← Blog · updated Sep 20, 2026

Open source bounties: where to find them and how they pay

An open source bounty is a cash reward attached to a GitHub issue, paid to whoever gets a fix merged. There is no single directory, so bounties are scattered across platforms. On 2026-09-20 BountyOS tracked 290 verified open bounties worth $19,543 across them.

Where the bounties are

Algora is the largest source in our scan (269 of 290 open bounties on 2026-09-20), followed by Opire (10) and BountyHub (10); TaskBounty and IssueHunt are smaller. Some projects also run their own programs, for example through GitHub labels, which no scanner covers completely. For a live view, use the GitHub bounty board.

How a bounty is claimed and paid

You find a funded issue, follow the platform command or label to signal you are working on it, open a pull request that resolves the issue, and get paid once it is merged and accepted. Payment methods depend on the platform (for example Stripe or crypto). Read each platform rules first: a merged pull request is not automatically a payout if the funder must approve it.

Open source bounty programs vs bug bounties

Issue bounties reward feature work and fixes in a repository. Bug bounties reward security findings on a company system. They are different markets; see the comparison.

How to pick a bounty worth your time

Check the age, the number of competing pull requests, whether the repository is active, and whether the payout is confirmed. Fresh issues with no competing PR are worth the most. BountyOS scores all of this from 0 to 115; the top of the board shows the highest scores without revealing the repositories, which unlock with Pro.

Choose a plan

FAQ

What are open source bounties? Cash rewards attached to GitHub issues, paid when a pull request that resolves them is merged.

Where can I find open source bounties? On platforms such as Algora, Opire, IssueHunt, BountyHub and TaskBounty, and on a scanner like BountyOS that lists them together.

Are open source bounties worth it? They work as side income: many are small, a minority are large, and competition and payout risk vary by platform.