Lunduke
News • Science & Tech
Major Open Source Projects: How much money do they actually make?
Comparing the revenue of some of the biggest names in Free & Open Source Software.
May 10, 2023
post photo preview

Here's a seemingly simple question: Which Open Source projects and foundations bring in the most money?  And, as a follow on to that... which bring in the least?

GNOME?  KDE?  Mozilla?  Apache?  The Free Software Foundation?

There are a lot of big names in the open source world... but how much money do the most recognizable names in Free and Open Source Software actually earn in yearly revenue?

I wanted to know.  So I collected revenue details for 17 major open source foundations -- by digging through IRS filings, Annual Reports, and every other source of information I could get my hands on.

Then I stuck them in a spreadsheet and made some fancy-shmancy charts.

Some of the results were expected and obvious... others I found truly surprising.  Honestly, some of the results are a gosh darned travesty.

It's charting time!

Let's start by putting all of the open source foundations into a single chart, and sort them... in order.

Note: Some of these organizations had not yet published their fiscal numbers for 2022... thus I used 2021 numbers across the board.

Wow.

The immense revenues of Mozilla ($600 Million), The Linux Foundation ($177 Million), and Wikimedia Foundation ($162 Million) really skews the chart.

But that was to be expected.  We all knew that those three organizations brought in mega-bucks.

So let's get rid of those three completely and re-do the chart.

There we go.  That's actually somewhat readable now.

But... holy smokes.  I had no idea the Eclipse Foundation was that big.  Bigger than some of the biggest names in open source.

Let's go ahead and get rid of the Eclipse Foundation as well.  Really zero in on the projects that are big, big names in the world of Linux, BSD, and open source.

Note: I broke out Thunderbird (the email client) from Mozilla, even though it is technically part of Mozilla.  The Thunderbird project reports their revenue indipendently, so I thought it would be interesting to compary the donation revenue from a single application with some of the other foundations.

I find this chart absolutely wild.

Here are just a handful of observations based on the data above:

  • KDE and GNOME are among the major open source foundations with the smallest revenue.  Each barely earning enough to pay for a few full time employees.
  • The Software Freedom Conservancy (aka "SFC") brings in more revenue than The Free Software Foundation, Apache, and FreeBSD combined.  I knew that the SFC had been active in multiple legal matters, and aided several projects... but I had no idea that it was, in all reality, the largest foundation focused on supporting Free Software.
  • On that same topic... that also means that the Free Software Foundation is not the largest foundation focused on supporting and advocating for Free Software.  Huh!  Who knew?
  • The Open Source Initiative is bringing in close to half a million per year?  One has to ask... why?  What do they do that's worth almost as much as GNOME and KDE combined?
  • The Rust Foundation sure does bring in a lot of money.  Considering their recent objection to people using the word "Rust"... this raises a lot of questions about what their plans are and what they are using those dollars for.
  • Thunderbird brings in more revenue than Blender?  Wild!  I was not expecting that.
  • On that note... I see significant new features and updates happening with Blender regularly.  But not so much with Thunderbird.  Clearly Blender is better at using those funds for development than Thunderbird.
    • As a follow-on to that thought... Thunderbird Revenue jumped to over $6 million last year, in 2022 (the data for this chart is from 2021).  Do we really see $6 Million in improvements to Thunderbird every year?
  • Not to harp on Thunderbird... but more money goes to the Thunderbird Email Client than... GNOME, KDE, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD... combined.  And that's before that 2022 revenue jump.
  • FreeBSD brings in more than twice what OpenBSD does.

Overall, one thing that strikes me is how astoundingly little some pretty critical projects and foundations bring in.  Considering the prevalence of the GNOME desktop -- and usage by Red Hat, Canonical, SUSE, and so many others -- I would think it would be better funded than that.

While this data does not represent every project or foundation in the open source world... it is a solid cross sample.  And I found the results, at least in some cases, a bit... weird.

community logo
Join the Lunduke Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
25
What else you may like…
Videos
Podcasts
Posts
Articles
Guy Buys GNU Emacs Book From Amazon... Gets "Hitler's Table Talk" in Disguise

The cover was for "The Org Mode Reference Manual" for Emacs. But what was inside... was something very different!

