And also, Uhpenry isn't just for companies doing open-core. It is for ANY developer who wants to monetize, indie devs selling templates, tool creators, etc. The infrastructure (licensing, payments, access control) is built in.

Does that clarify the difference?

Think of it like:

- Authentication UI (open): people can see and learn from it
- Stripe billing integration (gated): requires payment
- Basic dashboard (open)
- Admin panel (gated)

You're not maintaining two separate editions. It is one project with path-based access control.

Similar concept, but different execution. GitLab's open-core model is 'use the free version OR buy enterprise', which is a binary choice.

With Gated-Source on Uhpenry, you can mix both in the same codebase.

I'm not here to pitch. I genuinely want feedback from the developer community

For example, with path-based gating, you could:

Keep your authentication UI and basic components open
(people can learn from them), gate your production-ready Stripe integration and advanced features, and let people see your code quality before deciding to pay

TheConcept:

Project metadata (README, description, File Structure etc.) stays public and discoverable. But access to the actual code is controlled by the maintainer. You choose what to gate and what to keep open.

So I spent the last year building what I call "Gated-Source", a formalized middle ground between fully open and fully closed.

The data is grim:

1. Most projects survive on volunteer time
2. Donations/sponsorships only work for the most visible projects
3. Open-core conversion rates are typically under 1%
4. Maintainers face a false choice: stay open and struggle financially, or go proprietary and lose community benefits

Last year, I hit a wall using Verdaccio (an OSS package manager).

When I reached out for help with a Docker issue, the maintainer responded "We do not get paid, so please be patient."

This led me down a rabbit hole of researching OSS sustainability.

Well, that's true, I've burned-out multiple times. Now im looking for someone technical who can share the engineering load, or someone with marketing or growth experience. Mainly need someone who believes in the vision and can push through the hard days with me.