Open source software is publicly available software that anyone can use and edit. Lots of software is “closed source,” which means the creator or owner has proprietary control over it and may exclusively use it, edit it, and sell it. Open source software, like closed source software, contains licenses—but open source licenses attempt to promote a sort of open source mentality: collaboration over competition. While most open software is free, some open software creators make money by providing installation and troubleshooting support. Read on to learn about a number of popular open source software.
 
LibreOffice is an open source office suite (the successor to OpenOffice) that focuses on improving business productivity and efficiency. It has a straightforward interface, and includes applications (all free!) that help businesses function. Writer, a word processor, is similar to Microsoft Word. Calc is a spreadsheet application. Math is an application for formulas and calculations. Base is a hub for databases. Impress is a presentation software. Draw lets uses create graphics and freeform charts. Compatible with common Microsoft software, LibreOffice offers great flexibility and adaptability. In 2016, LibreOffice gained some new security features, as well as updates to formula capacities in Calc.
 
Rocket.Chat, an open source software for real-time communication, connects employees with both other employees and customers. It is often billed as an alternative to Slack, the closed source business chat tool. Rocket.Chat houses video conferencing, voice messages, and file sharing capacities. Businesses can also link their website to the platform, allowing employees to respond to customers quickly and efficiently. It is also compatible with mobile devices. This platform is flexible, meaning businesses can configure it to best suit their preferred style of communication.
 
Mattermost is another chat service that, like Rocket.Chat, is open source. There are no video conferencing or voice recording options, but it does have a strong commitment to security. Users can chat, share videos, and upload files. This software is available for 11 languages. Search and archiving capacities ensure users never lose track of past messages. Like Rocket.Chat, Mattermost is billed as an alternative to Slack; however, is it also compatible with Slack features.
 
One of the most popular open source software out there, WordPress is a blogging platform that lets individuals and companies host commercial and personal websites for free; it currently hosts millions of websites. WordPress users around the world host WordCamps, which teach newbies how to best engage with the software. Users choose from a variety of themes, or build their own using PHP, HTML, and CSS. Premium themes are available for purchase.
 
Audacity is sound platform that is a free alternative to expensive options like LogicPro. Audacity users can record audio through a microphone, or upload prerecorded tracks. Audacity is able to import files and combine them with others; it can also export tracks into a variety of formats (WAV, AIFF, AU, FLAC). The software includes simple editing tools (like copy and paste) that are easy to use. Users can also clip and draw tracks. Audacity also lets users undo and redo changes. Users can alter pitch and tempo independently; there are a myriad of tools for altering frequencies.
 
Notepad++ is a code editor (Windows-based) that supports CSS, C, C++, Java, JavaScript, SQL, HTML, XML, and PHP. It has auto completion capacities as well as syntax highlighting features. Users can customize this platform to their own specifications. Written in C++, this open source software released its most recent update on January 17, 2017.
 
Other popular open source software includes TrueCrypt, an encryption software; Odoo, a management productivity software; GIMP, an image editing tool; and Mozilla Firefox, an extremely popular web browser used by many professionals.