GitHub Trending on August 17: public-apis adds 1,588 stars, while Groq and NVIDIA offer free AI access (2026)

The largest number on today's board belongs to a directory, not a new framework: public-apis added 1,588 stars in GitHub's daily view. The more actionable spread is elsewhere: Cordis is climbing fast but still unstable, ToolJet is a self-hostable base for internal apps and agents, and Needle is small enough to test on constrained devices. The free section gives you one bounded API plan, one free inference catalog, and one open-source editor. 1

The board, sorted by stars gained

The table keeps the fields that matter when deciding what to open first: today's star gain, total stars, primary language, what the repository actually does, and the first sensible test. Star counts are the values shown on the daily Trending page. README details come from each repository's own page. 1

Rank	Repository	Stars gained	Total stars	Language	What it is and the first useful move
1	public-apis/public-apis	+1,588 1	462,076 1	Python	A collective list of free APIs. Use it for discovery, then check each service's authentication, uptime, rate limits, and terms before making it a dependency. 2
2	cordiverse/cordis	+720 1	5,017 1	TypeScript	A meta-framework for spatiotemporal composability. Its README says the project is under active development and the API may change without notice, so read and prototype before using it as a stable production dependency. 3
3	unslothai/unsloth	+572 1	72,737 1	Python	A local UI for running and training LLMs and diffusion models. The project offers desktop downloads for Windows, macOS, and Linux/Ubuntu, so start with the build that matches your machine and model workflow. 4
4	ToolJet/ToolJet	+452 1	40,156 1	JavaScript	An AGPL-3.0 open-source base for internal tools, dashboards, workflows, and AI agents. Try the hosted route first; self-hosting covers Docker and Kubernetes, and the README recommends the LTS line for production. 5
5	cactus-compute/needle	+443 1	6,723 1	Python	A 14 MB foundation model for tiny devices. Its single engine is cached after download, inference does not need a network connection, and the package is installed with `pip install cactus-needle`; test your own tool schemas before judging quality. 6
6	basecamp/omarchy	+270 1	25,530 1	Shell	An opinionated Linux distribution with its own manual, CLI, development tools, and dual-boot guidance. It is MIT-licensed, but the practical prerequisite is a machine you are willing to make into an Omarchy workstation. 7
7	OpenCut-app/OpenCut	+150 1	84,043 1	TypeScript	A free, open-source video editor for web, desktop, and mobile. The repository is being rewritten, and its own README says the classic version is the one to use today; do not build around the rewrite yet. 8

What the numbers do not tell you

Cordis is the watch item. A 720-star day is enough to justify reading the examples, not enough to erase the project's own warning about API stability. Keep a small experiment isolated from the codebase you need to maintain. 3

Needle is the constraint bet. The roughly 14 MB engine and offline inference matter when device size, privacy, or network access is the bottleneck. They do not tell you whether tool selection is accurate enough for your workload. Run a fixed set of tool calls and compare the results before replacing a larger model. 6

ToolJet needs a license decision early. The repository describes the community edition as the open-source foundation of ToolJet AI and documents both managed and self-hosted routes. If you plan to ship a modified hosted service, read the AGPL-3.0 terms before the prototype becomes infrastructure. For a production self-host, start from the LTS line the README recommends. 5

OpenCut has a useful caveat hidden in plain sight. It is free and open source, but the current repository is a ground-up rewrite. The classic app is the practical entry point today; the rewrite is a project to watch, not a finished replacement. 8

Free developer paths to claim or try

1. Groq Free Plan: bounded API access

Groq's official rate-limit page currently lists a Free Plan with per-model ceilings. Examples include llama-3.1-8b-instant at 30 requests per minute, 14.4K requests per day, 6K tokens per minute, and 500K tokens per day; llama-3.3-70b-versatile at 30 RPM, 1K RPD, 12K TPM, and 100K TPD; and openai/gpt-oss-20b or openai/gpt-oss-120b at 30 RPM, 1K RPD, 8K TPM, and 200K TPD. 9

Who it fits: a builder who needs a real API endpoint for a prototype, evaluation harness, or low-volume assistant without starting on a paid plan.

How to claim: open the Groq quickstart, create an API key, and keep the key in an environment variable rather than in a repository. 10

The catch: the page calls its table a high-level summary and says the exact organization limits are visible in the account dashboard. Treat the free plan as rate-limited capacity, not as a promise of unlimited inference. 9

2. NVIDIA Build: free inference with a claim path

NVIDIA's official Build catalog advertises free inference with leading models and provides a Generate API Key entry point alongside blueprints and developer skills. That makes it a practical place to test a hosted model or a prebuilt workflow before wiring a paid deployment. 11

Who it fits: a developer who wants to compare hosted inference options or start from a working AI blueprint rather than assemble every serving component from scratch.

How to claim: open build.nvidia.com, sign in if prompted, generate an API key, and choose one model or blueprint for a small test.

The catch: the public landing page does not state a numeric free quota in the offer itself. Keep the first run small and check the live account limits before moving a recurring workload onto it. 11

3. OpenCut: a free tool, not a free cloud tier

OpenCut describes itself as a free, open-source alternative to CapCut and publishes an MIT license. Its intended surface spans web, desktop, and mobile, but the repository also says the rewrite is still underway and the classic version is the one to use today. 8

Who it fits: a builder making short demos, tutorials, or product clips who wants an open-source editor rather than another subscription-first tool.

How to try it: start from the OpenCut repository and follow the link to the current classic app. Use the rewrite only if you are deliberately testing an unfinished codebase.

The catch: this is a free software path, not a hosted service with a published storage or export quota. You still need to check the current app's capabilities before planning a production editing workflow. 8

What to star, test, and claim

Claim Groq first if you need an API today. Start with a low-volume test on openai/gpt-oss-20b or llama-3.1-8b-instant, and record requests, tokens, and errors against the free-plan ceilings. 9
Open NVIDIA Build if you want a second hosted inference route or a ready-made blueprint. Treat the free label as a starting allowance until the account shows its actual limits. 11
Test Needle locally when the important requirement is a small footprint or offline tool calling. Use a fixed evaluation set; a star count is not a quality benchmark. 6
Open OpenCut classic for a free editor, and keep the rewrite separate from any workflow you need to rely on this week. 8
Star or clone the Trending repos that match your constraint: public-apis for discovery, Cordis for framework exploration, ToolJet for internal apps, Omarchy for a Linux workstation, and Unsloth for local model work. Validate the license, hardware, and stability boundary before promoting any of them into a core dependency. 2 3 4 5 7

The useful split today is simple: use star growth to decide what deserves a closer look, then use the README or official offer page to decide whether it belongs in your stack. The free paths are valuable because their boundaries are visible, not because the word "free" removes the need to test them.