Top 7 Open Source Projects For Beginners To Explore
Last Updated :
07 May, 2025
Open-source software is a type of software where the source code of the software is made available freely and is published under a license so that users can download, modify, and customize it according to their requirements or for research. Today, open source is not only used by individuals but most multinational companies and organizations like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, etc. are heavily dependent on free and open-source software. Contributing to open source not only helps you sharpen your skills but also helps you develop a great hands-on experience with real-world problems while maintaining a great portfolio!

Contributing to open source seems daunting to beginners at first. According to a survey, close to 60% of newcomers do not know where to start from and more than 10% feel it is overwhelming at first. This may seem difficult initially since anyone can get confused after looking at a huge code base of open-source software, or the open issues may not make sense to you. The best way to get started is to find issues that have a “newcomers”, “good first issue” or “easy” label. These issues are comparatively easy and therefore could serve to be a good starting point. Also, you can choose repositories that are beginner-friendly. Therefore, we will be discussing the top 7 open-source projects, especially for beginners so that you can get started!
1. Mozilla Firefox Source Tree
Mozilla's Firefox Source Tree contains dozens of projects on which you can get your hands dirty. Not only they are welcoming new contributors, but they also provide extensive documentation on how to contribute to their projects. Since the whole process seems long, they have a separate and dedicated channel where you can ask doubts and ask for help. On their documentation page, they have a column where they have specially mentioned websites, bugs, open issues, etc. for students and people who want to start contributing to open source.
2. Visual Studio Code
While programming or building a project we all have used Visual Studio Code, isn't it? So why not contribute to the software you have a great about! VS Code is a huge open-source software currently having more than five thousand open issues. This means there is a great scope for new beginners to find bugs that they can resolve and open other issues that they find while using VS Code itself. There are many ways in which you can contribute to their project. This can be either by submitting bugs, reviewing source code changes, submitting new feature requests, reviewing documentation and finding typos, or adding new content.
This is another popular project of Mozilla that contains a set of web developer tools that are built into the Firefox web browser. Core tools include Page Inspector, Web Console, JavaScript Debugger, Network Monitor, Performance Tools, Responsive Design Mode, Accessibility Inspector, Application panel, and many more. This means so many projects to contribute to! To contribute to their codebase, you can join their community which explains how to get started, and they also provide a tool that helps to find bugs that you can resolve.
4. Pandas Package
This powerful Python package is widely used in data manipulation and analysis and if you're into data science, data analysis, or machine learning, you would have definitely used it. You can also contribute to the project activities as it currently has more than three thousand open issues to be resolved! The project is open to bug fixes, documentation improvements, and bug reports. They have a contributing guide and if the code seems confusing to you at first, try resolving issues in the documentation.
5. Scikit-Learn Library
It is a Python module built over SciPy for machine learning. It also has a huge number of open issues and provides an issue tracker to get the latest updates about open issues so that you could jump right in to start contributing. The project welcomes contributors of all levels and has a development guide that lists information about contributing to the code base, documentation, tests, and more!
6. TypeScript
Microsoft's TypeScript is a programming language for application-scale JavaScript that adds optional types to support tools for large-scale JavaScript applications. Currently, having close to five thousand open issues, it could be a great place to start since you can encounter all types of issues, be it beginner or expert. As a contributor, you could submit bugs, review source code changes, and contribute to bug fixes. You can also join their Discord community in case you are stuck somewhere!
7. Pytorch Library
It is one of the most famous deep learning and machine learning libraries which is majorly used as a replacement for NumPy and as a deep learning reach platform providing a great deal of flexibility and speed. Since it has a 90-day release period, you can file a new issue if you find a bug. You can also contribute new features, utility functions, or extensions to the core by opening a new PR with discussion. It also has more than five thousand open issues, and therefore it could be a good place to start!
Must Read:
Conclusion
These were some repositories where you could get started with the issues marked for beginners. The projects are maintained by a lot of people who are always there to help. Not only that, but the open-source community is huge and there are people which will help you whenever you get stuck. So get going!
Similar Reads
GeeksforGeeks Practice - Leading Online Coding Platform GeeksforGeeks Practice is an online coding platform designed to help developers and students practice coding online and sharpen their programming skills with the following features. GfG 160: This consists of 160 most popular interview problems organized topic wise and difficulty with with well writt
6 min read
7 Different Ways to Take a Screenshot in Windows 10 Quick Preview to Take Screenshot on Windows 10:-Use the CTRL + PRT SC Keys to take a quick screenshot.Use ALT + PRT SC Keys to take a Screenshot of any application window.Use Windows + Shift + S Keys to access the Xbox Game Bar.Use Snip & Sketch Application as well to take screenshotTaking Scree
7 min read
Artificial Neural Networks and its Applications Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are computer systems designed to mimic how the human brain processes information. Just like the brain uses neurons to process data and make decisions, ANNs use artificial neurons to analyze data, identify patterns and make predictions. These networks consist of laye
8 min read
Top 50 Java Project Ideas For Beginners and Advanced [Update 2025] Java is one of the most popular and versatile programming languages, known for its reliability, security, and platform independence. Developed by James Gosling in 1982, Java is widely used across industries like big data, mobile development, finance, and e-commerce.Building Java projects is an excel
15+ min read
Top 10 Projects For Beginners To Practice HTML and CSS Skills Learning to code is an exciting journey, especially when stepping into the world of programming with HTML and CSSâthe foundation of every website you see today. For most beginners, these two building blocks are the perfect starting point to explore the creative side of web development, designing vis
8 min read
GATE 2025 Syllabus For CSE (Computer Science & Engineering) GATE Exam 2025 Syllabus for CSE - GATE stands for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, an entrance exam conducted each year for getting admission into the most prestigious institutes across the country including IISc Bengaluru, IITs, NITs, IIITs and many others. The GATE authority (IIT Roorkee for
7 min read
HTTP Full Form - Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and itâs the system that allows communication between web browsers (like Google Chrome or Firefox) and websites. When you visit a website, your browser uses HTTP to send a request to the server hosting that site, and the server sends back the data needed
7 min read
Top 50 Plus Networking Interview Questions and Answers for 2024 Networking is defined as connected devices that may exchange data or information and share resources. A computer network connects computers to exchange data via a communication media. Computer networking is the most often asked question at leading organizations such Cisco, Accenture, Uber, Airbnb, G
15+ min read
Full Stack Developer Roadmap [2025 Updated] Web Developer/ Full Stack Web Developer - How do you feel when you tag yourself with such titles? A long journey takes place to be called by such names. In the beginning, you might feel bored or terrified, but, trust me, this is the most popular and interesting field one should work on. You can also
15 min read
Backend Development Backend Development involves the logic, database, and other operations that are built behind the scenes to run the web servers efficiently. Backend Development refers to the server-side development of the web application. It is the part of the application where the server and database reside and the
12 min read