toolsacross

toolsacross is a cross-platform tooling ecosystem and registry designed to catalog and integrate development and design tools across operating systems and runtimes. It aims to simplify discovery, evaluation, and interoperability for developers, teams, and educators.

Originating in the open-source community in the early 2020s, toolsacross was created to address fragmentation among tool ecosystems and marketplaces. The project is community-driven, with a governance model based on collaborative stewardship and clear contribution guidelines.

Key features include a centralized registry of tools with metadata on compatibility, licensing, dependencies, and available integrations; an interoperability layer that standardizes common interfaces; a plugin architecture for publishing connectors; robust search and comparison tools; and APIs that enable automation in development environments and CI/CD workflows. The platform supports multiple registries and can be extended through third-party connectors.

The architecture centers on a core registry that coordinates with distributed indexing services, plugin runners, and connectors to external tools. The data model emphasizes tool identity, a compatibility matrix across operating systems and runtimes, provenance, and versioning. The system favors open data formats and modular services, often implemented as microservices.

Usage and impact: Developers use toolsacross to discover tools, compare capabilities, and implement cross-tool workflows. Organizations can host private registries for internal tooling or contribute public connectors. The project has seen adoption in open-source projects, education, and research contexts, while discussions continue about curation quality and privacy controls.