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SOFTWARE

The Advantages and Disadvantages of

Commercial and Open Source Software

Bob Jarabeck

Waynesburg University
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SOFTWARE

Abstract
This paper investigates the needs and concerns of software users including their expectations and

concerns pertaining to the effectiveness and dependability of the software they choose in their

day to day activities. Commercial and Open Source software both offer solutions to users who

seek ways to manipulate and deliver digital information as simply and completely as possible.

This paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of Commercial software while also doing

the same for Open Source software. This paper also examines the positives and negatives of both

types of software for the user and ultimately offers key points to consider when choosing

between Commercial and Open Source software offerings.

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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Open Source and Commercial Software

At the simplest level, the ability to reach digital information requires two types of

technology. There is a need for a hardware device, such as a computer, as well as software

applications to bring about access to the seemingly endless amount of useful information that

helps shape the world around us. While hardware is an absolutely necessary part of the process,

software applications are the unique instructions that tell the hardware how to complete tasks

(Shelly, Cashman, Gunter, & Gunter, 2007, p. 4). Software applications determine how

information is displayed, how it can be manipulated, and ultimately how useful the digital

information being accessed is to the end user. Because of the vast importance of software

applications, two approaches to its development and delivery have been established.

Commercial software applications as well as Open Source software applications are both viable,

respected options for the delivery and manipulation of digital information. Both software options

have high levels of advantages as to why that particular method of development is the best

option. There are also negative aspects of both development methods that need to be considered.

For the end user to receive optimum access to digital information, both Commercial software and

Open Source software development methods need to be analyzed to determine and address the

positives and negatives of both types of software applications.

Commercial Software: Advantages

Commercial software can be defined as any software developed to be sold to consumers

(Dictionary.com, 2010). It is common for Commercial software to be licensed as proprietary

software. This means that the user must acknowledge an agreement to use the software in a

specific manner as well as not perform specific activities stated in the agreement. Examples of
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Commercial software include the Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and Sony Vegas

Movie Studio. These software applications cost a fee, require acknowledgement of a user

agreement, and offer technical support for the user.

Commercial software is provided by companies committed to offering quality products

that can be relied upon and trusted to perform as expected whenever necessary. Companies such

as Microsoft take pride in ensuring high levels of satisfaction among their customers (Microsoft,

2010). These companies realize that customers interested in their products are looking for

trustworthy, reliable solutions to their software needs. Knowing that a Commercial software

company has obtained the experience and resources to offer quality products in the present, past

and future gives potential customers the peace of mind that they are making a wise decision for

their software needs.

Commercial software offers users customer support to troubleshoot issues when

necessary. This service is a very important advantage to consider when choosing a particular

software application. Often Commercial software from companies like Adobe includes phone

support, online knowledge base support, customer support portals, and remote access (Adobe,

2010). These various types of support serve to keep customer frustration at a minimum. By

offering various solutions, it is likely that software issues will be corrected in a timely manner.

Research and development are two other factors that can be deemed advantages of

Commercial software. Companies such as Intuit Labs take pride in the ideas being developed for

future software applications (Intuit Labs, 2010). Without research and development, Commercial

software could not continue to improve and evolve. Commercial software vendors have the

unique ability to use revenue gained from software sales to better their products. Money obtained
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by software sales fund further research and development which in turn leads to new, innovative

products that customers expect.

Commercial Software: Disadvantages

The cost of Commercial software can be a concern especially in an economic era of

uncertainty. There is an ever-growing need to practice high levels of fiscal responsibility when

choosing appropriate software applications. Responsible software decisions must take into

account the overall effectiveness of the software while also considering the overall cost. These

costs, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, can be hard to judge because many

software vendors do not make their prices easily accessible to potential customers (Boyd, 2009).

When the possibility of making a bad software purchase can be so costly, potential customers

must be properly informed on cost.

Security can also be considered a disadvantage of Commercial software. Commercial

software, because of its mainstream use, is under constant attack. Vulnerabilities are exploited on

a daily basis to allow computer systems to become compromised. Even Commercial software

such as Microsoft Windows 7 is susceptible to vulnerability exploitation. (Darknet, 2010) The

potential safety of Commercial software is also a concern because the source code of the

software is locked and unobtainable to the common user without breaking the License

Agreement agreed to when purchasing the software. (Kruger, 2004) Users are not able to inspect

the source code to find vulnerabilities before they are exploited by individuals with bad

intentions. Such safety concerns are of the utmost importance when considering Commercial

software.
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Another aspect of Commercial software that can be seen as a disadvantage is license

management. License agreements set by Commercial software vendors for software users control

the amount of licenses issued, the length of time the licenses are valid, and the level of support

provided as a result of the licenses (LawSmart.com, 2010). Commercial software vendors offer

license management solutions, but they can be confusing due to the sheer number of choices as

well as the detailed language of the agreement (Szilagyi, 2009). The process of managing

licenses reaches a higher level of complexity as the amount of software licenses being obtained

rises. Without proper knowledge of the agreement, license management can become confusing

and do more harm than good for the end user of the software.

