Open-source software
Open source, off-the-shelf or custom: choosing with eyes open
How to compare licences, support, ownership and running costs before you choose.
· 1 min read · Neturon
Open-source software can remove licence fees and avoid lock-in, but it is not free to run. The fair comparison is the total cost and risk over several years, not the price on day one.
Questions to ask of any option
- Licence: what it allows, and what it requires if you change or distribute the code.
- Community and maintainers: is it actively updated, and are security fixes released promptly?
- Support: who fixes it at short notice, in-house, a partner or the vendor?
- Data: can you export everything in a usable format if you move away?
- Hosting: where it runs, and who keeps it patched.
Where custom software fits
Custom code is worth it for the part of the system that is specific to your business. A common pattern is to build on well-supported open-source foundations, such as a database, framework or content system, and write only the parts that make your process different.
Ownership
Agree in writing who owns the custom code, where it is stored, and what documentation is handed over. That keeps you free to change supplier later.
Related service
Open-Source & Custom Software
If this matches a piece of work you are planning, tell us about it and we will suggest a sensible first step.
General guidance only. It is not legal, financial or regulatory advice, and it does not describe the results of any client project.
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