00:04:43
Ubuntu Replaces Sudo with Untested Rust Alternative in Next Release

The battle tested "sudo" is being dropped in favor of the not-finished, untested "sudo-rs"... entirely because it was written in Rust. And that's just the start of Ubuntu's Rust plans.

Plus: Lunduke's opinion on the real reason for replacing working GPL software with Rust re-writes.

00:17:15
GNOME Foundation Has a New Executive Director! (And He's Not a Shaman!)

After years of chaos, financial uncertainty, and bizarre antics... has the GNOME Foundation finally hired a normal nerd to run the show?

00:14:07
November 22, 2023
The futility of Ad-Blockers

Ads are filling the entirety of the Web -- websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. -- at an increasing rate. Prices for those ad placements are plummeting. Consumers are desperate to use ad-blockers to make the web palatable. Google (and others) are desperate to break and block ad-blockers. All of which results in... more ads and lower pay for creators.

It's a fascinatingly annoying cycle. And there's only one viable way out of it.

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links? Check here:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

The futility of Ad-Blockers
November 21, 2023
openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"

Those in power with openSUSE make it clear they will not allow me anywhere near anything related to the openSUSE project. Ever. For any reason.

Well, that settles that, then! Guess I won't be contributing to openSUSE! 🤣

Looking for the Podcast RSS feed or other links?
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4619051/lunduke-journal-link-central-tm

Give the gift of The Lunduke Journal:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4898317/give-the-gift-of-the-lunduke-journal

openSUSE says "No Lunduke allowed!"
September 13, 2023
"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044

This episode is free for all to enjoy and share.

Be sure to subscribe here at Lunduke.Locals.com to get all shows & articles (including interviews with other amazing nerds).

"Andreas Kling creator of Serenity OS & Ladybird Web Browser" - Lunduke’s Big Tech Show - September 13th, 2023 - Ep 044
3 hours ago

CalyxOS update can't be rolled back.

post photo preview

🔥 😱 Super-Computers and Science Confirm Global Warming
Better start working on Star-Gate or Warp Technology....

post photo preview

THE FINAL BOSS of "Will It Play Doom?"

The Bendix G-15:

50% off Monthly, Yearly Subscriptions! Lifetime Subs for $100! Let's get everyone subscribing to The Lunduke Journal!

The number of free subscribers to The Lunduke Journal has absolutely exploded — across a bunch of platforms — which is truly amazing. The real Tech News is spreading farther than ever.

In fact, the free subscriber growth is so utterly massive, that if even a tiny fraction of you became a paying subscriber… The Lunduke Journal would become comfortably financially set for a very long time. Able to continue reporting on Big Tech — and corrupt Tech Foundations — well into the future.

All without taking a penny from Big Tech.

With that in mind, let’s do something awesome… something that will make Big Tech really grumpy.

Let’s get as many people subscribing to The Lunduke Journal as possible. Right now. This week. Let’s make this Big-Tech-Free, Non-Woke Tech News publication financially set for a good, long time.

To give everyone a kick-in-the-butt to help make that happen, I’m going to discount absolutely every type of subscription in a crazy way — through Friday, May 9th.

  • %50 off Monthly — Now $3 / Month (was $6 / Month)

  • %50 off Yearly — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • %50 off Yearly MP4 Downloads — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • %50 off Lifetime Subscriptions — Now $100 (was $200)

That Lifetime Subscription one is crazy.

Seriously. Make a one-time donation of $100, and be subscribed to The Lunduke Journal… for life. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

If even 1% of the new free subscribers who have joined in the last month take advantage of this… The Lunduke Journal will be fully funded through the end of this year. And then some.

Let’s make it happen. Scroll down. Pick which ever subscription type works best for you. Then high-five yourself for making Big Tech grumpy.

Just be sure to do it by the end of the day on Friday, May 9th. The prices all go back to normal after that.

50% Off Yearly or Monthly Subscription:

50% off a Yearly or Monthly subscription to The Lunduke Journal are available via both Locals and Substack. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

That means $3 / Month. Or $27 / Year (which works out to $2.25 / Month).

Via Lunduke.Locals.com:

Via Lunduke.Substack.com:

The Famous Lifetime Subscription:

The "World Famous Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscription" is exactly what it sounds like. Pay once and get full access to The Lunduke Journal. For life.

