Benefits of Open Source vs. Proprietary Software

Open source software offers a number of advantages over proprietary software. Many businesses prefer open source options as it reduces the procurement barrier. A survey conducted by Black Duck Software and North Bridge revealed that 78% of today’s businesses already rely on open-source software for increased security and the lack of licensing fees. It is estimated that the use of open source saves businesses $60 billion (USD) annually.

Proprietary software is built with hidden source code and offered via a licensing system that users must pay for and agree to abide by in order to use the software. As a user of proprietary software, you become dependent upon the developer for all updates, support, and fixes – making the discovery of security issues slow and their patches even slower.

In addition to improved security and ability to use open source software without paying licensing fees, other benefits of open source software include: 

Continuous Improvement

With developers all over the world contributing to the code of open source software, bugs and defects are found and corrected proactively, along with the development of new features and code to improve performance. For example, the Payara team’s community involvement ensures monthly releases, bug fixes, and patches are rolled into the Payara Platform.

Continuous Availability

While proprietary software companies can choose to render their older programs redundant and force organizations to upgrade to the latest version to continue receiving support, open source products are ensured longevity as no single entity “owns” the code. The Payara Platform also provides a 10-year support lifecycle, so organizations aren’t repeatedly forced to upgrade to the latest version. 

Customization Potential

Open source software can be modified and customized to meet the unique needs of each organization. The Payara Platform is open source software with a future you help define. Paid support customers can make features and enhancement requests to ensure their exact requirements are met. 

Avoiding Vendor Lock-in

When using proprietary software with a “closed” format, companies are often tied to that specific vendor and their pricing for upgrades, add-ons, and security improvements. Open source software gives organizations more flexibility.