Guide
Devprentice vs Outreachy
Outreachy offers paid, remote three-month internships twice a year. Devprentice is free, doesn't pay stipends, and runs whenever a maintainer opens a program. How they differ, and when to use each.
Outreachy offers paid, remote three-month internships in open source. There are two cohorts a year, and they are for people who face underrepresentation, systemic bias, or discrimination in tech where they live. Devprentice is free and doesn't fund programs or pay stipends. Programs run whenever a maintainer opens one in a public GitHub repository. If you're eligible for Outreachy, apply. Devprentice is a way to keep getting mentored experience between cohorts or afterward.
| Outreachy | Devprentice | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Outreachy, with mentoring communities | The project's own maintainer |
| When | Two cohorts a year, May to August and December to March | Whenever a maintainer opens a program |
| Pay | A $7,000 USD stipend | Devprentice doesn't fund programs or pay stipends; any payment is arranged with the maintainer |
| Length | 3 months | Set by each program |
| Who can join | People who face underrepresentation, systemic bias, or discrimination in tech; students and non-students; accepted once | Anyone with a GitHub account can ask; the maintainer decides whom to invite |
| How you get in | An initial application, a contribution period, then intern selection | Ask to join or get invited, then accept the program agreement |
When Outreachy is the better fit
If you're eligible and want a paid internship, apply to Outreachy. The stipend, the cohort, and a dedicated mentor make it one of the best-supported ways into open source.
When Devprentice fits
- You're between cohorts and want to keep contributing.
- The project you care about isn't taking Outreachy interns.
- Your internship has ended and you want to keep working with a mentor.
- You aren't eligible for Outreachy but want structured, reviewed work.
A Devprentice program names the reviewer, the milestones, and the AI policy before you join, and the code and reviews stay on GitHub. It is in a private pilot, so programs open after an administrator approves them. See how a program works for contributors.
Details about Outreachy were checked against its official site and applicant guide on October 21, 2026, and can change between cohorts. Read the Outreachy applicant guide.