Open source products
These products publish their source code under an open source licence, so you can read it and, in many cases, run it yourself. That gives you more control and less dependence on one company. Here’s the list, along with what to check before you adopt one.
Open source products
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What does open source mean?
Open source software comes with a licence that lets anyone use, study, change and share its code. The Open Source Initiative maintains the widely used definition, and it covers rights rather than price: an open source licence can’t stop someone selling the software. So a project can be open source and still sell a hosted version or paid support. “Source available” licences show the code but add limits, so they aren’t open source under that definition.
Open Source Initiative: The Open Source DefinitionWhat to check before you adopt an open source tool
- The licence. MIT and Apache licences are permissive, while GPL and AGPL add conditions about sharing changes, which matters for commercial use.
- How active it is: recent commits, responses to issues, and whether more than one person maintains it.
- The real cost of running it. Self-hosting is free of licence fees, but servers, updates and backups take money and time.
- Whether the hosted version and the open source version have the same features.
Open source as a maker’s strategy
Publishing your code builds trust and can bring in contributors, and developers can check exactly what your product does. The hard part is earning from it, because anyone can run it for free. Common approaches are a hosted version for people who don’t want to operate it, paid features for businesses, and paid support. Choose your licence with that plan in mind, since changing it later can be difficult.
Other pricing models
Frequently asked questions
Are open source tools free?
The code is generally free to download and use, but open source refers to your rights, not the price. Many projects sell a hosted version or support, and running it yourself has server and maintenance costs.
Can I use open source software in a commercial product?
Usually, as the Open Source Definition rules out banning commercial use. But licences add different conditions. Copyleft licences such as GPL and AGPL may require you to share changes, so read the licence or get legal advice for anything important.
What’s the difference between open source and source available?
Open source licences meet a shared definition that protects your right to use, change and redistribute the code. Source available licences let you see the code, but can restrict things like competing with the maker or commercial use.