Choice #2: Open Source vs. Proprietary
Software can be offered in two models: open source or proprietary software.
Open source software features a publicly shared source code, allowing users to view, edit and maintain software products. Open source software can be privately created and then turned over to the open source community, or it can be built in a crowd-sourced method.
Proprietary software is privately built, owned and maintained by a software company. Users are forced to pay a fee or buy a subscription in order to use proprietary software.
Developers are split on which type of software they prefer. Open source products tend to have a variety of plugins, strong documentation and vibrant user communities. Users also point to open source's no-cost model as being cost-effective for smaller teams.
Proprietary software users prefer a proprietary product's private repositories, dedicated support teams and routine product upkeep that doesn't rely on an external community.
What this means for software providers: Open source and proprietary software users tend to be defined subsets of the development community. Knowing an audience can help software providers target their products to customers' preferences.
What this means for software buyers: Defining needs for a development project such as budget, community, privacy and dedicated support teams helps to make the open-source and proprietary software buying decision.
Before You Buy: 5 Tips for Choosing Dev Software
Before You Buy: 5 Tips for Choosing Dev Software
With each passing day, the expected pace of development increases. With more access, more tools and more knowledge sharing, project managers expect delivery of more impressive work in less time. To meet these expectations, developers have come to rely on a variety of tools that save time, allow them to track changes, and collaborate on projects. But which ones should you choose?
G2 Crowd recently released a bundle of reports around seven categories of software development products. A variety of data trends were uncovered using real user insights. In this slideshow, Levi Olmstead and Jaclyn Rose, G2 Crowd, have identified five trends to consider when starting the process of buying development software.
