What is free software and what are its benefits?

Nowadays, many people have heard of Linux as the free alternative to Windows. Many have also heard of free software or open source, but most people do not know exactly what it is, what benefits it brings to companies and how it differs from closed source software.

What is free software?

Have you ever wondered what free software is? Free software is the term used to define open source software that allows users to view its source code, modify it and distribute it, either free of charge or for a fee.

Free software should not be confused with software that costs nothing, since free software is not necessarily free of charge.

If the software is available free of charge but the user cannot modify the source, it is not free software. We speak of free software when the user can modify and use it freely, whereas with freeware we do not have to pay for the software but cannot modify it or see its source code.

An example of free software is WordPress. It allows designers and developers to create themes that extend the functionality of the CMS and turn it into a much more versatile platform.

The 4 freedoms of free software

For a program to be considered free software, it must have the following characteristics:

Freedom to use it

The first freedom allows us to use the program for whatever purpose we want.

Freedom to study it

This lets us use the program’s source code to study it in depth, find out how it works, learn what it does and know what it contains. It is important to bear in mind that we must have all of the source code and not just a part of it, because otherwise we will not be able to analyse it thoroughly.

Freedom to distribute it

We can distribute it free of charge or in exchange for payment. It is often distributed for a fee and all the freedoms are still respected.

Freedom to improve it

Whenever an improvement is made, we can share it with our clients, collaborators and employees in order to raise the standard and quality of projects.

Are open source and free software the same thing?

The answer is NO! 

Although open source and free software share the same goal of offering users greater freedom and transparency, they go about it in different ways.

The main difference between free software and open source is that free software always puts ethical and moral questions first, leaving the technical side in second place.

Open source programs, by contrast, prioritise technical aspects over ethical questions about licences and rights.

We must not forget that software does not have to be free in order to be open source, but all the products created and developed with it DO have to be free.

Benefits of free software

1. Continuous development and improvement

Being able to access the source code means that many users can review and test the code and, as a result, we can log the program’s bugs in order to improve it and so make it more secure.

Thanks to this, we will not have to wait for the software vendor to release a new update or publish a new version that fixes the bugs in the previous one.

2. We do not depend on big software vendors

Since we do not depend on the company that makes the software, we can carry out system migrations and updates ourselves whenever we consider it appropriate and necessary, based on the notes we have made during the reviews.

3. Savings on acquisition, maintenance and renewal costs

It is much cheaper to update or carry out a mass installation of open software because we do not have to invest in annual licences, so our users save money and resources that they can invest in other programs and/or services.

4. We can make copies

As mentioned earlier in the freedoms, free software can be copied without the need for new licences to distribute it.

5. It gives us autonomy

Users are the ones in control of the source code, and therefore have the freedom to use the software for any purpose and to adapt it to the company’s own needs and those of its users.