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Difference Between Free Software and Open Source Software

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146 views4 pages

Difference Between Free Software and Open Source Software

Uploaded by

Romhea Matmyr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Difference between Free Software and Open Source Software

Free Software:
“Free software” means software that respects users’ freedom and community. Roughly, it
means that the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve
the software. The term “free software” is sometimes misunderstood—it has nothing to do
with price. It is about freedom.
Advantages:
• Cost: Free software is typically free to use, modify and distribute.
• Freedom: Free software is often accompanied by a set of ethical principles that
promote users’ freedom to use, study, modify, and share the software.
• Collaboration: Free software often encourages collaboration among developers and
users, leading to faster development and better quality software.
• Transparency: Free software is often developed in a transparent way, with the
source code and development process available for public scrutiny.
• Flexibility: Free software can be used on a wide range of platforms and devices.
Disadvantages:
• Support: While free software does have a community of developers and users, it may
not always have the same level of professional support as commercial software.
• Compatibility: Free software may not always be compatible with other software
applications and hardware devices.
• Security: Because free software is available for everyone to use and modify, it may be
easier for malicious actors to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
• Complexity: Free software can be more complex and difHicult to use than commercial
software, especially for non-technical users.
• Documentation: Free software may not always have the same level of documentation
and user guides as commercial software.
Open Source Software:
Open Source Software is something that you can modify as per your needs, and share with
others without any licensing violation burden. When we say Open Source, the source code
of the software is available publicly with Open Source licenses like GNU (GPL) which allows
you to edit the source code and distribute it. Read these licenses and you will realize that
these licenses are created to help us.

1. Coined by the development environments around software produced by open


collaboration of software developers on the internet.
2. Later speciHied by the Open Source Initiative (OSI).
3. It does not explicitly state ethical values, besides those directly associated with
software development.
Advantages:
• Cost: Open source software is typically free to use, modify and distribute.
• Customization: The source code of open source software is available to everyone,
allowing users to modify and customize it to suit their needs.
• Community support: Open source software often has a large community of
developers and users who contribute to its development and provide support.
• Transparency: The source code of open source software is open for everyone to see,
making it easier to identify and Hix bugs and vulnerabilities.
• Flexibility: Open source software can be used on a wide range of platforms and
devices.
Disadvantages:
• Support: While open source software does have a large community of developers
and users, it may not always have the same level of professional support as
commercial software.
• Compatibility: Open source software may not always be compatible with other
software applications and hardware devices.
• Security: Because the source code of open source software is available to everyone,
it may be easier for malicious actors to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
• Complexity: Open source software can be more complex and difHicult to use than
commercial software, especially for non-technical users.
• Documentation: Open source software may not always have the same level of
documentation and user guides as commercial software.
Similarities:
• Both free software and open source software have access to the source code,
allowing users to modify and improve the software.
• Both types of software often rely on a community of users and developers to provide
support and contribute to the development of the software.
• Both free software and open source software are often distributed under open
licenses, allowing users to use, modify, and distribute the software without
restrictions.

• Difference between Free Software and Open Source Software:

S.No. FS Philosophy OSS Philosophy

In response to the restrictions of free


It was coined by the Free Software
software, the phrase “open source” was
Foundation in the 1980s.
1. coined in the late 1990s.

Software is an important part of Software is just software. There are no


2. people’s lives. ethics associated directly with it.

Software freedom translates to social Ethics are to be associated with the


3. freedom. people not with the software.
S.No. FS Philosophy OSS Philosophy

Freedom is a value that is more Freedom is not an absolute concept.


important than any economical Freedom should be allowed, not
4. advantage. imposed.

Every open-source software is not free


Every free software is open source.
5. software.

There are many different open-source


There is no such issue that exists in free software licenses, and some of them are
software. quite restricted, resulting in open-
6. source software that is not free.

No restrictions are imposed on free Open-source software occasionally


7. software. imposes some constraints on users.

Examples: The Free Software


Examples: Prime examples of open-
Directory maintains a large database of
source products are the Apache HTTP
free software packages. Some of the
Server, the e-commerce platform Open
best-known examples include the
Source Commerce, internet browsers
Linux kernel, the BSD and Linux
Mozilla Firefox, and Chromium (the
operating systems, the GNU Compiler
project where the vast majority of
Collection and C library; the MySQL
development of the freeware Google
relational database; the Apache web
Chrome is done), and the full office
server; and the Sendmail mail transport
suite LibreOffice.
8. agent.

Conclusion :
Free software and open-source software are two distinct concepts, each with its own
strengths and weaknesses. Free software is developed with the goal of promoting freedom
and giving users complete control over the software they use. Open-source software is
developed with the goal of producing high-quality software that can be used by anyone,
regardless of their technical ability. Ultimately, the choice between free software and open-
source software depends on the needs of the user and the speciHic problem they are trying
to solve.

Source:
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-free-software-and-open-source-
software/

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