Open source describes software whose source code, the human-readable instructions that make it work, is published for anyone to read, use, modify and share. The rights come from a license attached to the code. WordPress, Linux, Firefox, WooCommerce and PrestaShop are well-known examples.

It concerns anyone choosing tools for an online business. Open source options often look free next to paid platforms, and in a sense they are. This page explains what the term really means, how licenses work, what it costs to run open source software and how to decide between open source and a hosted service.

What is open source?

Software is open source when its code is available and its license grants a set of freedoms. The Open Source Initiative, the organization that maintains the official definition, lists ten criteria. In practice, they come down to a few rights.

  • Use it for any purpose, including commercial use, without asking permission.
  • Read the code to understand how it works.
  • Change it to fit your needs.
  • Share it, in its original or modified form, with the same freedoms.

The license is what makes software open source. Publishing code on GitHub is not enough. Without a license, the author keeps all rights and nobody can legally reuse it.

Some related vocabulary helps.

  • Free software: a close idea from the Free Software Foundation, focused on users' freedom rather than development method. "Free" refers to freedom of use, whatever the price.
  • Proprietary software: code owned by a company and not shared, used under a commercial license. Most SaaS products are proprietary.
  • Source-available: code you can read but with restrictions, such as no competing commercial use. It looks open but does not meet the official definition.
  • Self-hosted: you install and run the software on your own server. Most open source business tools are self-hosted, though some vendors also sell a hosted version.
  • Community edition and enterprise edition: many companies offer a free open source version and a paid version with extra features and support.

Why it matters

Open source matters because it changes what you pay for. You don't pay for a license, but you pay in time, hosting and expertise.

Imagine a small brand comparing two ways to run a store with 500 orders a month. A hosted platform costs $39 a month, with hosting, security, updates and support included, so about $470 a year. An open source store, such as WooCommerce or PrestaShop, is free to download. But the brand needs hosting at around $30 a month, a few paid extensions at about $300 a year, and a developer for setup, updates and fixes, say 5 hours a month at $60 an hour. That adds up to about $4,260 a year, plus the initial build.

The open source option gives more freedom. The brand can change anything, own its code and move host at any time. The hosted option costs less and needs no technical skills. Neither is better in absolute terms. The right choice depends on your skills, your budget and how unusual your needs are.

How it works

Open source software follows a simple life cycle.

  • A project publishes code in a public repository, often on GitHub or GitLab, with a license file.
  • The license sets the rules. Permissive licenses such as MIT, Apache 2.0 and BSD let you do almost anything, including using the code in closed products. Copyleft licenses such as the GPL require that modified versions you distribute stay open under the same license. The AGPL extends that rule to software offered over a network.
  • People use and improve it. Users report bugs, developers propose changes and maintainers review and merge them.
  • Releases and updates follow. New versions add features and fix security issues. If you run the software yourself, applying updates is your job.
  • Money comes from around the code. Projects are funded by hosting services, paid editions, support contracts, sponsors or companies that rely on them.

Benchmarks and examples

  • Websites and content: WordPress powers a large share of all websites, and many headless CMSs, such as Strapi and Payload, are open source.
  • Ecommerce: WooCommerce, PrestaShop and Magento Open Source let merchants run a store on their own server.
  • Infrastructure: Linux runs most of the world's servers, and much of the internet depends on open source databases and web servers.
  • Everyday tools: Firefox, VLC, LibreOffice and Blender are open source.
  • Typical costs to run an open source store: hosting from $10 to $100 a month for a small shop, premium themes and plugins from $50 to $300 each, and developer time from a few hours a month to a full-time role as the business grows.
  • Who uses it: developers, agencies, companies with technical teams, and merchants with very specific needs. Creators and small stores without technical help usually prefer hosted tools.

Common mistakes

  • Thinking open source means free. The license is free, but hosting, maintenance and expertise are not.
  • Skipping updates. Outdated plugins and core versions are a common cause of hacked websites.
  • Ignoring the license. Using GPL or AGPL code in a product you sell can oblige you to share your own code. Check before building on it.
  • Installing too many extensions. Each plugin adds risk, slows the site and can break during updates.
  • Choosing an abandoned project. A project with no recent releases or active maintainers may stop receiving security fixes.

Best practices

  • Check activity before adopting. Look at the last release date, the number of contributors and how quickly issues are answered.
  • Read the license. Know whether it is permissive or copyleft and what that means for your use.
  • Budget the full cost. Include hosting, backups, security, updates and developer time, not only setup.
  • Keep everything updated. Schedule updates monthly and test them on a copy of your site first.
  • Limit extensions. Install only the plugins you need, from reputable sources.
  • Contribute back when you can. Reporting bugs, sponsoring maintainers or sharing fixes keeps the tools you depend on alive.

In Roctify

Roctify is a hosted platform with its own code. You don't install, host or update anything. Security, hosting with free SSL, updates and backups are handled for you, and you start free with 10 products and 0% transaction fees on every plan. That removes the technical work that comes with self-hosted open source stores.

The trade-off is that you don't edit the platform's code. Instead, you get a link-in-bio page, a full storefront and one shared catalog ready to use, and your data stays yours, with customer and order exports on the Pro plan.

FAQ

Is open source software free?

The software is free to download and use, but running it is rarely free. You usually pay for hosting, premium extensions, security and the time of someone who keeps it updated. Some projects also sell paid editions or support.

What is the difference between open source and free software?

Both give users the right to use, study, change and share the code, and most licenses qualify as both. The difference is mainly in philosophy. Free software emphasizes users' freedom as an ethical principle, while open source emphasizes the practical benefits of open development.

Is open source safe for an online store?

It can be very safe, since many people review popular code. Safety depends on how you run it. Keep the core, theme and plugins updated, use trusted extensions, choose reliable hosting and back up regularly. A store left without updates is the main risk.