# SourceForge 16 Hacker News commenters recommended SourceForge and 55 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 13 months. **Verdict:** Free long-running host for open source projects that supports many version control systems; critics cite ads, adware bundled in installers and a decline since its sale. ## Why people recommend it - Clean, simple, reliable interface (2 comments): "Compared to installing Apache, Wiki, Roundup, CVS, and Mailman on your own server, SourceForge's UI was fantastic" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46065399)) "very clean, simple and reliable, and popular" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47941636)) - Owners seen as less shady (2 comments): "Owned by companies that do not help the US Federal Government illegally spy on their own citizens and murder children overseas" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47488881)) "I don't think Slashdot Media have been up to the same shady stuff." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47688368)) ## What people warn about - Ads and adware in downloads (6 comments): "Really sad when they started blasting people with ads and swapping out installers with adware" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47941421)) "Over time these added annoying ads, mandated 2FA, shut down, and dropped support for Mercurial support" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49613349)) "Wrapping Windows downloads in adware installers was only one of those many crazy unforced errors." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49641117)) - Malware in downloads (3 comments): "once definitive central source of truth was bought out and became a vector for malware" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47233276)) "Sourceforge is horrible to use and was at one point actively pushing malware" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47689191)) "Remember also how Sourceforge decided to basically inject malware that time?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45826966)) - Projects need approval to list (2 comments): "it had two major problems in DevEx: first you couldn't just get your open source project published. It had to be approved." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46134400)) "SF required application form, where you had to explain why you are worthy to have your git repo hosted by SF." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47585053)) - Seen as outdated, unmaintained (2 comments): "I see "sourceforge" and immediately I think "this project is way behind time"" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48079504)) "an ad-infested user-unfriendly site where there's just old and mostly unmaintained projects" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50320671)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [GitHub](https://hackerapproved.com/p/github.md): 764 recommend - [Forgejo](https://hackerapproved.com/p/forgejo.md): 380 recommend - [GitLab](https://hackerapproved.com/p/gitlab.md): 331 recommend - [Codeberg](https://hackerapproved.com/p/codeberg.md): 331 recommend - [Gitea](https://hackerapproved.com/p/gitea.md): 195 recommend ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://sourceforge.net/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "SourceForge", https://hackerapproved.com/p/sourceforge/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).