Open Source Software: Advantages

Open source software involves computer applications that make the source code of the

program readily available at no extra cost to the user. Also, open source software must be able to

be distributed without cost. Charging for distribution would change the software to proprietary or

closed source software. Another characteristic of Open Source software is that the program must

be able to be modified (Weber, 2004 p. 5). Once modified, the new version of the program can

also be redistributed to users. These three substantial features differentiate closed source

software from commercial software and give users various choices to consider when looking for

the best software application to meet their needs.

Steven Weber (2004) writes the following on the topic of open source software:

The Essence of Open Source software is that source code is free. That is, the source code

for Open Source software is released along with the software to anyone and everyone
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who chooses to use it. “Free” in this content means freedom (not necessarily zero price).

Free source code is open, public, and nonproprietary. (p. 5)

Open Source software can be a low cost solution for users who would otherwise look to

higher cost commercial offerings. When comparing two Operating systems, Ubuntu Linux and

Microsoft Windows XP, the value of the lower cost of the Open Source software becomes

evident. Ubuntu Linux is free and can be installed on as many machines as desired, but Microsoft

Windows XP costs at least $100 dollars per instance of installation (Horowitz, 2007). If the

software needs to be installed on ten machines the cost of the Open Source option is zero, but the

Commercial Source software application reaches $1000. With more efficient budgeting

becoming a necessity, the lower cost of Open Source software can be appealing to users.

Dependence on software vendors is another concern that needs to be considered by users

when choosing a software application. A software vendor has the ability to develop new

versions of their software and release it to the public whenever they feel it is necessary. This by

itself can be good because new versions of software can fix known issues and add new features.

However, a problem can arise when Commercial software vendors decide to phase out support

for older versions of their software. Users who may be content with older versions of software

are forced to upgrade if they desire to continue to have vendor support of their software

(Computer Economics, 2005). Open Source software applications do not require upgrades

licensing fees when an update is offered. If a user decides that newer versions of an open source

application do not meet their needs, they can simply not upgrade or look for another alternative.

Because of the low investment cost of Open Source software and more reasonable licensing
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agreements, a user does not have to worry about previous investment costs when ensuring an

adequate return on their investment.

Open Source software makes an effort to simplify the license management for users. In

order for a software application to truly be deemed Open Source software it must meet specific

guidelines in the following areas: (Open Source Initiative, N.D)

• Free Redistribution

• Source Code

• Derived Works

• Integrity of the Author’s Source Code

• No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups

• No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor

• Distribution of License

• License Must Not Be Specific to a Product

• License Must Not Restrict Other Software

• License Must Be Technology-Neutral

Of those areas mentioned, the two that are most noticeably valuable to the user are free

redistribution of software and source code availability. They allow multiple instances of the
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software to be installed without separate license fees and the ability to modify the software to

meet the users’ needs respectively. Having the ability to install the software on as many

machines as necessary truly simplifies the sometimes confusing task of license management.

Being able to modify the source code gives the user the ability to custom tailor the software to

meet his needs without worrying about violating the software licensed agreement.

Open Source Software: Disadvantages

Because of the low overhead cost of many Open Source software applications, issues

with the level of support offered can come into question. There are resources such as tutorials

available on the Internet that offer some level of support, but the validity and effectives of their

offerings can be questionable at times (ecomsolutions, 2007). Open Source software companies

are generally smaller than their commercial counterparts; resources cannot always be allocated to

customer support when more pressing issues such as software development must first be

completed. There is little benefit to the Open Source software company, or the end user for

support to be offered when the software application being created is not completely developed.

Customer support is expensive to provide, especially for a company offering open source

software for little or no charge.

Another concern of Open Source software for the user is the reliability of future development of

the product (ecomsolutions, 2007). Many Open Source software companies have not been

developing software as long as companies in the commercial sector. Their ability to handle crisis

situations, and their capacity to evolve as deemed necessary by the user base has not been tested

as thoroughly as Commercial software offerings. Open Source software does not guarantee that

future updates will occur. Although Open Source software vendors generally try to keep their
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software current to users, there is nothing stopping the vendor from ending development for any

reason they deem appropriate at any time. Users who depend on their software to deliver

solutions to their needs now and into the future need to consider the volatility of Open Source

software development.

Both Commercial and Open Source software options have high levels of upside as well as

negative aspects that need to be considered by the user. Commercial software offers the

reassurance of a quality, experienced development company, high levels of research and

development for their software offerings, and satisfactory levels of customer support. Users must

also consider cost, security, and license management to ensure all aspects of Commercial

Software are addressed in the decision making process. Open Source software offers the

advantages of low cost, lack of software vendor dependence, and simplified license management.

The disadvantages of minimal user support and the uncertainty of future software development

must also be considered to ensure an appropriate, well researched user decision. There is not a

clear cut formula to determine which type of software is the best choice for a specific user; it is

necessary for the user to research both options thoroughly. If the user determines their needs and

then chooses the software that excels in those areas, it is then that the best type of software has

been chosen.
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