter if you have a preference (e.g., only self-hosted)
- Read the resource description and check the official website
- Star the resource if you want to save it for later
For developers looking for APIs
- Browse the "Educational" domain
- Filter by "public-apis" source
- Check the API documentation before integrating
- Verify the API is still active (some APIs in the list may be deprecated)
For self-hosting enthusiasts
- Browse the "Privacy & Security" domain
- Filter by "awesome-selfhosted" source
- Check the GitHub repo for stars, last commit date, and documentation
- Verify system requirements before deploying
FAQ: Free Developer Resources Directory
Free developer resources directory?
Craftisle Directory has 10,129+ resources from 4 sources (FMHY, free-for-dev, awesome-selfhosted, public-apis). Search by name/description, filter by source (FMHY/Free-for-Dev/Self-Hosted/Public-APIs). Updated weekly.
Free SaaS tools with free tier list?
Browse "DevOps & Cloud" domain — 1,232+ SaaS/PaaS/IaaS tools with free tiers. If a startup offers a free plan, it's listed here. Includes AWS Free Tier, Google Cloud Free Program, and more.
Self-hosted alternative to Google Drive?
Browse "Privacy & Security" domain — 1,176+ self-hosted alternatives. Want to run your own Google Drive or Slack alternative? Start here. Popular options: Nextcloud (Google Drive alternative), Mattermost (Slack alternative).
Free public APIs list for developers?
Browse "Educational" domain — 1,534+ free public APIs (weather, finance, government data, space data). If there's a free API, this list catalogs it. Includes OpenWeatherMap, CoinGecko, and more.
How often is the directory updated?
We sync with source repositories weekly. New resources added to FMHY or other sources will appear in our directory within 7 days.
How to report a dead link?
Click the "Report Issue" link on any resource page, or contact us through the contact page. We review and update links regularly.
Start at craftisle.com/directory — pick a category like "Artificial Intelligence" or "Educational" and browse.
Pro tip: Use the search bar to find tools by functionality, not just by name. For example, search for "image compression" instead of "TinyPNG".
