What Is Open-Source Software?

For many companies, the purchase of specialized software is one of its largest expenses. Software is used for almost every imaginable business endeavor, from human resources and accounting to design and production. However, not all software is expensive; read on to learn more about the growing movement toward open-source software.

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Software engineers working — Image source: Getty Images.

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Mozilla Firefox, a web browser. Originally based on Netscape Navigator, the browser was spawned in 1998 when the source code for the Netscape product was released. Its first major version was released in 2002 when 99% of users browsed websites with Internet Explorer, a Microsoft (MSFT -1.60%) product. By late 2024, the browser was being used by more than 160 million clients.
LibreOffice, a suite of office productivity apps. Another Microsoft rival, the open-source package offers word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and database functions that are compatible with Microsoft formats. Released in 2010, LibreOffice was built after Oracle (ORCL -1.83%) announced the end of its involvement in the OpenOffice project. The Document Foundation estimates it has about 200 million active users.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), an image editing program. GIMP is an alternative to Adobe (ADBE -5.83%) Photoshop. It gives users the ability to retouch, edit, draw, and shift images between different formats. Developed at the University of California, Berkeley, and released in 1996, GIMP claims 8.3% of the cross-platform image editing market.
VLC Media Player, a cross-platform app for viewing videos. The program was originally the 1996 product of students at the École Centrale Paris; it's now administered by VideoLAN, a non-profit organization. The VLC product has been praised for its versatility, with one tech publication noting, "The real challenge is finding files this software can't play."

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About the Author

Frank Bass is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst and editor covering energy, healthcare, consumer, and financial sectors. Frank has decades of experience in financial journalism, holding reporting and editing roles at The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and Bloomberg. He also currently edits research on the global energy transition. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas Tech University and is a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Fun Facts: Frank has hiked The Long Trail in Vermont from end to end, and currently lives in a semi-dry cabin in Interior Alaska.

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None has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Adobe, Microsoft, and Oracle. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.