Date First Published: 23rd July 2023
Topic: Computer Systems
Subtopic: Computer Software
Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions
Difficulty: MediumDifficulty Level: 5/10
Learn about what open-source software is in this article.
Open-source software is a type of software that is made freely available to use, modify, and distribute to the public for personal, educational, or organisation use without restrictions. This type of software is often collaborative, meaning that any user can take part in the development of it, making the total number of possible contributors unlimited.
Open-source software is the opposite of closed-source software (proprietary software), which is a type of software where the source code is not freely available, modifiable or distributable to the public. Unlike proprietary software whose funding comes from sales, open-source software is often funded through donations and ads.
Some examples of open-source software are:
Open-source software is not the same thing as freeware. Freeware is a type of software that is free to use, but the source code is not always open. For example, Google Chrome is free to use but the source code is closed and unavailable, meaning that the software cannot be modified. But, if the source code of the freeware software is open, then it is also open-source software.
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