Open Source vs. Proprietary Software for Web and Mobile Development

open source Software

According to Gartner research on IT professionals in organizations, it shows that more than half have adopted open source software for their specific tasks or projects. Many companies are content to stick with the open source system. Another 21% were evaluating the appropriateness of using free programs in their organization. Companies in the IT department have attributed lower license costs as the main reason for turning to free software. In addition, they offer flexibility, rapid application development, faster acquisitions, sophistication, and higher return on investment. Popular operating system tools include Linux OS, BSD, Apache, MySQL and PostgreSQL, Amazon Cloud services, and many more. Open source software has dominated mobile operating systems and apps and is popular for its free downloads.

Characteristics

• Open source software is meant to solve specific problems that businesses face, particularly those on the web.
• Access to source code
• Ability to customize code to support specific functions or processes
• Lower cost, optimization and flexibility
• Maintenance, support costs and risks involved
• Reduced application development time and faster acquisitions
• Community code review is a major benefit
• Top bug fixes
• Lack of professional services from the provider.
• Questionable IP protection
• Code security and quality
• Market acceptance gained
• Professional services and automatic updates are readily available
• Ability to achieve everything that proprietary software can do

Developers can create native mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android using the framework as a backend. We can create mobile-enabled websites and turn the website into a mobile application using the specific features of the device such as GPS, accelerometer, camera, etc.

proprietary software

Proprietary software is used by companies that use a license agreement with the provider to install the software that has certain terms and conditions of use. Proprietary software requires annual license fee payment at a percentage of the cost of the software. Companies have to go back to the original vendor for product changes and it limits their use of the software without providing flexibility and customization. This is not the case with free programs where companies can customize the software according to business requirements. Classic examples of proprietary packages are Microsoft Windows and Unix.

Characteristics

• The source code is not made public
• Easier to adopt: Capture a moment in time, but one that is also in retreat.
• Expensive, hard-to-justify and often wasteful maintenance expenses
• Major system integrators like Accenture, Unisys, CSC, Oracle are rapidly expanding their expertise to cover open source databases, middleware and applications.
• IP protection is not good
• No clear advantage on security and code quality.

Conclusion

There are a variety of factors that need to be resolved to determine the right CMS strategy, whether it is an open source or proprietary solution or hybrid software, each with its own advantages. However, small and medium businesses can choose open source software like Drupal or WordPress to pursue their own business model without any risk. They are fully customizable, scalable, secure, and provide an enterprise-grade experience.