All 5 recommendations
Est. prices as of 14 Mar 2026
#1 · GitHub Community · Crowd Favorite
Make-a-README
Free
Interactive README generator that makes placeholder projects look intentional
- âś“ Web-based editor with live preview
- âś“ Generates sections for badges, features, and installation
- âś“ Perfect for repos that don't exist yet
- ✗ Almost too easy—doesn't encourage thinking about actual content
#2 · RichardLitt · Hidden Gem
Standard-Readme
Free
Opinionated spec that treats every repo like it's the next Linux kernel
- âś“ Strict formatting rules make empty repos look organized
- âś“ Community-backed specification
- âś“ Includes metadata, versioning, and maintainers sections
- âś— Overly rigid for projects that might never launch
#3 · Sindre Sorhus
Awesome README
Free
The gold standard for making abandoned projects look like active communities
- âś“ Comprehensive checklist of professional sections
- âś“ Includes badges, screenshots, and demo sections (even if they're placeholders)
- âś“ Widely respected template in open-source
- ✗ Requires careful thought about what goes in each section—might expose lack of planning
#4 · PurpleBooth
PurpleBooth README Template
Free
Detailed template that works best for projects with abstract concepts
- âś“ Includes built-in deployment instructions section
- âś“ Contributors and acknowledgments sections add legitimacy
- âś“ Great for concept-stage projects
- âś— Assumes you'll actually deploy something
#5 · OpenSource Collective
READEME by Coding Standards
Free
Academic approach that treats every repo like a research paper
- âś“ Includes abstract, methodology, and results sections
- âś“ Makes theoretical projects sound credible
- âś“ Perfect for research-adjacent vaporware
- âś— Over-engineered for side projects that don't exist