And now, through Friday, May 9th… you can snag one at a crazy discount. Normally these are $200… but you can grab one for $100. (You can also pay more if you’d like to donate a little extra.)

The Lifetime Subscription can be obtained via Locals, Substack, or using Bitcoin. All three options work great and are super easy. Scroll down and choose your option.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select "Give Once".

  3. Enter "100" (or more) into the amount field.

  4. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Substack:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Substack.com/subscribe.

  2. Select the “Lifetime Subscription” option.

  3. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

If you would also like full, Lifetime access to Lunduke.Locals.com (which is included):

  1. Make a free account on Lunduke.Locals.com.

  2. Email “bryan at lunduke.com” with the email address you use on both Substack and Locals (can be different email addresses).

  3. Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status on Locals.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription with Bitcoin:

You can also obtain a Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with the following information: What time you made the transaction, how much was sent (in Bitcoin), and the email address you use (or plan to use) on Locals.com or Substack.com.

50% Off DRM-Free, MP4 Downloads:

Want to be able to download every show The Lunduke Journal releases (and watch them on whatever device you like)? Yeah. You can do that. For 50% off.

Note: This DRM-Free download option does not include access to the Forum. This option is strictly for downloading the episodes.

Make a One Time Donation

Subscription not enough (or not your thing)? Want to toss in a one-time donation to The Lunduke Journal? There’s a few great options!

Via BitCoin:

Send any amount of BTC to the following address:

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with to let us know it was you! You can choose to keep your donation anonymous if you prefer. (Either way, all BTC donations get included in the matching deal.)

Via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Click “GIVE ONCE”.

  3. Enter any amount you like.

You Make This Possible

A huge thank you to all of the subscribers who have made The Lunduke Journal possible. Because of you, we have been able to do true Tech Journalism — to tell the stories that no other Tech News outlet has the cajones to touch.

And to all of you new Lunduke Journal subscribers: Welcome to the last bastion of truly independent, Big-Tech-Free, ad-free, non-Woke Tech Journalism.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
Lunduke Interviewed by Side Scrollers

Yesterday I joined the Side Scrollers show for an hour-long interview.

We covered the Adobe Copyright fight, PewDiePie and Linux, Pokemon Go and the CIA, and how The Lunduke Journal came to be. Definitely worth a watch. I join the show around the 56 minute mark.

 

Next Monday (May 12th), I’ll be a guest on Citizen Podcast with Dan Hollaway.

Critically Important Reminder: The Lunduke Journal refuses to take any funding from Big Tech. The coverage from The Lunduke Journal is only possible because of you.

And with efforts to silence The Lunduke Journal ramping up (including fraudulent copyright take-downs on YouTube), your support is needed more than ever before. If you haven’t already become a subscriber… there’s a lot of options.

All of them make a huge difference:

Without your support, so many stories about Big Tech and Woke Tech would never get told.

Seriously. Now’s the time to support this work, if you are able.

And a huge thank you to each and every one of you. You are making the Tech World a better place.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
Adobe silences Lunduke, "GNOME is Antifa", & Linux Leftists v. PewDiePie
The Lunduke Journal coverage for the week ending May 4th, 2025.

This has been one heck of a weird week — both for Open Source in general, and The Lunduke Journal in particular.

From GNOME contributors declaring that “GNOME is Antifa” to Open Source project leaders declaring that they intend to block PewDiePie fans from using Linux — because PewDiePie fans are, according to Open Source Leftists, “fascists”. Just plain weird.

And, of course, the saga of Adobe working to silence The Lunduke Journal continues to march forward.

As usual, most of these stories were not only broken by The Lunduke Journal… but most Tech News outlets have refused to cover them at all.

Highlights from the last week (ending Sunday, May 4th, 2025):

Those links are all to X — but you can also find all of these shows on every other platform where The Lunduke Journal is available (including Rumble, Podcast, YouTube, and the rest).

Reminder: The Lunduke Journal refuses to take any funding from Big Tech. This type of reporting is only possible through the support of all of you. There are a number of ways you can help out — and, big or small, every option goes directly towards funding this work.

Without your support, so many stories about Big Tech and Woke Tech would never get told.

Seriously. You make The Lunduke Journal possible.

Thank you.

-Lunduke

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals