Open Source Alternatives — interest

## What this measures

Weekly Google Trends index for the search terms "open source alternative", "open source replacement", "self-hosted alternative". Indexed to 100 at peak in trailing 5 years.

## Why it matters

When this index rises sharply while software-stock momentum is flat or declining, the market is repricing software through a substitution lens before the analysts call it. The 2025–2026 cohort showed this pattern early.

## Reading the levels

0–30 — quiet, status quo 30–60 — emerging substitution conversation 60–80 — active reconsideration 80–100 — peak substitution interest

## How to read it

A rising index means more people are searching for open-source substitutes for commercial software. Compare the current level to the thresholds in the reading guide; a move from below 30 to above 60 signals a shift from status quo to active reconsideration. Week-to-week changes matter less than sustained moves across those bands.

## What it does not say

The index does not count searches or reveal which products are being researched. It does not predict adoption, only that the substitution question is being asked more often.

## Source

Google Trends publishes search interest relative to peak volume in a rolling five-year window. Palanor retrieves the index through SerpAPI and stores one observation per week.