AlternativeTo turns 14: A journey full of tech, friends, and lots of alternatives!
It has been a long journey, full of many challenges, fun and exciting moments, and above all, hundreds of new friends along the way. It seems like it was only a couple of years ago that we started this journey, and yet, it has already been 14 years since that March 11th, 2009 when everything began. How crazy! 14 years of helping people find the best software out there.
Since we started our goal has always been to offer an easy-to-use, informative, and fun platform that provides a solution not only to technology enthusiasts like us, but to any type of user who wants to find the best alternatives to conventional software options in a clear, open, and detailed way. That's why we have worked closely with our community to achieve this. Today, we have around 108,000 apps, games, and services listed on the site, with thousands of free, premium, and open-source alternatives, almost 2 million likes and opinions about alternatives. We have also helped countless users around the world to find great alternatives that fit their needs throughout these years. Seeing these numbers (which we never thought we would reach), and above all, the constant positive feedback and enthusiasm from new and old users, inspire us to keep working for an even better future for AlternativeTo. For those who have been with us for a long time, you might remember what the site looked like several years ago. Take a stroll down memory lane by checking out how the site looked in 2012 👀
Back then, platforms like Blackberry, Windows Phone, or even Symbian were still on the radar of many people, and apps like Dropbox, JDownloader, Grooveshark, or Real Player were among the top searches for alternatives by users. I think we can all agree that a lot has changed since then! Today, we have apps of all kinds like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or classics like Netflix and Photoshop, as well as new and exciting apps popping up every day. At AlternativeTo, we have always sought to implement new features that adapt to the needs of our users. That's why since then, we have implemented amazing things like user-customized lists, a new modern and dynamic design with support for a light and dark theme (and a classic mode for the most nostalgic), a tech news feed, and our permanent communication channels with our community such as the Discord channel or our new and shiny profile on Mastodon (go check it out 😉).
It has been a long journey to this point, and there is no doubt that in recent years we have seen how the world of technology and software advances by leaps and bounds with new innovations that will radically change (or already have) the way we interact. From Blockchain, to the Metaverse, or the most recent use of Artificial Intelligence in pretty much everything we can think of, and at AlternativeTo we also have big plans for the future. For now, we can tell you that we are working on an updated version of the start page design, with much more content and news that will make the site a more dynamic and changing platform. Additionally, we are making new improvements to the system for comparing alternatives and metadata, introducing exciting features for app pages such as the ability to "follow" apps and receive updates on changes and news, as well as improvements to the list system, which we know is one of the most useful features for users but has been somewhat neglected for quite some time, however we plan to take it to the next level. All of this, in addition to many other changes based on your valuable feedback. We can't wait to share more details with you when the time comes!
All of this wouldn't be possible without our valuable user community, who have grown with us. We all make AlternativeTo together, and we thank everyone who has been a part of this experience and shared their valuable knowledge with us. We want to keep improving, growing, and evolving, to continue being the best crowdsourced software recommendation platform out there. Don't hesitate to follow us on our social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Mastodon, and join our Discord channel to stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates. Here's to another 14 years of building the best community together! Thank you and happy birthday AlternativeTo 🎂
