diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 276f5118..92c274a7 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 # Contributing to Soar
 
-
-Thank you for your interest in contributing to Soar! This document provides
-guidelines to help make the contribution process smooth and effective for
-everyone involved.
+Thank you for your interest in contributing to Soar! This document covers the
+workflow and conventions that keep the contribution process smooth for everyone.
 
 ## Table of Contents
 
@@ -13,40 +11,38 @@ everyone involved.
 - [Pull Request Process](#pull-request-process)
 - [Code Style and Quality](#code-style-and-quality)
 
-
 ## Getting Started
 
-1. **Fork the repository** on GitHub
-2. **Clone your fork** locally
-  ```sh
-  git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/soar.git
-  cd soar
-  ```
-3. **Add the upstream remote**
-  ```sh
-  git remote add upstream https://github.com/pkgforge/soar.git
-  ```
+1. **Fork the repository** on GitHub.
+2. **Clone your fork** locally:
+   ```sh
+   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/soar.git
+   cd soar
+   ```
+3. **Add the upstream remote** so you can pull in changes from the main project:
+   ```sh
+   git remote add upstream https://github.com/pkgforge/soar.git
+   ```
 
 ## Development Workflow
 
-1. Create a new branch for your feature or bugfix
-
-2. Make your changes
-
-3. Keep your branch updated with the main branch:
-  ```sh
-  git pull upstream main --rebase
-  ```
+1. Create a branch for your feature or bugfix.
+2. Make your changes, and add or update tests where it makes sense.
+3. Run the [quality checks](#quality-checks) locally.
+4. Keep your branch current with upstream:
+   ```sh
+   git pull upstream main --rebase
+   ```
 
 ## Commit Guidelines
 
 We follow the [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/)
-specification for our commit messages. This leads to more readable messages
-that are easy to follow when looking through the project history.
+specification. It keeps the history readable and easy to follow.
 
 ### Commit Message Format
 
-Each commit message consists of a **header**, a **body** and a **footer**:
+Each commit message consists of a **header**, an optional **body**, and an
+optional **footer**:
 
 ```
 <type>(<scope>): <short summary>
@@ -56,17 +52,14 @@ Each commit message consists of a **header**, a **body** and a **footer**:
 <footer>
 ```
 
-The **header** is mandatory and must conform to the following format (can be
-ignored if you expect the commits to be squashed):
-
-- **type**: Describes the kind of change:
-  -  `feat`, `fix`, `docs`, `style`, `refactor`, `perf`, `test`, `build`, `ci`,
-    `chore`, `revert`
-
-- **scope**: Can be anything specifying the place of the commit change (e.g., `cli`, `repo`, `package`)
+The **header** is mandatory (it can be looser if you expect the commits to be
+squashed):
 
-- **summary**: Summary in present tense, not capitalized, no period at the end,
-  under 72 characters
+- **type**: the kind of change. One of `feat`, `fix`, `docs`, `style`,
+  `refactor`, `perf`, `test`, `build`, `ci`, `chore`, `revert`.
+- **scope**: where the change lands, e.g. `cli`, `repo`, `package`.
+- **summary**: present tense, not capitalized, no trailing period, under 72
+  characters.
 
 ### Examples
 
@@ -77,42 +70,43 @@ feat(cli): add search filtering by package type
 ```
 fix(repo): resolve metadata caching issue
 
-The metadata cache wasn't properly invalidated when repository 
-sources changed, leading to stale package information. This fix 
-ensures the cache is rebuilt whenever source files are modified.
+The metadata cache wasn't invalidated when repository sources changed,
+leading to stale package information. Rebuild the cache whenever source
+files are modified.
 
 Fixes #123
 ```
 
-### Commit Practices to Avoid
+### Practices to Avoid
 
-- Don't make vague commits like "bug fix" or "update". A message should say
-  what changed, and where it isn't obvious, why
-- Don't bundle unrelated changes into one commit
+- Vague messages like "bug fix" or "update". Say what changed, and where it
+  isn't obvious, why.
+- Bundling unrelated changes into one commit.
 
 ## Pull Request Process
 
-1. **Ensure your code compiles** before opening a PR
-2. **Reference any relevant issues** in your PR description
+1. **Ensure your code compiles** and the quality checks pass before opening a PR.
+2. **Reference any relevant issues** in the description.
 
