Which do you choose for your business?

So you’re business is running nicely, but you’d like to make sure that you use the right software for you, and at the right price. You realize that there is free, open source software available that can do almost the same things as the paid proprietary software that you’re currently running, but is it any good? Both proprietary software and open source systems have their strengths and weaknesses, so on the surface it’s difficult to make the choice; ultimately, it’s down to your own needs and requirements.

Lets take a look at the pros and cons of each in turn.

What is Proprietary Software?

Proprietary software includes systems like the Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, AutoCAD and McAfee VirusScan. many businesses use these suites more than any other. Although a few are free, others require a monthly or yearly subscription.

Advantages of Proprietary Software

  • Feature Rich: Proprietary software typically includes specific features and capabilities, especially with commercial business-related software.
  • Superior User Experience: Proprietary programs tend to cater for a specific audience, and seek to provide a superior user experience for those users.
  • Support, Options, and Upgrades: Usually, these application suites include regular upgrades, technical support and a range of options and tools.
  • Functional & Intuitive: Proprietary software tools tend to be more intuitive, easier to use, and tend to offer greater functionality than their open-source counterparts.
  • Continual Development: Programs are updated and upgraded continuously in order to add features, detect errors, and remove bugs & security vulnerabilities.
  • Best Practices & Industry Standards: Software developers stay up-to-date with the latest industry standards, and develop their programs accordingly.

Disadvantages of Proprietary Software

  • Software Licensing: The vast majority of proprietary applications require a software license per user in order to install and use them. And upgrades & patches are continuous, so maintenance subscriptions are also recommended, so the cost can add up quickly.
  • Developer Dependence: Users depend on developers for support, updates and upgrades.
  • Too Many Features: Since many proprietary applications contain features that are only used by particular individuals or departments, you may end up having to purchase a full software license for a program that you only use the basic features of.
  • Proprietary Code: Applications and suites are owned by the developers and companies that created them, and as such, their source code is unavailable to anyone outside the company, and cannot be edited by the end user, so if additional features are needed, you’ll need to upgrade to a more advanced version, which often costs extra.
  • Manufacturer Confidence: If a developer goes out of business, or a software company decides to no longer develop a particular package, you end up having to switch to another program, which can be time-consuming and difficult to learn, which impacts your ROI.

What is Open Source Software?

Open source software differs from proprietary applications in that developers provide users with their source code which is free to use and modify. Open source software has become very popular in recent years, especially in the IT sector. Open source programs are currently used in a variety of sectors, including business, education, and personal projects. Typical examples of popular open source programs include Mozilla’s Firefox web browser, Open office, the WordPress CMS, and Blogger.

Source code is available to all the users, and according to their individual requirements, they have the option to edit, modify, or share code, and of course their own code snippets. Open source licenses come bundled with this provision, which grants permission for the users to alter the software.

Advantages of Open Source Software

  • Cost Effective: Most open source software is free to install, use, and edit. Despite this, quality control is tight so software is normally good, so for businesses with a tight budget, open source software can lead to significant amount of cost savings. 
  • Reliability: Open source software is created and guided by expert software developers, so it does tend to be robust and bug-free. Additionally, applications are continuously monitored by a team of expert developers tasked to fix bugs quickly.
  • Flexibility: In contrast to proprietary software, open source product users do not experience vendor lock-in. Users can effectively remove features they don’t need.
  • Scalability: Similar to Linux OS, open source applications can also be grown easily, and can be scaled up and down so that businesses can achieve their goals with an excellent ROI.
  • Licensing: Open source software offers convenient license schemes, so users don’t need to worry about monitoring, tracking, location, or the number of times it can be installed and used.
  • Error Free: The vast number of software developers that are involve in maintaining an open source product are usually present as a community, and they ensure that the software is error free of bugs and issues.  When a bug is found, the user can quickly report it to the open source community, so that it can be fixed by the development team.

Disadvantages of Open Source Software

  • User Friendly: Many open source applications are not that friendly or easy to use to those with an average handle on technology. IT teams and other tech-savvy people will understand them, but if the software is used in an organization, the employees must be trained to operate it correctly. Companies may need to hire trainers if they don’t have the necessary expertise in-house, which will add additional expense.
  • Security: As mentioned previously, open source software code is free to edit. But problems arise if someone misuses the code for their own benefits, for instance, hackers could use the code for identity theft or other malicious intent.
  • Compatibility: Some operating systems cannot support both open source software and proprietary software. If proprietary hardware needs to run on an open source machine, it requires third party drivers. However, that cannot guarantee that the hardware will work on the host machine. Therefore, before purchasing hardware, check that it is supported by the open source application.
  • Maintenance: Even though open source software is generally free to use, there can still be hidden costs, especially in regards to maintenance. Third-party support may be needed at some point, which could be an additional expense.
  • Drivers: Finding the right drivers for your hardware components can be difficult as the driver must be supported by the operating system you use, so new hardware components installed on your computer could fail.
  • Support: Technical issues can be commonplace with open source software. But unlike proprietary software, open source software does not offer support service. Open source support services must be researched and found online, but because open source software is created by multiple developers, no one person is liable for an error. The best option is to contact the provider, or rely on third-party support services, which can be expensive

In Conclusion

So there you have it ; the pros-and-cons of proprietary and open-source software laid bare.

Which is right for your business? Only you can decide on that, but before you make your decision, review the pros-and-cons listed above, and make a list of what’s important to you. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have a clearer picture of what you need, where your strengths are – especially in regards to IT, the technical ability of your staff, your budget, and your preferred computers and operating systems – then you’ll be able to make an educated decision that can save you money in the long run.


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