Knockoff is a You Ship, We Ship program. You build something real; we help you keep building. Specifically: pick any closed-source product (Notion, Figma, Discord, whatever). Build a legit open-source alternative that people can actually use and self-host, and earn points you can spend in our prize shop.
small constraints so everyone ships
🏠
Self-hostable
Anyone should be able to clone and run it themselves. Docker, a one-liner, whatever - it needs to be easy.
✅
Actually works
Functional, deployed, and demoable. No vaporware.
⏰
30 days
One month from start to submission. Ship fast.
🔓
Open-source twin
Your project must be inspired by an existing closed-source product.
code more → earn more → get more free stuff.
🕐
10 points per hour of coding
Tracked via Hackatime and Lapse. Just code - we'll count the time. This is the main source of points.
🎯
Bonus tasks
Earn extra points for things like writing docs, adding Docker support, and getting your project used. Bonus points are capped at 30% of your coding points.
⚡
Quick-time events
Random pop-up challenges like "add a config file" or "write a test" for a fast points bump. Stay ready and watch #knockoff closely!
Need inspiration? Here are some bangers.
Notion
→
AppFlowy
Figma
→
Penpot
Discord
→
Revolt
Vercel
→
Coolify
Google Analytics
→
Umami
1Password
→
Bitwarden
Trello
→
WeKan
Slack
→
Mattermost
Or pick literally anything else. If it's closed source and you can build a usable open-source alternative, it counts.
1
Pick your target
Choose a closed-source app you want to knock off.
2
Build it
You have 30 days. Track your time with Hackatime.
3
Complete tasks
Try to complete as many tasks as you can.
4
Ship it
Deploy it somewhere. Make a README. Record a demo.
5
Submit
Open a PR to our gallery repo with your project info.
6
Spend points
Hit the prize shop and claim your loot.
the stuff people always ask.
How close does my knockoff need to be?
You do not need feature parity. Build the core workflow that makes the original product useful and make your version genuinely usable.
What counts as shipped?
A public repo, a working build, setup instructions, and either a live deployment or a demo video. If nobody else can run or understand it, it is not shipped yet.
What makes a project original enough?
Using libraries and frameworks is fine. Forking an existing open-source alternative and lightly reskinning it is not. The core build work needs to be yours.
Can I use existing open-source libraries?
Absolutely. Standing on the shoulders of giants is encouraged. Just don't fork an existing alternative and call it yours.
What counts as 'self-hostable'?
If someone can clone your repo, follow your README, and get it running on their own machine or server in under 15 minutes - you're good. Docker is your friend.
How is coding time tracked?
We use Hackatime and Lapse. Install the plugin, link your account, and just code. We'll see the hours automatically.
Can I use AI?
Yes. AI is allowed as a tool. You still need to understand what you ship, make it work, and open-source a real project instead of pasting together something you cannot explain. Fully vibe-coded projects will be rejected.
How do bonus tasks work?
Tasks and quick-time events are bonus layers on top of coding time. Total bonus points are capped at 30% of your coding points, so the main path is still shipping code.
Can I work in a team?
Solo only for now. This is about your build and your shipped project. Asking for feedback, testing help, or design input is fine.
I am a beginner. Can I still do this?
Yes. Pick a tighter scope. A sharp single-purpose tool beats an overambitious clone that never ships.
Made with 🖤 and questionable amounts of caffeine by ketr4x.