Open source software for business: benefits and limits

What open source software is

It's software whose source code is public and released under a licence that allows you to use, study, modify and redistribute it. Many projects are maintained by a community and a company that also offers a cloud version or paid support.

It isn't "amateur" software: web servers, databases, operating systems and tools used by large companies are open source.

Benefits for a business

• No per-user licences: adding someone to the team doesn't add another monthly fee.
• Data under your control: host it on your own server, NAS or a cloud you choose, and know where your customers' information is.
• Independence: if the vendor changes prices or terms, or you change provider, the tool is still yours.
• Customisation: fields, modules and integrations that fit the way you work.

What to keep in mind

• Someone has to maintain it: security updates, backups and monitoring. Self-hosted software that nobody updates is a risk.
• Setup: it has to be installed, configured and loaded with data. It's not as instant as signing up to a cloud service.
• Choose the project carefully: look for an active community, recent releases and documentation.

Common tools in a small business

• CRM: Twenty, to manage customers and opportunities.
• Invoicing and management: Dolibarr, with quotes, invoices, stock and projects.
• VPN: WireGuard or OpenVPN, for secure access to the office network.
• Files and calendars: Nextcloud, as a private cloud.

When it makes sense

It suits businesses with several users, that want to keep data in a known place or already have a server or NAS. For one person who needs something right away, a subscription may be more practical.