Experimental Open Works
A foundation for free tools and free alternatives to paid infrastructure.
What we do
Experimental Open Works builds and maintains free, open-source software.
We create credible alternatives to important tools that have been placed behind paywalls, proprietary platforms or closed ecosystems, then release them for anyone to use.
There are no free trials, freemium tiers or future charges. The software is free to use, inspect, modify and keep.
That is not a pricing strategy. It is the operating principle of Experimental Open Works.
Updates
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July 24, 2026
· New research: The Binary Switch
We measured how the web governs AI agents. Nothing says what an agent may do, and the reason is not the one everyone assumes. Read more »
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July 9, 2026
· Introducing Let's Seal
Our first project is live. A free, open way to seal documents, without paying to be trusted. Read more »
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June 24, 2026
· Why we started Experimental Open Works
Too many of the tools people depend on have quietly become toll booths. Here's what we intend to do about it. Read more »
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June 10, 2026
· Hello, world
A short note on what free forever means, and what it does not. Read more »
Our projects
- › Let’s Seal, a free, open way to seal documents.First project
Let’s Seal is a free way to cryptographically seal PDF documents. It is an open alternative to the closed, paid trust programs (such as the Adobe Approved Trust List) that decide whose signatures software will accept. Named in the spirit of Let’s Encrypt. Read more »
More projects are in progress. This list will grow.
Principles
- Free forever. No paid tier, no upsell, no enterprise catch. Ever.
- Open source. Read the code, run the code, fork the code.
- Alternatives to gatekeepers, not new ones. We replace toll booths; we don’t build them.
- Mission first. We answer to the mission, not to shareholders.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, or an idea for something that ought to be free? Send us a message.