 ### Draft Pull Requests
 
-If you have work in progress that you want early feedback on, or if there are known blockers:
+For work in progress you want early feedback on, or when there are known
+blockers:
 
-1. Open the PR as a **Draft**
-2. Clearly mention in the description that it's a work in progress
-3. Describe the specific blockers or areas where you need help
-4. Convert to a regular PR once ready for final review
+1. Open the PR as a **Draft**.
+2. Note in the description that it is a work in progress.
+3. Describe the specific blockers or where you need help.
+4. Convert to a regular PR once it is ready for final review.
 
 ## Code Style and Quality
 
 ### General Guidelines
 
-- Use meaningful variable and function names
+- Use meaningful variable and function names.
 - Comment what the code cannot say for itself: why a decision was made, what
   goes wrong without it, what a value is guarding against. A comment that
-  restates the line below it is noise
-- Document public items, since they are what other crates and the docs see
+  restates the line below it is noise.
+- Document public items, since they are what other crates and the docs see.
 
 ### Quality Checks
 
@@ -133,11 +127,11 @@ Migrations under `crates/soar-db/migrations` are the one part of a change that
 cannot be undone on a user's machine, so they deserve a second look:
 
 - The **core** database holds a user's installed packages. Assume every
-  migration runs against real data that cannot be regenerated
+  migration runs against real data that cannot be regenerated.
 - The **metadata** database is a cache built from a repository index, so it can
-  be thrown away and rebuilt
+  be thrown away and rebuilt.
 - Rebuilding a table drops it, and dropping a table with a foreign key pointing
   at it deletes the referencing rows. Turning foreign keys off is only possible
   outside a transaction, which needs `run_in_transaction = false` in the
-  migration's `metadata.toml`
-- Test a migration against a database that has rows in it, not an empty one
+  migration's `metadata.toml`.
+- Test a migration against a database that has rows in it, not an empty one.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d27bbd96..bb55018e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 [crates-shield]: https://img.shields.io/crates/v/soar-cli
 [crates-url]: https://crates.io/crates/soar-cli
+[downloads-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/pkgforge/soar/total?label=downloads
+[downloads-url]: https://github.com/pkgforge/soar/releases
 [discord-shield]: https://img.shields.io/discord/1313385177703256064?logo=%235865F2&label=discord
 [discord-url]: https://discord.gg/djJUs48Zbu
 [doc-shield]: https://img.shields.io/badge/docs-soar.qaidvoid.dev-blue
@@ -9,43 +11,42 @@
 [license-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/license/pkgforge/soar.svg
 [license-url]: https://github.com/pkgforge/soar/blob/main/LICENSE
 
+# Soar
+
 [![Crates.io][crates-shield]][crates-url]
+[![Downloads][downloads-shield]][downloads-url]
 [![Discord][discord-shield]][discord-url]
 [![Documentation][doc-shield]][doc-url]
 [![License: MIT][license-shield]][license-url]
 
-</div>
+**A fast, modern, distro-independent package manager that _just works_.**
 
-<h4 align="center">
-  <a href="https://soar.qaidvoid.dev">📘 Documentation</a> |
-</h4>
+Install static binaries, AppImages, and other portable formats
+(AppBundle, FlatImage, RunImage, onelf, and more) on any Linux distribution.
 
-<p align="center">
-    A fast, modern, bloat-free distro-independent package manager that <i>just works</i><br>
-    Supports static binaries, AppImages, and other Portable formats (AppBundle, FlatImage, RunImage, Wrappe, etc.) on any Linux distribution.
-</p>
+</div>
 
 ## 📦 What is Soar?
 
 Soar installs packages; it does not build or host them. Repositories publish
-metadata in a standard format, and Soar reads that metadata to search, install
-and update packages under your home directory.
+metadata in a standard format, and Soar reads that metadata to search, install,
+and update packages right under your home directory.
 
-That split is the point: [soarpkgs](https://github.com/pkgforge/soarpkgs) is
-the default repository, but Soar is not tied to it. Add a third-party one, or
-[run your own](https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/configuration#custom-repository-support).
+That split is the whole point. [soarpkgs](https://github.com/pkgforge/soarpkgs)
+is the default repository, but Soar is not tied to it. Add a third-party one, or
+[run your own](https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/configuration#repositories).
 
-Runs on any Linux distribution, on **x86_64**, **aarch64** and **riscv64**. No
-superuser, no runtime dependencies, no distribution packages touched.
+It runs on any Linux distribution, with no superuser, no runtime dependencies,
+and no distribution packages touched. What you can install depends on the
+repository. soarpkgs publishes packages for **x86_64**, **aarch64**, and
+**riscv64**.
 
