A directory of convivial software
A guide to software that serves its users.
Small, independent tools, scored out of 30 on six questions from Ivan Illich's Tools for Conviviality. Does the software serve you, or the other way around?
Or start with what you want to do
Code with an AI agent I controlGet an assistant that works for meChat with AI on my own machineMake images with AI on my termsTurn speech into text without sending it awayHear text read aloud without a subscriptionKeep my own notes and documentsMove files between my devicesFind my way without being trackedSearch without being trackedTranslate without handing over my textRead the news I choseKeep my passwords safeKeep my photos privateEdit and play with pictures and videoDraw, design and editChat with peopleMeet without an account or a landlordShare and follow without being hookedSend and read emailKeep my schedule to myselfOwn my booksBrowse the webGet apps without a gatekeeperWatch without being watchedPlay music I ownRun my home on my own termsWrite, calculate and presentCollect and connect ideas
How it works
Six questions, one score, no payment.
6Six questionsFootprint, lock-in, self-direction, power, longevity and delivery, like a heuristic evaluation of how software treats its people.
30Scored out of 30Each tool gets 0 to 5 on every question and a verdict from Convivial to Restrictive. Scores are dated and open to change.
0Paid for by nobodyWe take no payment for listings, reviews or badges, so a score means what it says.
+Make software?A free field guide shows which changes raise a score, and what they do to your income.
Who makes it
Every tool has a size, from one person to a giant.
SSmallOne person or a few friends, usually self-funded.
MMediumA small team or a community project with little or no outside money.
LLargeAn established company with serious investors behind it.
XLExtra largeOne of the biggest companies in the world.