In today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, open-source software (OSS) has emerged as a driving force behind innovation, collaboration, and cost-effective solutions. It has become so ubiquitous in the tech industry that 97% of all applications being developed today are built using open source, and 90% of companies already use it in some way.
“You can’t develop software anymore these days without doing open source,” says Dr. Wolfgang Gehring, FOSS Ambassador at Mercedes-Benz Tech Innovation. OSS is used for everything that can be coded. From operating systems and programming languages to frameworks and libraries, open source has become an integral part of the development process for many organizations. However, while OSS offers numerous advantages, it also presents particular challenges that developers and executives must consider.
This article aims to provide developers and executives, whether in the tech industry or not, with a comprehensive guide to understanding the pros and cons of OSS. By delving into the intricacies of open-source development, we will explore how it can empower businesses, promote collaboration, and lead to more significant innovation. At the same time, we will address potential pitfalls and considerations organizations must explore when adopting open-source solutions.
What is Open-Source Software?
But before we delve deeper into this topic, let’s ensure everyone is on the same page by answering what exactly OSS is. OSS is a revolutionary concept that has changed our thoughts on software development and distribution. It is developed and distributed collaboratively, allowing anyone to contribute to the development of the software. This allows for more significant innovation and more cost-effective solutions for businesses.
Most open-source solutions are based on the copyleft philosophy, which states that all modifications and additions to OSS must be released under the same license, ensuring that all users benefit from improvements made by any contributor. In recent years, many companies have begun recognizing open-source solutions’ potential.
Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Google, and Apple have all implemented open-source solutions in their products and services, even pledging millions of dollars to boost its security and make it more widespread. These companies have seen significant benefits from open-source solutions, including increased innovation, improved security, and cost savings.
Here are some of the most popular open-source solutions used in enterprise businesses today:
- Kubernetes
- Docker
- NGINX
- MySQL
- WordPress
- Git
- Woocommerce
- Bugzilla
- OpenProject
- Node.JS
- Eclipse
- Bootstrap
Pros of Open-Source Software
Let’s analyze four of the benefits of using and developing OSS:
1. Cost-Effectiveness
One of OSS’s key advantages and most attractive features is its cost-effectiveness. Open-source solutions are typically available for free, eliminating licensing fees and reducing overall project costs. This makes it an attractive option for businesses, particularly startups and small enterprises with limited budgets. Additionally, the open-source community often offers free support and resources, further reducing expenses.
These reductions, of course, depend on the company’s size and the projects being undertaken, but there are examples of firms saving up to half a million dollars and hundreds of hours by using OSS for developing one project. For companies developing several projects at once, the potential for saving multiplies.
2. Flexibility and Customization
OSS provides developers with unparalleled flexibility and customization options. The availability of source code allows developers to modify and tailor the software to suit their specific needs. This level of customization empowers businesses to create unique solutions that align perfectly with their requirements, workflows, and objectives. It also enables developers to fix bugs, optimize performance, and add new features, ensuring long-term viability and adaptability.
While there are thousands of SaaS alternatives in the market, they are almost impossible to customize for the needs of a particular client. But by creating your own software using open source, you already have the head start in creating something truly unique and tailor-made for your specific needs.
3. Community Collaboration
The open-source community is a vibrant ecosystem of developers, enthusiasts, and experts collaborating on various projects. This collective effort results in the rapid development and improvement of OSS. Developers can leverage the community’s knowledge and expertise, benefiting from peer reviews, bug fixes, and feature enhancements. Participating in open-source projects can enhance a developer’s reputation and provide valuable networking opportunities.
GitHub, the largest and most well-known community currently, reported a whopping 413 million open-source contributions just last year. It recently passed the 100 million member mark and keeps growing. If all members of GitHub represented the number of citizens of a country, it would be the 15th most populated country in the world, between Egypt and Vietnam—hardly an insignificant number.
4. Transparency and Security
Transparency is a fundamental principle of OSS. The availability of source code enables developers to scrutinize it for security vulnerabilities and perform rigorous testing. This transparency fosters trust in the software, as developers can independently verify its security and reliability. Additionally, the open-source community actively contributes to identifying and addressing security issues, leading to faster response times and more robust solutions.
