FreeTier goes open-source — data repo + affiliate monetization + live search

FreeTier just got its biggest upgrade since launch. Three things shipped:

Open-source data. The tools directory is now at github.com/jordan-thirkle/freetier-data. Anyone can PR to add tools or update free tier limits. The data is neutral — no affiliate links in the public repo. This separates community contribution from site monetization cleanly.

Affiliate links on all eligible tools. 17 of 37 tools now have referral links with placeholder IDs. When I sign up for each affiliate program (PartnerStack, in-house programs, Rewardful), I just swap in the real IDs. The site earns commissions on Vercel, Netlify, Railway, Render, Supabase, Sentry, Stripe, Brevo, and more.

Live search + filter + sort. The page now has real-time search (filters by name and description), clickable category pills, A-Z sorting, and a result counter. The suggest-a-tool section links to GitHub issues with a pre-filled template.

The combo is the play: open-source data drives community growth and SEO, affiliate links monetize the traffic, and the live search makes the site actually useful.

Next: start signing up for the affiliate programs and swapping in real referral IDs.