A GitHub repository aggregating projects by Chinese independent developers has grown to over 200 entries, with new additions arriving daily. The list, hosted at 1c7/chinese-independent-developer, now includes tools for AI video generation, encrypted messaging, and personal finance management, reflecting the breadth of solo and small-team development in China.
What the List Is
The repository, which has garnered 54,500 stars and 4,800 forks, serves as a public directory of products built by Chinese independent developers. It is divided into a main page for ready-to-use apps and websites, and sub-pages for command-line tools and games. The maintainer encourages developers to submit their own projects via pull requests or issues, with the goal of sharing what the community is building.
Recent Highlights (July 2026)
AI and Video Tools
Several new entries focus on AI-powered video and image generation. Seedance 2.5, from ByteDance, generates native 4K video up to 30 seconds from text prompts, with up to 50 reference inputs, and is free to use. Vivify offers real-time video face swapping, while Fableclip automates video creation from idea to publishing on YouTube and TikTok. BGChanger removes or replaces video backgrounds in the browser without client installation.
Messaging and Encryption
PaperPhonePlus is an instant messaging app featuring end-to-end encryption, forward secrecy, and audio/video calls, with a self-hosted option. 微信 PGP 加密助手 provides a floating window for encrypting and decrypting PGP messages within WeChat and other chat apps, keeping keys and operations local.
Productivity and Utilities
叉叉笔记 is a local workspace integrating notes, tasks, calendar, tools, and password management for macOS. ToolGarden offers a free online toolbox for JSON, PDF, images, QR codes, and subtitles, all processed locally in the browser. Beancount-Trans converts uploaded bills into Beancount double-entry accounting data for financial reporting.
Developer Tools
AI Codereview for Gitlab uses large language models (DeepSeek, OpenAI, etc.) to automatically review code, send notifications via DingTalk/WeCom/Feishu, and generate daily reports. CloudSSH provides browser-based server management with cloud-synced connections, built-in SFTP, and an AI operations assistant.
Community and Growth
The project has been continuously updated since 2018, with the latest entries from July 2026 including apps for family health records, interview practice, and even a 3D dice-rolling website. The maintainer notes that the list is not exhaustive but aims to give a snapshot of what Chinese independent developers are creating, from small utilities to full-fledged SaaS products.