by Muhammad Fahd Waseem

Created on: June 02, 2009   Last Updated: June 08, 2009

Open source software (OSS) is software for which the underlying coding and programming is available for viewing and use. This also means that OSS is generally free, i.e. you do not have to pay to use it, though there are some cases where you still have to pay to buy it from the original code writer.

On the other hand, closed source software is the software you normally pay for, such as products by Microsoft. Once again, closed source software can be free (for example, Adobe Acrobat Reader), but generally, these are crippled versions of the actual program that the vendor wants to entice you to buy.

There is a world of difference between open source and closed source software. To begin with, let us assume that open source software is free, and closed source software is not.

The pros and cons of open source software, then, are given below.

Pros

OSS is generally free. The code can be taken and modified to match your needs. Because the source code is available, programmers around the world continuously improve and evolve the code, particularly if the program is used by many people. The complete operating system Linux is one such example. Open source programs often have unique functionality that is not available in closed source software. This is because it might be commercially unfeasible for the software vendor to incorporate it, while open source programmers have no such worries. OSS can often be used a base to build your own software solutions. Some OSS is actually superior to closed source alternatives because of the ongoing contributions to the development of that project.

Cons

Possibly the main disadvantage with OSS is the lack of technical support. When you pay for closed source software, you expect the vendor to help you when you cannot figure out something. With OSS, the only support you will get is from the active 'community' (on forums, mail groups, etc)/ Because OSS is unpaid work, many projects are abandoned if they do not generate sufficient community interest. You may be left using something that no one supports any more. There are, sometime, issues with quality control and lack of documentation. To implement complex professional solutions with OSS, you need the relevant expertise in the specific programming language or system the specific OSS was written in. Getting used to the differences of OSS and closed source software, particularly in terms of functionality paradigms and interfaces can often be a hassle.

A decision between open source and closed source software needs to take into consideration all these pros and cons of OSS.

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