OSF (Open Science Framework)

Name: OSF (Open Science Framework)
Author: Center for Open Science

by Center for Open Science · Platform · also known as Open Science Framework, osf.io

Free, open-source research management platform from the Center for Open Science for projects, preregistrations, registries, preprint services and linking outputs across storage providers

Apache-2.0 licenseFreeCloudSelf-hostedSelf-hostable

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Link verified Nov 2, 2026

Overview

OSF is a free, open-source platform operated by the non-profit Center for Open Science to document and share research across its lifecycle. Projects and components hold files, wikis and contributors with private-by-default visibility and fine-grained public sharing; registrations create time-stamped, read-only snapshots used for preregistration of hypotheses and analysis plans, optionally embargoed; community-run preprint services (such as SocArXiv and PsyArXiv) operate on the platform; and OSF Institutions gives universities branded views of their researchers' public work. Files are versioned automatically and projects can link to materials held in GitHub, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, Amazon S3, figshare, Dataverse and similar services through add-ons, and to repositories such as Zenodo and Dryad.

A JSON:API-style REST API (v2) with personal access tokens or OAuth exposes nodes, registrations, preprints, files and users. The codebase is Apache-2.0 on GitHub. The Center for Open Science publishes a roadmap that shifts OSF toward registering plans and linking outputs rather than acting as the primary file store, and public registrations are backed up to the Internet Archive. Storage on OSF itself is capped per project, the service depends on grant and donor funding, and the platform is more popular in psychology and the social sciences than in economics or finance.

Editorial note on uncertainty. Storage add-on list combines the cos.io product page with the help-center categories; individual add-on availability should be confirmed in the OSF add-ons documentation.

Capabilities

Projects and components with private or public visibility
Preregistrations and registrations with embargo
Community preprint services
File versioning and storage add-ons (GitHub, Dropbox, Google Drive, S3, Dataverse)
DOIs for public projects and registrations
OSF Institutions views
REST API v2 with tokens and OAuth

Typical workflows

Preregistering a study before data collection
Organizing a project's materials, code and data with linked storage
Posting to a community preprint server

Strengths

Free and open source (Apache-2.0)
Preregistration templates developed with research communities
Links to existing storage rather than forcing migration

Limitations

Per-project storage caps on OSF Storage
Funding-dependent non-profit service
Less used in economics and finance than Zenodo or SSRN

Prerequisites

Free account (ORCID or institutional login supported)

Who it is for

Researchers preregistering studies
Labs managing shared project materials
Institutions promoting open science

Alternatives & comparison

Zenodo is primarily an archive that mints DOIs for files and software releases; GitHub is a code host without preservation guarantees; SSRN and arXiv are preprint servers. OSF is distinctive for preregistration and project-level organization linking those services together.

arXiv
Free, moderated open-access preprint server for physics, mathematics, computer science, statistics, quantitative finance, economics and related fields, with an open API and bulk access
Open sourceFree
GitHub
Microsoft-owned code hosting platform for Git repositories with pull requests, issues, Actions CI/CD, package registry, Copilot and the largest open-source community
ProprietaryFreemium
SSRN
Elsevier-owned preprint and working-paper platform with discipline networks, author pages, download rankings and institutional research paper series, free to post and read
ProprietaryFree
Zenodo
Free general-purpose research repository operated by CERN that assigns DOIs to datasets, software, papers and other outputs, with a REST API, OAI-PMH, GitHub release archiving and CC0 metadata
Open sourceFree

Compare OSF (Open Science Framework) with its alternatives →

Sources & verification

Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.

License
osf.io LICENSE
https://github.com/CenterForOpenScience/osf.io/blob/develop/LICENSE
Supports: license_spdx, source_model
checked Nov 1, 2026
Official documentation
OSF APIv2 Documentation
https://developer.osf.io/
Supports: interfaces
checked Nov 1, 2026
Official documentation
OSF Support
https://help.osf.io/
Supports: docs_url, capabilities
checked Nov 1, 2026
Official site
OSF
https://osf.io/
Supports: name, summary, pricing_model
checked Nov 1, 2026
Official site
The Open Science Framework – Center for Open Science
https://www.cos.io/products/osf
Supports: description, capabilities, vendor
checked Nov 1, 2026

Confidence: High
Reviewed: Nov 1, 2026
Links: Verified · Nov 2, 2026

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