Because of this transparency, the velocity in which bugs and threats are addressed is under eight hours, compared to 6.9 days for developers working with proprietary software. Oh, and those almost seven days begin to count only after the bugs have been found and reported, since many of them are not encountered until the product has been released to the masses.
Cons of Open-Source Software
Now, let’s analyze four of the drawbacks of using and developing OSS.
1. Lack of Dedicated Support
While OSS often has a vibrant community, it may lack dedicated support compared to proprietary software. Businesses relying on open-source solutions may need to rely on forums, documentation, or community-driven support channels for assistance. Critical or complex projects may pose a challenge, as timely and reliable support may not always be available.
Up to 45% of engineers working with open-source have reported a lack of support for their projects, which leads to increased pressure and anxiety on them, hindering their results. While the community is there, most problems are unique and the solution must be found, while with proprietary software, there is usually a clear guideline for addressing common and recurring issues.
2. Hidden Costs
One of the main cons of OSS is its cost-effectiveness. As discussed in the previous section, it is significantly cheaper to go this route than with proprietary software, but it doesn’t mean it is entirely free. Hidden costs associated with the development of OSS, such as implementation, support, and security expenses, are usually overlooked or underestimated at the planning stage.
Of those overlooked costs, one of the most common is training. When using proprietary software, depending on the clauses of the license, it may include training or can be added for a reduced fee. When dealing with open-source, it is the wild west; so training your staff can be costly, if you can find someone to provide it in the first place. While no definite answer exists on how much training staff costs, many studies draw a number in the ballpark of $1,252 per employee. So, that is a significant expense to be taken into account.
3. Fragmentation and Compatibility Issues
The open-source landscape comprises numerous projects, frameworks, and libraries, leading to potential fragmentation and compatibility challenges. Integrating different open-source components may require additional development effort to ensure smooth interoperability. Moreover, different projects may have varying maturity levels, documentation, and community support, impacting project timelines and stability.
There are ways to combat the drawbacks of fragmentation, such as forging greater alignment between projects, strengthening inter-foundation collaboration, harnessing open-source maturity models, and enlisting skilled project managers to coordinate the developer network. But while there are workarounds, the nature of OSS is such that fragmentation and compatibility issues will almost always exist, and they are costly and cumbersome to deal with.
4. Intellectual Property and Licensing Concerns
Businesses must carefully evaluate the associated licensing terms and potential intellectual property implications when incorporating OSS into a project. Some open-source licenses, such as the GNU General Public License v2.0 and GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0, require derivative works to be released under the same license. This requirement may not align with a company’s proprietary software strategy, leading to conflicts or limitations on how the software can be used.
There are real consequences of failing to comply with the terms and requirements of the license. Besides the legal implications, it can cost (a lot of) money, slow down projects and damage your company’s reputation. That is why the license terms should be thoroughly considered, well understood, and taken seriously.
BairesDev Promotes Open-Source for a Better Future
We understand the challenges that come with open-source solutions, but we believe in them also as a way to further innovation and collaboration. That’s why we have a special focus on open-source with a strategic CSR set of practices. We provide financial support to a number of open-source projects, including Chakra UI, JSdelivr, Graphile, Mastodon and Bulma among others. We incentivize our developers to contribute to open-source projects, promoting collaboration and skill growth. Finally, we actively participate in open-source communities, attend conferences and events and support open-source initiatives.
Conclusion
Overall, there are many benefits to using OSS. While there are inevitable cons, the pros generally outweigh the disadvantages, explaining why most software today uses OSS in parts or its entirety. At this point, there is little room for the usage to grow, but we are likely to see innovative ways in which collaboration happens to develop new ideas and technologies.
However, the most significant learning point is that whether you decide to develop your project using open- or closed-source, proprietary software, you should always have the right people on board to make it happen. At BairesDev, we are experts at engineering software with open-source and incorporating OSS components into any part of the developing process, using it at the system’s core or in specific processes, like quality assurance, implementation, maintenance, or any other. We can offer you the top 1% of IT talent, high-quality results, and the assessment you need for your open-source project to succeed.
