Do you use Open Source software?

3rd party tools are awesome. They give us quick out-of-the-box solutions to common problems saving tonnes of dev time.

Unfortunately, with traditional 3rd party solutions, you have limited options for making changes to the product. You can send through feedback, but there is no guarantee that the devs will look at it, and even if they do look at it, they might not action it. So, how can we break through this locked system to get the features we want?

Open Source software is the key to making all your dreams come true 🤩.

Open Source software is a great option, but it's not always the best. Make sure to consider these points before deciding to use open source software.

Video: Utilizing Open Source Software with Brady Stroud (3 min)

✅ Benefits

Transparency - when a bug occurs you can look at the source code and easily find the area where the bug occurs
Usually free - there are some paid open source software options
Customizable - you can fork and adapt it to your own needs
Quality - open source projects have thousands of developers going through the code which ensures quality
Security - Any vulnerabilities are public so they are more likely to be noticed and fixed (This also means hackers could fix and exploit vulnerabilities)

❌ Downsides

Lifespan - Open source projects are more likely to be abandoned
Support - Paid software will typically have a support team you can get in touch with if you have issues. For open source software you can create GitHub issues, but there is a chance the repository owners wont respond