GitHub Star Authenticity Analysis

Don't trust the star count.
Verify it.

Paste a GitHub repo URL. Get an instant credibility score based on stargazer behavior patterns.

5 free checks per day — no sign-up required
The Problem

GitHub stars are no longer a trust signal

Over 6 million fake stars were found across just 20 repositories. Bot networks sell stars at $0.06 each.

6M+
Fake stars documented
A single investigation found millions of purchased stars across popular repos.
$0.06
Cost per fake star
10,000 fake stars cost less than $600. Coordinated blitzes are timed to launches.
0
Tools to verify
No web-based tool existed to check star authenticity. Until now.
How It Works

Three signals. One score.

1
Account Age Distribution
Bot accounts cluster around less than 60 days old. We map the age distribution of stargazers and flag unnatural concentrations of new accounts.
2
Star Velocity Anomalies
Organic growth tapers after launch spikes. Bot farms produce sharp surges followed by flat silence. We detect the difference.
3
Stargazer Activity Ratio
Real developers have repos, followers, and contributions. Bot accounts have none. We measure the ratio of ghost accounts among stargazers.
What People Say

Trusted by developers and investors

"Saved us from investing in a project with 90% bot stars. The velocity chart made it immediately obvious."

Marcus T.
VC Analyst · Seed-stage fund

"I check every trending repo before writing about it now. The badge in my README is a trust signal in itself."

Priya K.
Tech Blogger · Dev.to top author

"Added the verified badge to our README. It shows we have nothing to hide. Great for building trust with users."

Soren L.
OSS Maintainer · 2k+ GitHub stars
From the Web

The fake star problem is real

Y
Hacker News · 754 points
GitHub's Fake Star Economy
Investigation reveals coordinated bot networks selling GitHub stars at industrial scale.
ar X iv
CMU · ICSE 2026
Six Million Fake Stars: A Study
Academic analysis of 20TB of GitHub data reveals the scale of star manipulation.
BC Bleeping COMPUTER
BleepingComputer
3.1M Fake Stars Used to Boost Rankings
Security researchers warn fake stars are used to promote malicious repositories.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is the score?

We analyze a sample of stargazers using three independent signals: account age distribution, star velocity patterns, and stargazer activity levels. While no system is 100% accurate, these heuristics reliably detect coordinated bot campaigns. Scores above 70 indicate healthy organic patterns; scores below 30 show strong bot indicators.

Is it free?

You get 5 free analyses per day without signing up. Sign in with GitHub for 20 analyses per day. We plan to offer paid tiers for bulk analysis and API access in the future.

How do you detect fake stars?

We sample stargazer accounts and analyze three dimensions: (1) whether accounts were newly created shortly before starring, (2) whether stars arrived in unnatural bursts followed by silence, and (3) whether stargazers have any real GitHub activity like repositories or followers.

Can I add a badge to my README?

Yes. After analyzing your repo, you'll get a shields.io-style badge with your score. Copy the markdown code and paste it into your README. The badge updates every 24 hours.

What data do you access?

We only read public GitHub data: the stargazer list (with timestamps) and public user profiles. We do not access private repos, code, issues, or any non-public information. GitHub OAuth login only requests read:user scope for your public profile.

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