Do pull requests still count for Hacktoberfest 2026?

No. The official FAQ says pull requests and merge requests no longer count toward Hacktoberfest rewards, because low-effort spam PRs had become easy to submit and maintainers had complained. Organisers still encourage open-source work, but rewards now come from stickers earned through livestreams, DEV Challenges, Global Hack Week and in-person Fests.

How many stickers do I need for the swag pack?

Three virtual stickers earn a mailed sticker pack. You must first sign in with MyMLH and add your address, and those two are required stickers. Ten stickers add a bonus holographic sticker, and fifteen make you a Completionist, entered into a raffle for a Hacktoberfest 2026 t-shirt or an Arduino Uno Q board.

Is Hacktoberfest 2026 free, and who can join?

It is free. Participants must be 13 or older, subject to country eligibility rules. Almost all Fests, including Hack Days and Meetups, are free, though some pop-ups sit inside ticketed conferences. DEV Challenges have their own eligibility rules, so check each challenge page.

Can I join Hacktoberfest from India without attending an event?

Yes. Anyone can take part online from anywhere by signing in, watching livestreams, entering DEV Challenges or joining Global Hack Week. Real stickers are mailed to your address after Hacktoberfest ends. The site gives both 8 to 12 weeks and 30 to 60 days for delivery, so expect it to take a while.

What is a Hacktoberfest Fest or Hack Day?

A Fest is a one-day local event. A Hack Day is a mini-hackathon where you build and demo a project, and a Meetup can include talks, workshops or discussions. Each Fest has its own registration, and every team member must register and check in. In-person participants receive an official participation certificate.

Can I still contribute to open source during October?

Yes. Organisers say open source runs all year and that you are still encouraged to contribute and share your work. Contributions simply do not count toward Hacktoberfest swag. A separate Unstop Open Source Hackathon listing describes a screening round followed by pull requests to assigned repositories, but its deadline was not stated.

Hacktoberfest 2026 for Indian Students: Pull Requests No Longer Count, Here's How to Earn Swag

Hacktoberfest 2026 is free and runs through October, but pull requests no longer count toward rewards. MLH and DEV manage the event, with DigitalOcean as presenting partner, and this year's focus is learning and building with open-source AI and open-weight models. You earn virtual stickers for taking part, and a few stickers get you a mailed sticker pack. Everything below comes from the official Hacktoberfest site.

What changed this year

In previous years Hacktoberfest counted individual contributions to open-source projects. The official FAQ says that is over: pull requests and merge requests are no longer rewarded because spam PRs have become easy to submit, and organisers say they listened to maintainer feedback. The new format focuses on learning and building together, and on reducing the burden of low-effort contributions on maintainers.

You can still contribute to open source in October. It just will not earn swag.

Who can take part

Participants must be 13 or older, subject to country eligibility rules.
Individual Fests can have their own audience and age limits, so read the event page.
If you are under 18, ask the host about any parental permission requirement.
DEV Challenges have separate contest eligibility rules.

How rewards work

There are 24 stickers to collect. Two are required for any reward: signing in to Hacktoberfest.com and adding your address to your MyMLH account.

3 virtual stickers: a real Hacktoberfest 2026 sticker pack is mailed to you
10 virtual stickers: a bonus holographic sticker is included in the pack
15 virtual stickers: you become a Completionist and are entered into a raffle for a Hacktoberfest 2026 t-shirt or an Arduino Uno Q board

The site says signing in alone does not qualify you, and that there is no fixed cap on sticker packs. Prizes are mailed after Hacktoberfest ends. The site gives both 8 to 12 weeks and 30 to 60 days for delivery.

Ways to earn stickers online

Livestreams: check in to one, three or five livestreams, or the launch stream, for separate stickers.
DEV Challenges: connect your DEV account, then submit to the Launch Weekend challenge and the four weekly open-source AI challenges. These have cash prizes and follow DEV's own challenge rules.
Global Hack Week: Hacktoberfest: complete its registration challenges, check in to a livestream and earn points at three levels.
Tools: install and log in to DevRelay, join the MLH Community Discord, and connect a DigitalOcean account.
Surveys: a pre-event and a post-event survey each earn a sticker.

Ways to earn stickers in person

Two stickers are earned in person: attending a Fest and hosting a Fest. A Fest is a one-day local event, either a Hack Day (a mini-hackathon where you build and demo a project) or a Meetup. The homepage cites both 500+ Fests and 300+ Fests, so use Find a Fest to see what is near you.

Almost all Fests are free, though some pop-ups sit inside ticketed conferences.
Each Fest has a separate registration, and every team member must register and check in.
You can enter a Hack Day alone or in a team of any size, but prizes cover up to four team members.
Projects must be completed and submitted on the day, before the host's deadline.
The usual Hack Day prize is a swag bag. T-shirts are limited and are not promised to online participants.
All in-person participants receive an official participation certificate.

A simple plan from India

This is a suggestion, not an official route. Sign in and add your address first, since those two stickers are required. Then pick up easy online stickers, such as the launch livestream, the surveys and joining the MLH Discord, to reach three or more. If you want the Completionist raffle, you need fifteen, so plan around the weekly DEV Challenges and Global Hack Week.

Open source outside Hacktoberfest

A separate Unstop listing for an Open Source Hackathon 2026 describes a screening round based on your GitHub profile, followed by pull requests to assigned repositories, for individual participants. Its deadline was not stated, so check the Unstop page.