Today, I was conversing with someone who always goes for premium products and prefers using paid software over open-source software. I incline more towards open source and free software. If free alternatives are available for something, I pick them rather than using paid software. This does not mean that I never use any paid software. I only use them if it is necessary. The discussion was a long one, and I was able to take away a few things from that conversation.
Free is not low quality
Many people think that mostly Open source software is of low quality and comes with a lot of bugs. From my personal experience, I think that this is not true. I have worked on several software and have used multiple software for both my work requirements and personal use. The results have been amazing, I should say, and it depends on which software we pick and based on how we use it.
I agree that some software lack resources and they are poorly maintained, but that is not applicable to all software. Some community-driven open source projects are funded by the community because of the quality and work that individuals put into the project. I can say for sure that just because a software is free, it does not mean that it is of low quality.
More support than paid software
We have to understand that a paid software is usually backed by a company but usually open source software is a lot more than that. A big community backs the software, and if we have any questions or if we need any support, the community will jump in to help. The support from a company can be limited, but when it is public, many individuals participate, and I have helped provide support to some of the software that I use. When people ask common questions, community members jump in to help.
Minimal differences
Today, the software industry is very good, and there is a free alternative for every paid software out in the market, and these open-source software also have minimal differences when compared with paid software. When the community members think that a feature is critical, a request is made, and it is built into the product. There have been instances where even the community members participate and try to code new features. Some projects might have some bounties that are shared, and some projects may not have any budget, but people still contribute.
Community-driven testing
When the product is updated or a new release is made, the community is willing to do the testing instead of relying on a company to do the testing and release a bug-free product. More eyes on the product make it a more fail-safe and foolproof system.
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