-## 🪄 Quickstart
+## 🪄 Install
 
-> [!TIP]
-> - Soar comes as a single-file, statically-linked executable with no dependencies that you can simply [download](https://github.com/pkgforge/soar/releases/latest) & run.
-> - The [install script](https://github.com/pkgforge/soar/blob/main/install.sh) does this & more automatically for you.
+Soar is a single statically-linked binary. Grab it with the install script:
 
 ```bash
-# cURL
+# curl
 curl -fsSL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pkgforge/soar/main/install.sh" | sh
 
 # wget
@@ -53,23 +54,11 @@ wget -qO- "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pkgforge/soar/main/install.sh" | sh
 ```
 
 > [!NOTE]
-> - Please read & verify what's inside the script before running it
-> - The script is also available through https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/install.sh
-> - Additionally, if you want to customize your installation, please read the docs @ https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/installation.html
-> - Next, check [Configuration](https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/configuration) & [Usage](https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/package-management)
-
-## 🌟 Key Features
-
-| Feature | Description |
-|:--:|:--|
-| **Universal** | Single statically-linked binary. No dependencies, no superuser, works on any Linux distribution. |
-| **Portable Formats** | Install static binaries, AppImages, and other self-contained archives with ease. |
-| **System Integration** | Adds desktop entries and icons, and links manual pages and shell completions where your system already looks for them. |
-| **Install From Anywhere** | Install from a repository, a direct URL, or a local file. A package installed from a GitHub or GitLab release is then kept up to date from that release. |
-| **Delta Updates** | An AppImage advertising a zsync feed is updated by fetching only the parts that changed. |
-| **Security First** | Enforces security through checksums and signature verification for package installations. |
-| **Fast & Efficient** | Minimal overhead with parallel downloads and efficient package operations. |
-
+> - Read and verify the script before piping it to a shell.
+> - It is also served from https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/install.sh.
+> - Prefer to do it yourself? [Download a release](https://github.com/pkgforge/soar/releases/latest)
+>   and drop the binary on your `PATH`.
+> - To customize the install, see the [installation docs](https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/installation).
 
 ## 🚀 Usage
 
@@ -91,25 +80,34 @@ from a GitHub or GitLab release keeps tracking that release:
 soar install https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/download/v1/tool
 ```
 
-`soar --help` lists the rest. Full documentation is at
+`soar --help` lists the rest. Full documentation lives at
 [soar.qaidvoid.dev](https://soar.qaidvoid.dev/package-management).
 
+## 🌟 Features
+
+| Feature | Description |
+|:--|:--|
+| **Universal** | One statically-linked binary. No dependencies, no superuser, any Linux distribution. |
+| **Portable formats** | Static binaries, AppImages, and other self-contained formats, installed the same way. |
+| **Install from anywhere** | From a repository, a direct URL, or a local file. Releases installed from GitHub or GitLab stay up to date. |
+| **Delta updates** | AppImages advertising a zsync feed update by fetching only the parts that changed. |
+| **System integration** | Desktop entries, icons, man pages, and shell completions land where your system already looks. |
+| **Secure by default** | Checksums and signatures are verified before anything is installed. |
+| **Fast** | Parallel downloads and low-overhead package operations. |
+
 ## 🔑 Forge Tokens
 
 Installing or updating from a release uses that forge's API, which is rate
-limited. GitHub's limit of 60 requests an hour is easy to reach, so setting
-`GITHUB_TOKEN` or `GH_TOKEN` is worth doing if you track several packages that
+limited. GitHub allows 60 requests an hour unauthenticated, which is easy to
+reach, so set `GITHUB_TOKEN` or `GH_TOKEN` if you track several packages that
 way. GitLab counts per minute and is rarely a problem, but honours
 `GITLAB_TOKEN` and `GL_TOKEN` all the same.
 
 ## 🤝 Contributing
 
-We welcome contributions! Please feel free to fork the repository and submit pull requests. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/pkgforge/soar/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) for contribution guidelines.
-
-## 💬 Contact
-
-We have a growing community on discord to discuss not only Soar/Pkgforge but also other cool projects, feel free to join & hangout anytime.
-- [![Discord](https://img.shields.io/discord/1313385177703256064?logo=%235865F2&label=Discord)](https://discord.gg/djJUs48Zbu)
+Contributions are welcome. Fork the repository, open a pull request, and see
+[CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/pkgforge/soar/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)
+for the guidelines.
 
 ## Minimum Supported Rust Version (MSRV)