OccupySaaS Uses AI to Build Open-Source Alternatives to Auth0 and Salesforce

A US-based collective calling itself OccupySaaS is using artificial intelligence to build open-source alternatives to widely used proprietary software, beginning with projects aimed at replacing Auth0 and Salesforce.

The group presents itself as a protest movement of engineers who say they were laid off from the technology sector and are now building clean-room, self-hostable alternatives to commercial SaaS platforms.

Its stated approach is to recreate compatible software using public documentation, open standards and independently developed code rather than copying proprietary source code.

OccupySaaS says AI agents help a small team turn detailed specifications into working software more quickly, while human developers remain responsible for writing requirements, reviewing changes and maintaining the projects.

ZeroAuthy Targets Auth0 Users

One of OccupySaaS’s first projects is ZeroAuthy, an open-source identity server designed to work with Auth0-compatible applications.

The project describes itself as a self-hostable implementation that speaks the Auth0 Authentication API and is intended to work with existing Auth0 SDKs without requiring major application changes.

ZeroAuthy is currently described as a 1.0 early preview rather than a complete replacement.

Its public documentation says it supports a range of authentication features, including authorization code flows, refresh token rotation, client credentials, password grants, device flow, logout, signup and password reset.

It also supports multi-factor authentication, passwordless login, database connections, Google and Microsoft sign-in, and several management functions.

The project says it has received OpenID Connect certification for selected provider profiles.

However, its own compatibility documentation acknowledges that some features remain incomplete, including areas such as WebAuthn, passkeys, SAML and enterprise directory support.

That means ZeroAuthy should currently be viewed as an emerging alternative rather than a finished substitute for every Auth0 deployment.

SalesCompel Aims to Challenge Salesforce

OccupySaaS is also developing SalesCompel, an open-source CRM project intended to provide an alternative to Salesforce.

SalesCompel uses a Go and PostgreSQL backend with a Vue-based interface and is still at an early stage of development.

Its current prototype supports limited workflows involving accounts, contacts, record creation and editing, while many broader Salesforce capabilities remain on the roadmap.

The project documentation lists unfinished work across areas including metadata, security controls, migration, automation, integrations, reporting and production certification.

It also makes clear that no full production milestone has yet been completed.

SalesCompel therefore remains a development project rather than a complete Salesforce replacement.

The group’s broader goal is to build compatible software that organisations can run themselves without being locked into recurring per-seat subscription fees.

Clean-Room Development Is Central to the Project

OccupySaaS says it follows a strict clean-room approach.

Its project policies prohibit contributors from using leaked source code, confidential employer information or proprietary implementation details.

Instead, developers are expected to work from public documentation, open standards, publicly available SDKs and black-box behaviour testing.

ZeroAuthy’s clean-room policy allows developers to study documented Auth0 APIs and open-source client libraries while keeping the implementation independently developed.

SalesCompel follows a similar model for Salesforce compatibility, focusing on publicly observable behaviour and authorised testing environments.

The approach is intended to reduce legal and licensing risks while still allowing the projects to imitate the external behaviour of proprietary platforms.

AI Is Accelerating Small-Team Development

OccupySaaS argues that AI changes the economics of software development.

The group says AI agents can help a relatively small number of engineers convert detailed specifications into working code much faster than before.

Human developers, however, still define the requirements, review generated code and take responsibility for the final product.

This model reflects a broader trend in which developers are using generative AI tools to build alternatives to existing commercial software.

AI can assist with coding, testing, documentation and repetitive engineering work, potentially reducing the number of developers needed to create an early-stage product.

Supporters of the approach argue that this could make it easier for open-source projects to compete with established commercial platforms.

Can Open Source Really Replace Subscription Software?

The appeal of the OccupySaaS model is closely linked to dissatisfaction with recurring software subscription costs and vendor lock-in.

Open-source alternatives allow organisations to inspect code, host software themselves and avoid depending entirely on a single vendor.

However, removing a subscription fee does not eliminate the cost of operating software.

Companies still need to handle updates, security patches, infrastructure, backups, integrations, technical support and long-term maintenance.

This is particularly important for platforms such as identity systems and CRM software, where reliability and security are central requirements.

A self-hosted identity platform, for example, can create additional responsibilities around authentication security, account recovery, key management and compliance.

Similarly, replacing Salesforce involves more than reproducing a CRM interface. Large deployments often depend on integrations, automation, custom workflows, reporting and specialised support.

Long-Term Maintenance Remains the Bigger Test

The real challenge for projects such as ZeroAuthy and SalesCompel may not be creating an early working product but maintaining compatibility over time.

Commercial SaaS platforms continuously change their APIs, security controls, features and integrations.

An open-source replacement must keep pace with those changes if it wants to remain a credible drop-in alternative.

Security is another major concern.

Open-source code can benefit from public scrutiny, but it still requires active maintainers, timely vulnerability fixes and reliable governance.

Projects that depend heavily on AI-generated code also need strong review processes to prevent bugs, insecure patterns or compatibility problems from reaching production.

OccupySaaS says humans continue to review every change, but the effectiveness of that model will depend on the quality of those reviews and the size of the contributor community.

A Wider Open-Source Shift May Be Emerging

Interest in open-source alternatives appears to be growing as organisations look for ways to reduce vendor dependence and gain more control over their technology stacks.

This pressure is particularly visible in regions where digital sovereignty and vendor lock-in have become policy concerns.

AI may accelerate that trend by lowering the effort required to build prototypes and compatible software.

OccupySaaS is still at an early stage, and its first projects are not yet full replacements for the platforms they target.

But the movement highlights a broader question facing the software industry: if AI allows small teams to recreate increasingly complex software from public specifications and standards, the traditional subscription model may face stronger competition from open-source alternatives.

For now, ZeroAuthy and SalesCompel remain experiments in that direction, but they show how AI-assisted development could reshape the balance between proprietary SaaS platforms and independently maintained open-source software.